Traditions and Food

Photos by S.Lepik

Shrove Tuesday

Shrove Tuesday – Vastlapäev - is a very important day in Estonia. We don`t eat pancakes on that day- we eat lenten buns instead. We also have pea or bean soup, salted beans and pig`s trotters on that day and go sledging. For the last few years it has been a wonderful winter with lots of snow, perfect for vastlaliug- sledging downhill. In olden days it was believed that he who went the longest distance would grow the longest flax.

Shrove Tuesday

It was also believed that if you cut your hair at Vastlapäev your hair would grow very nice and thick. And you were supposed to comb your hair seven times on that day.

PEA SOUP250 g dried peas150 g pearl barley 3 l water1 kg smoked meat (pork)1 big onion2 big or 4 smaller potatoes2-3 big carrotssaltPut the pearl barley and peas into cold water to soak for one day (put them into a big bowl, pour over with cold water so that peas and barley are all covered). Put the smoked meat and water into a big pot and heat slowly up to boiling. Remove the scum. Add the soaked peas and pearl barley. Heat again up to boiling, lower the heat, cover the pot with a lid and boil it for about one hour. Chop the onion, carrots and potatoes. Add the vegetables to the soup. Boil for half an hour, until vegetables and meat are soft. Take the meat out of the soup. Remove the bones, cut the meat into smaller pieces and add again to the soup. Add salt.

LENTEN BUNSFor 30 buns:5 dl warm milk50 g yeast1 teaspoon of salt200 g melted butter2 eggs800 g wheat flour0,5 – 1 teaspoon of cardamon3 tbs sugarMelt yeast with sugar and add it to the warm milk. Add half of the flour. Mix and let to stay in a warm place covered with a towel until small bubbles appear on the surface. Add salt, cardamon, cooled melted butter, whipped eggs and rest of the flour. Mix until the dough is shiny. Put it again into a warm place to rise. Form buns. Put them on the baking tray and let them rise for a while. Brush with milk or egg and bake at 200-225 degrees for 10-15 minutes, until the buns are golden. Take them out of the oven and let them cool down. Cut a small piece from top of the bun, cover with whipped cream and put the piece back.

St.Michael’s Day – September 29

By St. Michael’s Day “the rape had to be in the cave and the womenfolk in the chamber”, i.e. the field labour had to be done and the women’s housework started. Animals were killed for food, and peasant household got better food to eat. It was the most widespread lamb-killing and beer-making date. It was a kind of leave-taking day since the rent contracts were concluded for the period covering the interval between St. George’s Day and St. Michael’s Day.

MUTTON SOUP500 g mutton3 l water1-2 carrots1 onion4-5 potatoessaltFor dumplings:1 egg½ - ¾ glass of milk1 glass of barley wheatPut the meat into cold water and bring it to boil, remove the scum. Add the chopped carrots and onion and 15-20 minutes before the end of boiling the diced potatoes. Season with salt. Take the meat out of the soup. Mix the dumpling dough, put the dumplings into the boiling soup and boil until they rise to the surface. Cut the meat into small pieces and add to the soup.

CUMIN BARLEY BREAD1 egg1 teaspoon of salt3 dl barley flour1,5 dl wheat flour0,5 teaspoon of baking soda3 dl sour milk2 teaspoon of cumin2 tbs oilWhip the egg with baking soda. Add cumin and flour mixed with soda, sour milk and oil. Bake in a preheated oven at 200 degrees for 40-45 minutes. You can use small baking moulds. Serve hot with honey or jam.

St Martin’s Day – November 10

For centuries Mardipäev (Martinmas) has been one of the most important and cherished days in the Estonian folk calendar. It remains popular today, especially among young people and the rural population. Martinmas celebrates the end of the agrarian year and the beginning of the winter period. On the eve of St Martin’s Day children disguise themselves as men and go from door to door, singing songs and telling jokes to receive sweets.

PEA AND POTATO MASH6 potatoes

3 dl fresh green peas3, 5 - 4 dl creamfresh parsleysaltPeel the potatoes and boil in the water, seasoned with salt. Boil the peas in a separate pot. Strain the peas and mash them with parsley and warm cream. Add the potatoes and mash into a porridge.

ST MARTIN’S GOOSEgoosepeppersalt Wash the goose, dry it and cover with the mixture of salt and pepper. Tie up the wings and legs to the body. Put on the baking tray. Bake in the oven at 200 degrees, from time to time pour it over with the grease. If necessary cover the goose with tin foil at the end of baking. Baking time is one hour per 1 kilo of the bird.

APPLE AND BARLEY BREAD0,5 l sour milk1 egg1 teaspoon of salt1 teaspoon of baking soda1 tablespoon of oil250 g barley flour300 g apples1 dl raisins1 dl sugarClean and gut the apples into pieces. Wash and soak the raisins. Put the dry ingredients into a big bowl and mix them. Add egg, sour milk and oil and mix. Then add apples and raisins and mix well. Pour the dough into a baking tray covered with baking paper. Bake at 200 degrees for 35 minutes.

ChristmasOld Estonians celebrated winter solstice - the birthday of the Sun. Starting from winter solstice, the days grew longer and the sun rose higher in the sky. Jõulud was celebrated from St. Thomas's Day (December 21) until Epiphany (January 6) long before Christianity reached the region. Jõulud, which involved excessive eating and prohibitions on several types of work, was seen as a period of rest in the middle of the long dark winter. Now Christmas is a mixture of the traditional, the modern, the secular, and the religious. Like in other Nordic states, Estonia's celebration of Christmas mostly falls on Christmas Eve, however, Christmas season starts from Advent with people buying Advent calendars or lighting Advent candles.

Christmas

On Christmas Eve, people had to eat for 7, 9, or even 12 times. These were magic numbers and the excessive eating would make sure that the next year would be rich in food. If men ate seven times during Christmas night, they were supposed to have the strength of seven men the following year.

Christmas

Each year on December 24, the President of Estonia declares Christmas Peace and attends a Christmas service. The tradition was initiated by the order of Queen Kristina of Sweden in the 17th century.

BARLEY SAUSAGES1 kg streaked bacon0,5 kg white onions3 dl pearl barley8 dl milk or water1 teaspoon of salt0,5 teaspoon of grinded white pepper1-2 teaspoon of saltmajoram6-8 m pork bowelsPut the pearl barley into cold water to soak for one day. Pour the liquid used in soaking away and boil the pearl barley in clean water for 3-4 minutes and then let to cool down. Chop the onions, mince the bacon and add salt, pepper and majoram with pearl barley and the water they were boiled in. Mix everything and let to stay in a cool place for two hours. Fill in the bowels with the mixture (not too full). Heat the sausages in 80° C water for 20 minutes and then bake in the oven at low heat.

GINGER BREAD250 g treacle or honey 100 g sugar50 g butter some salt2 tsp gingerbread spices (cinnamon, clove, cardamom, ginger, nutmeg) 1 egg300 - 500 g flour2 tsp baking powder Bring the treacle, sugar, and butter to boil, stir constantly. Add the spices and cool it by whipping. Add whisked egg and flour mixed with baking powder. Knead the mixture into solid dough. Keep it in a cool place. Roll the dough. Butter the baking sheet, mould cakes and put them on the sheet. Bake. Decorate after cooling if you wish.

KAMA• Kama is a traditional

Estonian finely milled flour mixture. The kama powder is a mixture of roasted barley, rye, oat and pea flour.

• Kama does not require baking. Mix 1-2 teaspoons of kama powder with butter milk and some sugar. It is a healthy and cold food on a hot summer day.

• Nowadays it is used for making some desserts.

Customs

Estonian peasants did not start preparing desserts until the beginning of the last century. Earlier few desserts were prepared (for instance beer soup, cottage cheese crumbs) for holidays and family celebrations.

Customs

Estonians sitting down to eat say “May your bread last!” to which one answers “We it will!” Recently, the expression “Bon appetit” has become more usual.The first cookbooks intended for widespread use appeared at the end of the 19th century, although the first Estonian-language cookbook was already published in Tallinn in 1781. This was the Köki ja Kokka Ramat, mis Rootsi Kelest Eesti-ma Kele üllespandud on, which was translated from Swedish.