Food of Estonia

Estonian food is hearty, based on rye bread, pork, potatoes, fish, dairy and forest berries, with Baltic and Nordic influences. Dark sour rye bread is a daily staple, while soups, jellied dishes, sprats and barley dishes are traditional. Dairy desserts such as curd snacks and the toasted grain flour kama are favorites.

National dish

Black bread (leib) with sprats

Staples

  • rye
  • pork
  • potatoes
  • herring
  • dairy
  • barley
  • mushrooms

Signature flavors

  • dill
  • caraway
  • marjoram
  • black pepper
  • juniper

Main dishes

Mulgikapsad
Mulgikapsad

Sauerkraut stewed with pork and barley, a traditional Estonian dish.

Key ingredients: sauerkraut, pork, barley, potatoes
Mulgipuder
Mulgipuder

Mashed potatoes and barley groats served with bacon and onion.

Key ingredients: potatoes, barley, bacon, onion
Kama
Kama

A fine roasted grain flour mixed into milk or kefir.

Key ingredients: barley, rye, oat, pea flours
Sult
Sult

Jellied pork with onion and vinegar.

Key ingredients: pork, gelatin, carrots, vinegar
Kiluvoileib
Kiluvoileib

An open sandwich of rye bread, spiced sprats and egg.

Key ingredients: rye bread, sprats, egg, dill
Kotletid

Pan-fried minced meat patties.

Key ingredients: pork, beef, onion, milk, breadcrumbs
Baltic herring
Baltic herring

Fried or marinated small herring.

Key ingredients: herring, rye flour, butter

Breakfast

Leib
Leib

Dark, dense sour rye bread, the national staple.

Key ingredients: rye flour, sourdough, water
Kohuke
Kohuke

A sweet curd snack glazed in chocolate.

Key ingredients: quark, sugar, chocolate, vanilla
Hapukoorega pannkoogid

Thin pancakes with jam and sour cream.

Key ingredients: flour, eggs, milk, jam

Street food

Pirukad

Baked buns filled with meat, cabbage or egg.

Key ingredients: yeast dough, ground meat, cabbage, egg
Kringel
Kringel

Sweet Estonian braided yeast bread.

Key ingredients: flour, butter, sugar, raisins

Soups

Hernesupp

Split pea soup with smoked pork.

Key ingredients: peas, smoked pork, carrots, onion
Seljanka

A sour-savory soup with meat and pickles.

Key ingredients: mixed meats, pickles, tomato, olives
Kapsasupp

Cabbage soup with potatoes.

Key ingredients: cabbage, potatoes, carrots

Salads

Rosolje

A pink beet and herring salad with sour cream.

Key ingredients: beets, herring, potatoes, pickles, cream
Kartulisalat

Potato salad with sausage or egg.

Key ingredients: potatoes, eggs, pickles, peas, mayonnaise

Breads

Sepik
Sepik

Sweet-sour rye bread.

Key ingredients: rye, sugar

Desserts and sweets

Kama kissel
Kama kissel

Sweet kama pudding with milk or berries.

Key ingredients: kama, kefir, sugar
Kissell
Kissell

Berry soup thickened with starch.

Key ingredients: berries, starch, sugar
Kringel pastry
Kringel pastry

Cardamom-scented braided cake.

Key ingredients: flour, cardamom, raisins

Drinks

Kali
Kali

A non-alcoholic fermented bread drink.

Key ingredients: rye bread, water, sugar
Kohv
Kohv

Everyday filter coffee.

Key ingredients: coffee
Kefir
Kefir

Cultured milk drink.

Key ingredients: milk, kefir grains

Fruits and produce

Strawberries
Strawberries

Summer berries.

Key ingredients: jam, cream
Lingonberries
Lingonberries

Tart berries.

Key ingredients: jam
Blueberries
Blueberries

Forest berries.

Key ingredients: pie
Apples
Apples

Orchard apples.

Key ingredients: cake, juice
Explore Estonia on Geographical EffectMaps, capital and cities, population, climate, landscapes and landmarks.

More cuisines of Northern Europe

About this page

Descriptions written by Intercontinental Chef. Dishes are listed as commonly eaten today; many are shared across neighbouring countries.

Photo credits
  • Mulgikapsad: Eiusmod, CC0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Mulgipuder: M0d3M, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Kama Rati sculpture at the group of monuments at Belur, Hassan, Karnataka, India (2009): Philip Larson from McLean, VA, US, CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Headcheese Elizabeths: Kent Wang, CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Kiluvõileib.IMG 4378: Ave Maria Mõistlik, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Baltic herring from Poland: Oliwier Brzezinski, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Market Bread, Riga, Latvia: Ken Eckert, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Varskes surelis2: Bearas, CC BY 2.5 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Kringle 2: RhinoMind, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Sepik-sediment-new: The original uploader was Aliasd at English Wikipedia., Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Red Currant Kissel: Unknown, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Mint bread kvas: Mr.Icon (Mricon), CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Latte and dark coffee: Bex Walton, CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Kefir in a glass: Quijote at Russian Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Garden strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa) single2: Ivar Leidus, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Vaccinium vitis-idaea 20060824 003: Jonas Bergsten, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Blueberries: The original Uploader was Oven Fresh at English Wikipedia, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
  • 95apple: Agricultural Research Service (Research agent of United States Department of Agriculture), Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)