If you find yourself in Estonia during the winter holidays, enjoying a local Christmas dinner is a must. Find out why the Christmas feast is such a meaningful event, which Estonian dishes to look for, and where you can have a feast of your own.
Apples grow abundantly on trees in Estonia, but some types of talveõun (winter apple) are harvested late in the year and last through the winter.
Photo by: Jarek Jõepera
The Estonian way of life is based on the turning of the seasons and the bounty of nature. Berries are collected in the summer, while fruits, vegetables, grains, potatoes and mushrooms are harvested in the autumn. These goods, along with farmed and wild game meats, are pickled, salted, smoked and otherwise preserved to fill the pantries through the winter. With the advent of commercial markets it is no longer essential to preserve goods at home, however the practice remains popular in the countryside and is increasingly making its way back into modern day kitchens.
Vegetables, fruits, grains and potatoes harvested earlier in the year and preserved provide food for the Christmas feast.
Photo by: Toomas Tuul
Winter dishes are hearty and filling, to provide energy and warmth in the cold weather. The food of the Christmas feast is no exception, and staples include verivorst (blood sausage), sült (jellied head cheese), hapukapsas (sauerkraut), oven-roasted potatoes and pork. Special Christmas bread is baked along with gingerbread, often an activity for the whole family. Apples and mandarin oranges are also enjoyed as Christmas treats.
The Christmas meal itself, eaten on Christmas Eve or the night of Christmas, is an important family event originating from pagan times. There were to be seven, nine or twelve servings of food to bring good luck and plenty for next year's harvest. Food was to remain on the table all night long, and it was forbidden to peek under the table, for this was a sacred place where spirits dwelled and any food dropped was left there.
The following restaurants offer holiday fare to give you a taste of Christmas in Estonia.
Olde Hansa serves a multi-course Christmas meal mid November through mid January including bear, wild boar and elk sausages.
Photo by: Toomas Tuul
Tallinn
Northern Estonia
Southern Estonia
Western Estonia
Islands