COOK LIKE A LOCAL: THE BALTICS

Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia are united in their love of hearty dumplings, cool beetroot soup and sweet-sour honey cakes

Think hearty dumplings, beetroot soup and sweet-sour honey cakes

The three Baltic countries of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia share more than just the eastern coastline of the Baltic Sea. Between the 18th and 20th centuries they were part of the Russian empire, remaining so until 1918. Given this collective history, it’s little surprise that Russian (and, to a lesser extent, German) cuisine has had a major influence across the region, with chilled beetroot soup, pelmeni (dumplings) and layered honey cakes common to all.

Another thread that unites Baltic cooking is that all are agrarian societies, rooted to their farmland. In all three countries there is a respect for nature and for what it yields. The region’s markets may be full of seasonal, local produce – including topquality cabbages and potatoes, wildflowers, herbs, berries and mushrooms – but that is because they have always been so, not because sustainability and locavore dining are newly fashionable.

Dairy is a crucial element of the region’s cooking and is used in various ways, not least in an abundance of dishes that call for soured cream. Pork and seafood are dominant proteins, with preserved seafood as commonplace as fresh thanks to a culinary culture borne out of the need to preserve foods through the region’s long winters. Similarly you will find jars, in a kaleidoscope of colours, ferments and pickles, lining the shelves of home kitchens and market stalls.

There are differences, of course: eat out in Lithuania, to the south, and you will recognise Polish influences on your plate; while in Estonia, to the north, there are nods to Nordic menus. The recent embrace of ‘post-Soviet cuisine’, and its modern interpretations of traditional dishes, shares similarities with New Nordic cooking. Which means that it is an especially exciting time to be dining in the Baltics. »