Food & Drink

In Estonia, eating habits have been traditionally characterized by seasonal ingredients. This means that Estonians eat fresh foods during the summer months, and preserve foods to be eaten in the winter. Older generations stick to some of these old practices and there are markets for those who don’t – while younger generations are likely fed some of those preserves by their parents or grandparents.

The cuisine of Estonia has been greatly influenced by Scandinavian, German, and Russian traditions, and meals are usually centred around meat and potatoes or fish in the coastal and lake areas. The fishing industry is dominated by rainbow trout in Estonia’s lakes, rivers, and fish farms, while herring and sprat are common fish in the Baltic Sea.

Estonians love a good kiluvoileib, which is an open sprat (type of fish) sandwich. It traditionally comes on buttered rye bread, a marinated sprat fillet, green onions, herbs, and it usually comes with a poached or hard-boiled egg.

Mjulgikapsad is a hearty, slow-cooked winter sauerkraut dish made from cabbage, pork, and barley. Marineeritud angerjas is eel, marinated in a sweet and sour sauce served cold, and enjoyed especially as a holiday special treat.

Sult is a meat jelly made from boiled meat and gelatin, sliced, and served cold with mustard or horseradish and hakkliha kotlet are minced meat patties, like meatballs or hamburgers made with beef and pork, breadcrumbs and spices. These are baked or fried, and are usually served with potatoes and a  sauce like ketchup, mustard, or a local mixture of caramelized onions and sour cream.

Estonia’s craft beer scene is a growing phenomenon. It's born of a substantial, centuries old history of beer making in the country. It’s a thriving scene, and some breweries have begun exporting to northern European countries. 

Major breweries include Saku (founded in 1820) and A. Le Coq (founded in 1807), are now owned by big beer companies, but small craft breweries, aided with simple regulations and a friendly government, the craft brewers make a dent in the market.

Pohjala Brewery put together an awesome beer festival called Tallinn Craft Beer Weekend, and it’s been regularly attended annually since 2015.