The Sacred Foods of Estonians

When Estonians are asked about our national dishes, the question is usually followed by the joke, “Well, another Estonian, of course,” and then a long pause for thought. Do we even have such a thing as “a national dish”? Kohuke, sour cream, black bread, jellied meat, blood sausages, kama, sprat sandwiches – many of these are familiar foods in other places too. But try suggesting that someone add some corn to their family potato salad recipe, or saying out loud that “cookie cake” works without curd cream. Or that rosolje salad does not have to be exactly the same colour as Grandma used to make it.

For someone from a different cultural background, the first encounter with Estonian traditional food can be quite an adventure. Let’s be honest: jellied meat probably does not look especially appetising. Blood sausage may raise questions even before it reaches the plate. Kama needs a little backstory. And Estonians’ relationship with sour cream may look, from the outside, almost like a national obsession. Sour cream in soups, salads, sauces, on pancakes and definitely on dumplings – and leave some out on the table too, just in case someone needs more. It is the same with kohuke. Try explaining to someone who has never tasted one what is so special about a chocolate-covered curd snack. It is simply something one has to try.

At the same time, there is nothing wrong with unfamiliar dishes causing a little hesitation at first. Almost every culture has flavours that seem strange to others in the beginning but taste completely natural to locals. Some nations have fermented foods, some have very spicy sauces, some have dried fish, and some have dairy dishes that take a bit of getting used to. Estonian food culture also has many flavours that may require a little time, but they grow on you. Tangy. Smoky. Salty. Simple. Hearty. Homely.

To truly understand someone’s culture, you do not always have to dive into Wikipedia articles. Sometimes all you need is someone to hand you a plate and say “Try it – this is how we make it.” Every culture has something like that. Someone offers you tomato sauce made according to their grandmother’s recipe. A friend brings you a childhood sweet as a gift. A colleague from another country explains that proper Italian pasta or Indian food can only be made with certain ingredients, otherwise something essential is missing. Home cooked meals are not just made of ingredients, they are made of memories and stories.

The value of traditional food does not lie in the fact that it cannot be recreated elsewhere. Black bread can be made in countries other than Estonia. You do not have to fly to Italy for tiramisu, khinkalis are not found only in Georgia, and Indian food can be enjoyed far beyond India. But the feeling that this particular taste is part of your childhood, your home region, or Sunday mornings at your grandmother’s house is not something that can be packed up quite so easily. That is why Estonians abroad often miss the simplest things the most: black bread, sour cream, kohuke, homemade potato salad.

There is a reason people say that the way to the heart is through the stomach. Sometimes love for another culture begins with a small bite.