TOP 5 Estonian Souvenirs

01 SOMETHING EDIBLE OR SOMETHING FOR DRINKING

There is nothing better than a food souvenir. Look for Kalev chocolates, kama (a mixture of roasted barley, rye, oat and pea flour eaten with buttermilk as a filling breakfast), dried fruit crisps, Olde Hansa roasted sweet almonds (you can smell these roasting outside of the restaurant), elk meat sausage, or black bread. You’ve probably already noticed that Estonians like their beer. A. Le Coq and Saku are the biggest brands, but smaller artisan producers are coming out with some good competition. Not a fan of beer? Look for Vana Tallinn liqueur, vodka (Saaremaa and Viru Valge are the top brands), or the Soviet era Kännu Kukk. Põltsamaa Castle produces great fruit wines, including Tõmmu (blackcurrant) and Kuldne (apple), which are two sweet wines, perfect for after dinner.

02 SOMETHING KNITTED

Although mildly itchy, the iconic Estonian wool sweater will keep you warm on those long, cold Estonian winter nights, as will the colourful mittens and socks.

03 SOMETHING MADE FROM JUNIPER You’ll know this wood by its very fragrant odour. Look for butter knives, tiny jewellery boxes, key chains, and trivets.

04 SOMETHING MADE BY A BLACKSMITH

With a shop located on Nunne in Tallinn’s Old Town, you don’t have to travel all the way to island of Saaremaa for a wrought iron souvenir from Saaremaa Sepad.

05 SOMETHING TO READ

We asked some expats living in Tallinn what their favourite books (fiction or non) were. Here’s what they suggested: My Estonia – Justin Petrone and John Bickerson Bolling

Purge – Sofi Oksanen

Carrying Linda’s Stones – Suzanne Stiver Lie, Lynda Malik, Ilvi Jõe-Cannon, Rutt Hinrikus

War in the Woods – Mart Laar

Sentence Siberia – Ann Lehtmets, Douglas Hoile

The Singing Revolution – DVD

Made in Estonia How to spot locally made souvenirs in Tallinn.

TEXT KRISTINA LUPP, PHOTOS ANDREI CHERTKOV

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