How to thank your hosts for the food, so that the islanders do not consider your praise to be exaggerated? If you hear someone on the next table say, “That was edible” or “Nothing bad to say about it”, bear in mind that they are probably locals and you have chosen a really nice place for dining.
Next, it might be useful to know that many farms and manors outside the “capitals” also offer delicious local food, if you know where to ask. Many places, however, are not regularly open outside the summer high season. Therefore, some luck is required – it’s always useful to call in advance and ask if the place you are considering visiting is indeed open.
It might happen that even though a restaurant has foreign owners, there is still great respect for local food. That can be the essence of a truly nice meal – as the locals often say – when foreign food culture and local tastes are combined and find their way onto the same plate.
Taste experiences worth trying Island restaurants mostly serve food in which local ingredients are used as much as possible. Almost every smaller island has their own small producer, and the list of local island producers is quite long. Chefs’ favourites are Pähkla trout, Triinu’s apple juice, Ideafarm’s vinegar and sauces, and unforgettable Saaremaa Mahemuna (Saaremaa organic eggs – ed). These have become somewhat famous locally due to the reality show “Tanel ja Kanad” (“Tanel and Chickens” rewatchable on ERR Jupiter – ed) that gives an overview of the struggles and benefits of being a small organic entrepreneur.
Islanders clearly have a taste for good rye bread, because every island seems to have their own baker. Hiiumaa Pagar and Muhu Leib (Hiiumaa Baker and Muhu Bread – ed) are probably known to everyone who has visited the islands. Their products can be enjoyed in many places throughout the trip and many people buy them to bring home with them. Around the Kuressaare main square, at least three lovely cafeterias – Böns, Vanalinna Kohvik, and Salme Sai – all make their own dough daily.
“Who has not seen the bellybutton of an island woman, has not been to Saaremaa.” At least this is how the saying goes, meaning those who have not stopped at the Naba restaurant (naba meaning bellybutton in Estonian – ed) when passing through Kuressaare. It is quite a new place that is worth visiting. While it is a playful Asian fusion-kitchen, the chef still uses local products as much as possible. The bar also offers local drinks, which Naba uses to make exciting cocktails.
The art of brewing a drink like no other
Islanders are well-known seafarers with a long tradition of making homemade beer and moonshine.When taking a look at the islands’ vegetation, it’s no wonder that juniper berries are the most common addition to drinks and have been used to add flavour to drinks for a long time. Gin distillery Lahhentagge has taken the matter into their own hands and travelled overseas to gather extra knowledge on making the perfect gin. They have been so successful that their product has been recognised internationally and received numerous awards.
Make your own Lahhentagge cocktail “Endless July”
Lahhentagge gin
Martini Bianco Vermouth
Tonic
However, the trendiest drinks today are alcohol-free! Lahhentagge also knows this, which is why they accepted the challenge of creating an alcohol-free drink that can be used to replace gin in cocktails. This drink is Flâneur, which can already be found in most of Saaremaa’s restaurants and bars. The same drink was used as a key element by well-known Estonian bartender Kristo Tomingas, who attended an international cocktail-making competition in New York. There he competed against drinks made from real gin, being the only one to surprise the judges with an alcohol-free cocktail.
One health food to look out for on the islands is a drink called a ‘shrub’ that is so healthy it is almost considered a superfood. Saaremaa’s producers Wösel and Ideafarm are leading ‘shrub’ manufacturers. Wösel has a line of ‘shrubs’ made from different fruits that are especially rich in taste and are suitable for drinking straight away. However, Ideafarm’s CEO warns that their shrubs require caution – they are quite strong, fermented, health drinks made from natural, cold-pressed, raw material. They can be drunk as a health shot, in a cocktail, or used to flavour hot water as a replacement for tea.
Once you get excited about shrubs, you will notice that there are countless ways to use this exciting drink. It can even be used to clean and tone the skin or even to disinfect surfaces. In addition, when diluted, it can be used as a drink, salad dressing, or marinade. It adds a slightly sour nuance and is a delicious as well as a convenient way to consume health-friendly apple cider vinegar. In the process of making a shrub, traditional apples are added to many different local fruits including juniper berries, currants, rose petals, sea buckthorn, rhubarb, and many local herbs.
Shrubs can be a mix of strong liquor and a fermented alcohol-free fruit drink or an alcohol-free cocktail. They have become a modern, trendy drink and are made from fermented vinegar. They are often consumed as a health shot.
Make your island salad dressing
A lovely island salad
Young sea cabbage leaves
1/3 local hemp or hemp oil (Karmel’s)
2/3 apple cider vinegar (Ideafarm)
Add honey and rosé pepper according to taste
Tastes of the forest and the sea
It is heartwarming to experience what the island’s food producers all have in common — the ability to find and create exciting niche products that often conquer consumers’ hearts. One of the secrets to that is probably the need to produce something they would want to consume themselves. On the other hand, the island’s unique nature supports this perfectly. On the islands, the vegetation is diverse and many plants surprise mainlanders and revive their travel memories once they are back home.
Maria Kaljuste, the brains behind Ideafarm, says that their busy harvesting season begins in early spring with grass dolls and dandelions. After that, it isn’t long before rose gardens start blooming. Then, in a few months, it’s time for apple picking. The first products of Ideafarm were elderflower and meadowsweet syrups. Later on, they added yarrow syrup and apple cider vinegar (which have won the hearts of many Estonians) to their selection.
In addition to their products being made from only local apples and other raw materials collected from local growers and forests, they also wanted to utilise any waste products left behind from their working processes. For example, the berry and fruit mass that is left over from fruit and berry wines is dried and ground into powders and used in the local superfood producer Boost’s health powders. Ideafarm also reuses packages wherever possible.
Muhu’s goods favoured by children include Muhu Jäätise Wabrik (Muhu’s ice cream factory – ed). In addition to berries, these handmade ice creams and ice cream cakes make use of spruce needles, wood sorrel, rose hip flowers, meadowsweet, and more. This has led many top restaurants on the islands and in Tallinn to integrate these products into their menus. The same has happened to Muhu bread, which has become so famous that sometimes people travel to Muhu island especially to buy it.
Inspiration for DIY
The most characteristic food to describe the islands is definitely fish and it can be found in various delicious forms in almost every restaurant. However, the most authentic experience is to catch it yourself or learn to smoke it yourself. In Nasva, at Tihemetsa farm, fish has been served to guests for more than 30 years and in addition to their fish-smoking skills being tuned to perfection, the family are leading the island’s slow food movement. Pähkla fish farming pond ‘sproducts are many chefs’ favourites due to their high quality and can be found on the menu of most restaurants for a reason.
If you lack fishing experience, you will definitely succeed at Pidula Forell (Pidula trout farm – ed), where your freshly caught fish will be cooked and the feast may begin. In Pidula, the trout farm is neighboured by Pidula waterpark. There, you can enjoy your fish on the sandy beach and have a drink alongside your meal or enjoy pizza from the stone oven.
When visiting one of the smaller islands, find a local fisherman who knows how to navigate the waters. They often know the best fishing spots and can instruct you on fishing techniques. On Hiiumaa, turn to experienced fishing guide Marek Võsa. He will take you to sea and smaller islets, and, as a lifelong fisherman, will not leave you without a meal. Those interested in making powerful medicine or drinks from natures gifts, turn to a woman named Merle, who is also known as Saare Kunksmoor (The island’s witch named Kunksmoor – ed) or Merepäike (the Sea’s Sun – ed). Step into the crafts store in Heltermaa harbour in Hiiumaa and ask for the right places to get better acquainted with local herbs and food.
The islands are home to many edible plants that cannot be found on mainland Estonia. There are plenty of those which can be found all over Estonia, but they require the wisdom of ancestors to be used to their potential – the kind of knowledge that runs within people’s roots and is often forgotten. However, heritage is strong and deeply valued on the islands, which is why the islands are the perfect place to learn how to use sea cabbage, bladderwrack, nordic ginger, black elderberries, and many others. Did you know that the brown bladderwrack picked from the sea turns bright green when fried? Or that the furcellaran extracted from the seaweed that grows on the coast of Estonian islands is used in marmalades and lozenges by Estonia’s biggest candy manufacturers?
Maie Kindel, the lady behind Muhu Jäätise Wabrik says that every plant has its own energy and it’s something that can’t go unnoticed once you settle on the islands. “Those who don’t notice it are usually the ones that won’t stick around,” she adds. Even the head chefs of many famous restaurants come to the islands to gather supplies for the upcoming season, no doubt recharging their own “batteries” at the same time. For instance, you are just as likely to run into Toomas Leedu (the head chef of Kuresaare Kuursaal’s restaurant Ku-Kuu) in the forest as you are in his restaurant, as he often comes picking funnel mushrooms throughout the season. The connection between nature and people is strong here and from time to time, we need the sea murmur and storm winds to blow our heads clear, so that we have space for new ideas.
Local small entrepreneurs visualise the islands as eco-friendly destinations and producers. There is potential for this to come true, and many food producers and growers have already moved in this direction. They only need to bring the big companies along. As consumers, if ecological food is something we value, our food choices are the most direct way to express this.
Islanders recommend
Pilguse and Loona manors have quite nice kitchens – they are worth trying out but call ahead first to make sure they are open. If you are craving for a delicious stone-oven pizza, go to Pidula Wakepark.
You can find Lahhentagge, Wösel, and Ideafarm’salcoholic and alcohol-free drinks in many island stores, bars and restaurants.
A hot summer requires cold ice cream – if you don’t have the chance to go, you can find Muhu Jäätise Wabrik’s handmade ice creams in several nice restaurants and food stores that sell local goods around the island.
Grab a pastry and morning coffee from one of the bakeries around Kuressaare’s town square. You can enjoy vegan food at Good Mood Food.
A lovely meal awaits in many restaurants. Several of Saaremaa’s restaurants have been awarded the White Guide recognition. The selection is quite impressive! Try delicious meals in Kuressaare Kuursaal’s restaurant Ku-Kuu or Hafen.
