A Reflection on Food

Food is large part of everyone’s lives. Arguably, it is the reason we are all alive. Having grown up in a ‘melting pot’ country, I have been lucky to try many different types of cuisine. However, I had not had the privilege to try Estonian cuisine. Or really any Slavic/Baltic cuisine. Until I arrived here.

The first thing I noticed was the lack of intense spices, but the increase of natural flavor. A lot of the food in the US is processed and shipped from far away lands (like California), with plenty of artificial flavors and spices to make it tasty; while the food here has been noticeably more natural and flavorful by itself. I was shocked by the ‘wheat’ taste in Pringles when I got them here, before I realized I have no idea what Pringles are actually made of.

Anyways, we have been pretty much eating the same things every day. For breakfast, a feast. Sausages, eggs (if you’re into that), toasted bread with cold meat and cheese, some sort of porridge or cereal, juice, and a LOT of coffee. I was not used to having my first meal be so large, but I have noticed that I get hungrier much faster here than I do back home- so the larger portions are necessary to get to lunch without letting the hangry thoughts win.

Moving on, lunch is also pretty much the same every day. Some sort of protein- usually Chicken Kiev or a cutlet, a ‘salad’ (more on that later), and a carb. Puree or other potato is common, but pasta, rice, couscous or another grain has shown up regularly. The lunches come with bread (white or dark), and water.

Now let us rant about salad. Growing up, my mother was (and still is) the World’s Best Salad Maker. She had a knack for picking the perfect combinations of leafy greens, crunchy nuts, cheeses, fruits, meats, and dressing to make the most amazing salads known to man. Anyways, that is what I have associated with salad. I was very surprised when I arrived here, and learned that ‘salad’ simply meant any serving of cold (or hot) vegetables. Unfortunately, Estonia, I have not been the biggest fan of this change. However, in Tartu I did happen to have one of the best salad’s in my life. It tasted just like something my mom would make- and that is a high compliment. Luckily I discovered that many restaurants also have very good salads, along with othere foods.

My favorite food here hands-down has been the Blini. They are light and delicious, and perfect for every occasion- breakfast, lunch, dinner, studying, forbidden pre-workout- everything.

When in Tallinn I also had the rare pleasure of trying something new- bear meat. It came in dumplings and was definitely in the top three for meals I have had here. And now I can tell people that I have eaten bear, which is just cool.

In my opinion, one of the most important aspects of one’s culture is the food they make/enjoy. Food makes up such a large part of everyone’s lives that what we decide to cook and eat tells a lot about our histories and lifestyles. Learning about Estonian culture through the food here has been very interesting and made me understand a lot more about Estonian lifestyles and history. I have greatly enjoyed trying new things and learning to enjoy different styles of foods. There are plenty of things that I plan to implement into my diet when I get back because of it.

-Ava Brodeur