Category: onion

Sauerkraut and Beetroot Salad. Hapukapsa-peedisalat

hapukapsapeedisalat (1)Homemade Sauerkraut, Fermented Cabbage, Hapukapsas is a very important and popular dish in Estonia during autumn winter time and mandatory food during Christmas time.
In ancient time, Hapukapsas and cranberries were only sources of  C vitamin, during wintertime.
Sauerkraut is a fermented food and this is not the only a source of vitamin, but this is also a source of the probiotic bacterium and this is excellent for your health.

One wonderful salad recipe.

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Pork in Cream Sauce. Kooreklops

kooreklops1 (1)Kooreklops means
“koore” is cream and ” klops/ klopitud” means clopped.

So, very creamy and chopped meat. This is so everyday dish and probably known everywhere that even strange to add some recipe. But as I said, Kooreklops is everyday Estonian dish, so let it be.

And maybe interesting to know, that we have two similar and very different 🙂 dishes. Kooreklops and Sibulaklops (onion ). Sibulaklops consists of a lot of stewed and fried onions to achieve special flavour and consistency.

 

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Apple and Buckthorn Pork with Juniper berries. Õunasiga kadakaga

6unasiga (11) Juicy and delicious everyday dinner. Gin and juniper berries give the meat a pleasant woody taste.
Braising produces extremely moist, tender, and flavorful meat and pork will be so soft and tender you can cut it with a spoon. Apple juice and onions forming a tasty sauce. Sweet and sour with juniper taste.

And the liquid used for braising can be used as a sauce or gravy, which is handy for pork dishes served with rice or a similar side dish.

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Juniper berries (cones) are refreshing and power-giving Nordic treats.
The type of juniper most widely spread in Estonia is the common juniper (juniperus communis). You can see it growing the most in Western and Northern parts of Estonia. Juniper symbolizes rebirth, protection and humbleness. „There is no reason to wonder, why the juniper has become one of the symbols of our windy homeland and for all Estonian nation, showing the undying power of life, no matter what comes ahead. (Ants Viires, 2000)“

Picking juniper berries means success that can be achieved with hard work. People widely  believe that if you eat one juniper berry in a day, they stay young forever. If children have three juniper berries in a day, they are more likely to stay healthy.
This and many other sayings created a belief that a juniper can cure 9 different diseases, 99 diseases in some cases.
Since juniper berry  carries a cross formation on it, it was believed that juniper can help against witchcraft, revenants and anything evil.

It is also believed that juniper cleans and strengthens one’s body  energetically. For humans it has the best effect by breathing in, but it can also affect objects around that person. Juniper branches burnt in the house may clean up bad aura.       

 Juniper berries contain essential oils, sugars, resins, colorants, fatty acids, organic acids, carbohydrates and trace elements (Manganese, Iron, Copper and Aluminum). Juniper berries have anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial effects during colds. Berries also stimulate urine and saphenia and promote digestion.

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Rowan Berries and Cottage Cheese Salad. Pihlaka- kodujuustusalat

pihlakasalat (6)Rowan Berries are very healthy. The astringent taste fades with freezing, so the best time to pick them is winter.

But.
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If in your home forest are living greedy birds, you should pick them as soon as possible and leave in a deep freezer at least for 3 hours.

more options:
soak berries in salted water (1 teaspoon salt in 1-litre water)
or keep berries  3- 4 minutes in boiling water

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Mash some berries and mix with sour cream
season with salt, sugar and pepper
Chop (red) onion or leek
add marinated or salted mushrooms
and cottage cheese
decorate with rowan berries
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Traditional Seto Onion Pie. Seto Sibulapiirak

Peipsi area is home to Old sibulapirukas (2)Believers, a traditional religious minority recognised as hard-working and skilful fishermen, builders and keen onion cultivators
This region has become famous for her onions and cucumbers. Peipsi onions have a flat shape and a very strong flavour.sibulad

So, visiting Estonia, find out about Sibulatee (Onion Road). Admire beautiful Peipsi lake and discover very interesting Seto culture. And buy a few onions. To bake for example this old Seto Onion Pie.
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Setos (Seto: setokõsõq, setoq, Estonian: setud) are an indigenous ethnic and linguistic minority in south-eastern Estonia and north-western Russia.
Setos are mostly Seto-speaking Orthodox Christians of Estonian nationality. The Seto language (like Finnish and Estonian) belongs to the Finnic group of the Uralic languages. The Setos seek greater recognition, rather than having their language considered a dialect of Estonian. Along with Orthodox Christianity, vernacular traditional folk religion is widely practised and supported by Setos.
Continue reading “Traditional Seto Onion Pie. Seto Sibulapiirak” →

Sauerkraut and Apple Salad. Hapukapsa-õunasalat

hapukapsa6unasalat (11)Homemade Sauerkraut, Fermented Cabbage, Hapukapsas is a very important and popular dish in Estonia during the autumn-winter time and mandatory food during Christmas time.
In ancient time, Hapukapsas and cranberries were only sources of  C vitamin, during winter time.
Sauerkraut is fermented food and this is not the only source of vitamin, this is the source of the probiotic bacterium and this is excellent for your health.

One wonderful salad recipe.

Continue reading “Sauerkraut and Apple Salad. Hapukapsa-õunasalat” →

Estonian Vegetable Salad. Toome salat

toomesalat1(1)The good child has many names.  This Toome salad has the other name “Pail Salad”.

Word “Toome” has two meanings, as well.

Toome- bird cherry, and Toome as international meaning – “Dom”

It was not a very long time ago when from October until May we have not fresh vegetables and fruits.  Around a year were available only a few: apple, cabbage, onion, cranberries, cowberries, turnip, carrots. And that is all.
To get all others, we made preserves: salted, marinades, jams, compote…

The origin of the  Toome Salad dates back to this time.
In the autumn put all mothers and grandmothers these salad ingredients as layers into the pail. Salad settled overnight, and later, the salad was heated, canned in banks to preserve vitamins for over winter.
Now we have not to need for this. Fresh cucumbers are available around a year and we can make this salad every day.

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Lüübnitsa Cold Summer Soup. Lüübnitsa külm suvesupp

lyybnitsa supp1 (4)Lüübnitsa is the small village in Setomaa. South eastern Estonia, near the Pihkva lake. Lüübnitsa has become very famous for her onion and fish fair. If you visit Estonia during summer time, you are welcome 🙂

Setos (Seto: setokõsõq, setoq, Estonian: setud) are an indigenous ethnic and linguistic minority in south-eastern Estonia and north-western Russia. Setos are mostly Seto-speaking Orthodox Christians of Estonian nationality. The Seto language (like Finnish and Estonian) belongs to the Finnic group of the Uralic languages. The Setos seek greater recognition, rather than having their language considered a dialect of Estonian. Along with Orthodox Christianity, vernacular traditional folk religion is widely practiced and supported by Setos.
read more about Setos

Did you know there are dialects in different regions of Estonia? For example, the Setos in southern Estonia have their own dialect and their own kingdom, with about 12,000 speakers. Võru also has its own dialect with about 75,000 speakers. Both dialects are on the UNESCO list of threatened dialects.

Check and google for Seto Kuningriigi Päevad and Lüübnitsa Fish and Onion fair in August

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Continue reading “Lüübnitsa Cold Summer Soup. Lüübnitsa külm suvesupp” →