Estonian Christmas food traditions

Text Mikko Savikko
Photo Andrei Chertkov

As global cultures continue to influence everyday life, food traditions, especially those associated with the holidays, remain important. While some customs change over time, festive meals often stay rooted in the past, passed down through generations.

Estonian Christmas pork is different from Christmas ham in other countries. It is usually made from pork rind (kaelakarbonaad in Estonia). There are many different recipes, but what they have in common is that the meat is cooked for a long time at a relatively low temperature. The internal temperature of the meat should reach 85°C. The result is tender meat.

A side dish is usually oven-roasted whole potatoes and braised sauerkraut. The latter, despite its name, does not taste sour and can be bought in glass jars in supermarkets under the name Praekapsas in Estonian. The sweet pumpkin salad, usually flavoured with cloves, is usually made well in advance and stored in jars. And of course, the table also includes a strong Põltsamaa mustard.

An equally popular Christmas dish is blood sausage, which is usually eaten in the run-up to Christmas. Prisma, for example, has at least 17 different types of blood sausage in its selection this year. The main accompaniment is traditionally lingonberry jam.

A fish dish kasukas consists of pieces of herring, eggs, onions, boiled potatoes, carrots and red cabbage, and a sour cream and mayonnaise sauce. This dish came to Estonia from the East, where it was considered the food of revolutionaries.

Grey salmon and shrimps are also challenging the role of herring on Estonian Christmas tables. And no major family celebration in Estonia can be held without the popular potato salad on the table.

Rice pudding or kringle served with coffee are the most popular festive desserts. The former is made into a pretzel the size of a baking tray. Drinking mulled wine is also part of the season as is eating gingerbread.

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Christmas Traditions Estonia Estonian Blood Sausage Estonian Christmas Food Estonian Holiday meals Estonian Traditional Christmas Food Potato Salad Rice Pudding