Exploring the gastronomic offerings of the Baltic Sea.

Since the days of yore, these waterways have witnessed history unfold—from the journeys of the mighty Vikings to the formation of the fjords. On a 14-day cruise, Nolan Mascarenhas seeks the gastronomic gems the Baltic Sea has gathered and tucked away in h

THE GENERAL IMPRESSION I HAD of a cruise is that of confinement, seasickness, and bunk-bed cabins shared by scallywags ready to loot and plunder. I couldn’t have been farther away from reality—opulent dining experiences, duty-free arcades, a movie hall, a mini theatre, butler champagne service, and state-of-the-art entertainment awaits you onboard any Princess Cruises vessel. From star restaurants to a 24-hour buffet, you can never go hungry. However, there are some signature meals curated by well-known chefs that one should book and experience on the two-week journey.

On a 14-day cruise of the Baltic Sea, the meal that stood out for me on the ship was at Sabatini’s, designed by famed Chef Angelo Auriana—former executive chef of the Michelin-star Valentino. An Italian meal coursed through my evening here. The apertivo lay in the stuzzichino della casa—warm, rustic whole-wheat loaf, Tuscan zonzelle with roasted

tomatoes and bell peppers passata served with prosciutto crudo, drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar. The antipasti were grilled lamb skewers marinated with oregano and extra virgin oil—tender, moist, and ever so succulent—with an arugula salad accompaniment. Then, Grana Padano fondue with celery, foraged mushrooms, and toasted hazelnuts made its way over a shallow bowl of piping hot soup in quick succession as the next course— the dal pastaio. Picagge, made up of marjoram-infused long pasta, prawns, clams, artichoke pesto, Ligurian olive oil, was a signature treat. The secondi piatti had the polenta soffice—soft polenta with mushrooms, fresh mozzarella drizzled with truffle essence along with the porchetta, rolled crispy pork belly Toscana, potatoes, spinach, and roasted tomato paired perfectly with an aged red wine. A dessert lover’s delight lay in the Dolci tasting platter. Space designed capsules gently caressed tiramisu, vanilla panna cotta with a blueberry compote and almond shortbread, and zabaglione Marsala with fresh berries. The Chef’s Special changes weekly and is always a decadent surprise. While the food onboard the cruise liner was sumptuous, the many culinary explorations that awaited me on the ports of call were too tempting.

OSLO, NORWAY

A trip to Oslo is never complete without tasting its rich gastronomic offerings. Norwegian smoked salmon plays leagues above its counterparts found elsewhere in the world. The delicious fish matures at a slow rate, acquiring a distinct, deep flavour. Savour the pink meat by itself or accompanied by brown bread generously spread with butter at Fiskeriet Youngstorget (fiskeriet.net).

They sell some of the finest smoked and fresh fish in Oslo. Post a walk through the extraordinary Vigeland Sculpture Park, the largest one created by a single artist, I quenched my thirst with some Aquavit, also known as the spirit of Scandinavia. Distilled from grain or potatoes, it tastes a bit like vodka but with the distinctive flavour of caraway. Before taking a sip, it’s appropriate to shout ‘Skål!’, the Norwegian equivalent of cheers!

TALLINN, ESTONIA

Apart from being a picture postcard country that is any Instagrammer’s delight, Estonia is known for its delicious chocolate! Kalev (kalev.eu) is the oldest chocolate factory in Estonia, and it produces the highest-quality chocolate—a great idea for gifts and souvenirs. I started my Estonia excursion by taking in the sights of Toompea Hill walking through medieval Tallinn. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is home to Estonia’s parliament and some unique tourism offerings. An integral part of Estonian cuisine, kama is a mixture of roasted barley, rye, oat and pea flour that is used as an ingredient to make delicious desserts. The locals also mix kama with buttermilk or kefir and eat it for breakfast. I chased that with vastlakukkel, a wheat bun stuffed with whipped cream. Years ago, vastlakukkel was only

eaten as the last festive food before Lent, but today, you can purchase it in most of the local bakeries throughout the year.

The Baltic Sea is full of sprats, which can be found in almost every restaurant and shop. There are many dishes made with the fish, but the most popular and simplest is the kiluvõileib, also known as the sprat sandwich—dark bread, sprat, boiled egg, and a home-made sauce. It might not look attractive, but I assure you it is delicious. My accompaniment with this delicacy was some kvass, a traditional fermented beverage made from rye bread. I can’t really describe its composition; it’s somewhere between beer and soda. Considered non-alcoholic among the locals, it may have up to one per cent alcohol after the fermentation process.

WARNEMÜNDE & BERLIN, GERMANY

This shore excursion is a worthy rival to London and Paris in terms of history, art, and culture. The city’s landscape boasts of the restored Reichstag Building with its magnificent glass dome, the Brandenburg Gate, and the stunning Museum Island. The Germans are known for their love of beer and pretzels, and a visit to Berlin is incomplete without trying some of their local delicacies. Spaetzle are dumplings made of eggs, flour, salt, and often, a splash of fizzy water to fluff up the dough.

Meat lovers must try the schweinsbraten. This roasted pork, which is also found in Austria and the Czech Republic, owes its pickled taste to the way it used to be preserved before refrigerators were invented. Add to this delicious herbs and side dishes like stöcklkraut (roasted cabbage) and knödel (dumplings). Sign off your German meal with the local favourite rote grütze. This red fruit pudding comes from Schleswig-Holstein, the northernmost state in Germany. It’s usually made with black and red currants, raspberries, and sometimes strawberries, or cherries—all cooked in their juice and served with cream, vanilla sauce, or ice cream.

ST PETERSBURG, RUSSIA

Russia may be best known for vodka, but its list of gastronomic offerings is long. I started my Russian adventure with blini—thin, crepe-like pancakes

made from buckwheat flour and almost always served with accompaniments like sour cream, jam, fruits, smoked salmon, and caviar. The lunch served to me could have fit the streets of Florence. The Russian dumplings called pelmeni has a striking resemblance to tortellini, containing ground meat (usually, a mix of beef and pork) and diced onions contained within simple, unleavened dough. Variations include dill toppings served with sour cream or butter. They are often served in a meat broth, soup style. Believe it or not, ice cream is popular all year round in Russia, despite the extreme temperatures. Morozhenoe is made from pure milk and uses a higher dairy-to-ice ratio than the ice cream I am accustomed to back home, resulting in a thick, creamy texture.

COPENHAGEN, DENMARK

One of the most charming cities in Northern Europe, Copenhagen is believed to have been the site of human settlements ever since the Stone Age, and the city itself is thought to have started as a fishing village in the 10th century. Danes love to eat and are quite proud of their culinary offerings, some of which are steeped in tradition.

A classic Danish dish, the smørrebrød is an open-faced sandwich typically eaten for lunch. Mine consisted of a single slice of rye bread piled high with a wide variety of fresh toppings including shrimp, fish

DID YOU KNOW?

Steff Houlberg, a processed meats brand that began in 1889, offers three types of hot dogs—the French hot dog, the ristet hot dog med det hele, and rød pølse med brød. The first one is basically a grilled sausage in a pocket of bread with your choice of dressing. The second one is a grilled sausage in a classic hot-dog bun served with mustard, ketchup, and remoulade, topped with onion and pickle. The rød pølse is a red sausage that is boiled and served with your choice of dressing and a piece of white bread on the side. eggs, roast beef, mayonnaise, and a heavy serving of horseradish. Quite the oddball combo, it was surprisingly tasty. While the hot dog may sound American, there are over 4,000 hot dog stands across Denmark—it’s safe to say that wieners are a popular snack here. In a way, it’s the country’s very own street food.

The sweet brigade is not left far behind in the Danish pastry or the wienerbrød, a sweet pastry made from laminated yeast dough. The final product’s texture is similar to that of a croissant, except the wienerbrød is filled with a mixture of creamed butter and sugar. The pastry was brought to Denmark by Austrian bakers, and has since developed into a Danish speciality. Danes usually eat it as an afternoon dessert paired with coffee or tea.

As I make my way back to the many comforts of the cruise ship and sail back to reality, I take back memories and a well-earned pot belly—filled with culinary stories worth telling, I’d like to think.

Clockwise from left: An opulent ship from Princess Cruise; a cafe adjacent to the Russian Orthodox Cathedral on Toompea Hill; openbread sprat sandwiches; a serving of Norwegian smoked salmon.

INSIDER TIP A must-try signature dish on the cruise is the chocolate journey rocher—a blend of chocolate, pralines, and hazelnut ice cream sealed in milk chocolate and surrounded by crushed, candied hazelnuts. This was specially created for Princess Cruises by award-winning master chocolatier Norman Love.

INSIDER TIP Traditionally served as a side to meaty dishes, and sometimes dropped into soups, spätzle can be transformed into a simple but delicious main by adding Emmentaler or some other Swiss cheese to make what’s often referred to as the ‘German macaroni cheese’. Clockwise from left: The iconic Brandemburg Gate in Berlin; a serving of German spätzle; traditional Russian pancakes, blini, topped with salmon caviar.

From top: Rød pølse, or boiled pork sausage; a traditional pølsevogn, or sausage wagon, in Copenhagen’s Gammeltory square; a Danish sandwhich locally known as smørrebrød.