Lucinda Frye, Passionate Foodie
Diverse and indigenous cuisine brought by the many ethnic people to St. Maarten from all over the world piques our interest. To this end, we are on a quest to find where it comes from, if it is used for celebrations, if it is exotic to some but everyday food to others. Anything to do with keeping the body and soul nourished with that which is produced from good old terra firma, is what makes the world go around.
History says Estonia had people arriving there around 9000 BC; far up North and freezing cold!
As per usual, many wars have taken place with the powers that be, at the time, all wanting to rule what has become known as Estonia.
The land has been fought over and ruled by Prussia, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Poland and Russia. In February 1918, Estonia declared itself independent of Russia who had partially ruled there since around 1721; but the advancing German army invaded Estonia the very next day!
In 1919, Russia again invaded Estonia but was beaten back – and finally in 1920, Estonia was recognized by Russia as an independent nation. But things do not stay as they are. In 1940, Russia became the USSR and annexed Estonia, making them part of the Soviet Union.
In 1941, Estonia fell under German occupation. In 1944, the Russians placed Estonia back under communist rule. Finally, Estonia was recognized as an independent country in 1991 and joined the European Union in 2005. Talk about not knowing who you are exactly for so many years – wow!
You will see Estonia on the map in northeastern Europe. The land juts out into the Baltic Sea. To the east is Russia and to the south is Latvia. The capital and largest city is Tallinn. The country has some of the most incredibly beautiful natural wonders, and historical monuments (medieval castles, beautiful architecture and impressive museums) to make it a must on one’s travel bucket-list.
Kihnu, known as the Island of Women, is the largest island in the Baltic Sea and the seventh largest island of Estonia. The length of the island is just 7 km long and 3.3 km wide. The highest point is at 8.9m above sea level.
This island is an ancient land of seafarers and fishermen. The clothing, language, music and handcrafts are on the UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) Intangible Cultural Heritage List.
A close-knit community of about 700 inhabitants live here. They value old traditions, the language and songs of Kihnu. Singing and dancing are integral parts of life. As the men folk spend most of their time at sea, the women have become the keepers and carriers of the cultural heritage.
They have taken over many of the men’s roles. It is not a surprise to see the women of Kihnu riding motorbikes yet wearing Kihnu homespun striped skirts. Many of the woman are aging now, as is the population.
Some of the best times to visit this island would be around the traditional holidays – Midsummer Day, St. Catherine's Day or Christmas – and festival times like the Kihnu Herring Hike, the Day of Kihnu Home Cafes, the Sea Festival, the Kihnu Dance Day and the Kihnu Violin Festival.
Visitors and cultural lovers can witness the daily life and do some home visits, truck car tours and fishing trips. Everything that takes place on this island is traditional and cultural even to the way the womenfolk dress. In their brightly coloured, woven and embroidered skirts and blouses, the women take on everything from motor repair to animal husbandry.
Tending chickens and sheep, making clothes and fixing tractors, knitting, cooking and childbearing / caring. Yes, these women do it all.
They are the keepers of song, dance, traditional weaving and handicrafts. They are the primary conductors of rites of passage like weddings and funerals.
To tell if a woman is married, one looks to see if she is wearing an apron over her skirt. Only about five or so men are year-round residents on this island of 300 permanent year-round residents. Motorcycles are the main means of transport.
There is a clear hierarchy in this matriarchic Kihnu society – children, community and then come the men! To the women on Kihnu, there is a strong sense that everything is possible.
The cuisine mostly eaten on this island is relatively simple. The style of cooking is modest and definitely often, traditional dishes from the past.
Cooked potatoes with steamed little Baltic herrings is a typical daily dish. Black bread is eaten in all Baltic countries. However, with these modern times, foods from all over do get shipped to the island. They grow, harvest and grind the dried grain to make the flour for their black bread.
Families all have their own “plot” on which they grow produce, keep their chickens and raise pigs and sheep.
There is a men’s-only food ritual that takes place in midsummer. As the eel-fishing season begins, the men gather for eel soup. A man is appointed to be the cook and he makes a big cauldron of soup of onions, eels, water and salt.
Women do the cooking at all other functions including making the ritual last soup for a wedding (a three-day affair). This is a sweet milk soup, and is a sign that the celebrations are coming to an end. Then the finale is usually a dance – the women dance for everything.
A treat is the meat from seals; this is boiled with unpeeled potatoes. Smoked seal meat also appears on the menu at times. They eat merganser eggs in springtime. These eggs make cake baking great, as these eggs have a dark yellow yolk. The merganser is a half-domesticated waterfowl.
Living in such a woman-organized society means that there is a ritual as to what they eat and when – Sunday soup day; mashed potatoes and fish night; warm bread from the oven night. And then there are certain foods eaten for certain events – baby showers and even for placing the dead in the casket, the traditional food for this is porridge.
RECIPES
Black Bread – also known as Rye bread. This recipe is from a friend who lived in Estonia. Her bread was wonderful. (I admittedly don’t have quite the success with any bread I make!)
Ingredients
1½ litre lukewarm water
½ litre leavening*
1½ kg rye flour – whole grain or milled plus a handful rye malt flour
10 tsp salt
27 TBL sugar
Coriander seeds
20 TBL oat bran
Handful of mixed seeds – coriander, caraway flax, hemp, sunflower, pumpkin
*Leavening
1 pint buttermilk or natural apple juice
100-120g rye flour
Leave the mixture in a covered bowl to ferment in a warm spot for 2-5 days, leavening should be foamy on top. You will smell a fermentation odour. This can be stored in the fridge for one week; it can also be frozen.
Method
Mix leavening, lukewarm water and half of the flour.
Leave 24 hours to ferment in a warm place, covered with a towel.
Add the remaining flour and seasoning.
Add seeds and knead into the dough.
The dough is ready when it no longer sticks to your hands.
Turn dough into a greased loaf tin.
Allow to rise in a warm spot up to six hours covered with a towel.
Place a bowl with water in the bottom of the oven and preheat to 445° F.
Bake for 15 minutes then turn oven down to 375° F for 40-50 minutes.
When the bread is baked, cover it with a wet towel to keep it moist.
Allow to cool before cutting.
Leavening in the Caribbean does not seem to work as well as instant yeast, so here is a recipe for you to try that may be easier, yet give the same depth of flavour! https://www.occasionallyeggs.com/easy-overnight-dark-rye-bread/
Beet and Potato Salad – Colourful and pink, this will make a change to a BBQ side!
Ingredients
2 lbs potatoes, peeled
1¾ lbs red beets, scrubbed
1½ cups dill pickles diced into ¼-inch
1 granny smith apple, peeled, cored, finely chopped
½ cup finely minced red onion
½ cup mayonnaise
½ cup whole milk Greek yogurt
1 TBL Colman’s mustard
1 TBL prepared horseradish
2 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
Garnish:
3 large hard-boiled eggs, peeled, sliced
2 TBL chopped parsley
Method
Scrub beets and wrap in foil.
Bake in preheated 400° F oven 1 hour.
Cool, then rub off the skins using a paper towel – cut into 1/2-inch dice.
Put potatoes in a large pot, cover with water.
Add 1 tsp salt, bring to a boil.
Lower heat to simmer for 20 minutes until tender.
Drain, cool, cut into ½-inch dice.
Combine mayonnaise, yogurt, mustard, horseradish, 1 tsp salt and pepper.
Toss all together lightly.
Chill for at least one hour.
Garnish with sliced eggs and parsley.
Tastes great when made ahead.
Barley and Bacon Porridge – This is more like a risotto than “porridge.”
Ingredients
200g smoked pork / thickly cut bacon
175g pearl barley, rinsed and drained
2-1/3 pints boiling water
Salt, to taste
Method
Cut bacon or smoked pork into dice.
Fry over medium high heat until browned and slightly crisp.
Keep 2 TBL fat - drain off excess, if necessary.
Add pearl barley, sauté, stirring 1-2 minutes.
Add boiling water, reduce heat.
Cover with a lid and simmer for about an hour – stirring now and then.
Barely should be just al dente – not porridge-like!
Add salt if needed.
Photo: The Daring Gourmet
