Foods to try in autumn in Estonia

If you were unable to come during this colorful season, do not despair. Many foods harvested in the fall are smoked, pickled or canned so they can be enjoyed year-round.

Estonian cuisine uses fresh local ingredients. Staples such as rye bread, cheese and herring complement seasonal products. In the fall, Estonians go into the forest to pick mushrooms; game such as elk appears on the table; apples are picked in orchards and root vegetables are dug up. What cannot be served fresh is preserved and can be enjoyed all winter through methods such as pickling or pickling. Preservation methods that once a necessity before the popularization of refrigeration in the 1930s, remain popular today.

At the end of summer and autumn, Estonians go to the forest to pick mushrooms. If you want to try picking mushrooms yourself, it's best to hire a guide; locals would rather give you the password to their smartphone than tell you where their favorite mushroom spot is! Chanterelles are a local delicacy, as are pickled boletus mushrooms.

In autumn, apples are plentiful throughout Estonia. Try freshly squeezed apple juice or delicious kohupiim apple pie. Sometimes locals have more apples than they can use, so they set out boxes of them for neighbors to take home and enjoy.

Estonians don't carve pumpkins in October; instead they marinate them! Pickled pumpkin is an integral part of the traditional Estonian Christmas dinner. The acidity helps bring out the richness of the roast pork and potatoes.

Estonian chefs make the most of these seasonal ingredients, which is one of the reasons MICHELIN inspectors chose Estonia as the first Baltic country to be represented in their world famous guide.

MEKK and Restaurant Farm, located in the heart of Tallinn's Old Town, offer a modern interpretation of Estonian cuisine.The Ööbiku Gastronomy Farm restaurant, located in a few minutes' drive from Tallinn, enjoy a five-course lunch made from local and forest produce. On Muhu Island, you will find innovative Scandinavian island cuisine at Alexander's restaurant at Pädaste Manor. Ranked as one of the best restaurants in Estonia according to the White Guide Nordic, Alexander pays special attention to focusing on fresh, local ingredients, collaborating with the island's producers and farmers and growing most of the greens and herbs in Pädaste's own gardens and greenhouses.

Of course, there are plenty of places around the country that serve authentic Estonian cuisine. If you happen to be in Tallinn in mid-September, you can also try some rustic country cuisine at the Estonian Bread Day and Autumn Fair at the Open Air Museum. You can also visit the Kolu Inn tavern on site at any time of the year to try classic Estonian dishes.