Nr. 15
EESTI ELU reedel, 16. aprillil 2021 — Friday, April 16, 2021
Omakase sap (Continued from page 8)
Eesti and now the marketing of kasulik ja hõrk kase/siirup (healthy and delicious birch syrup) is also increasing, as it has been for a while in North America.
Photo: toptravelsights.com
How to convince a nonEstonian that pickled herring is actually delicious In Ukraine, pickled herring is among 12 non-meat foods If one hasn’t grown up with eaten on Christmas Eve, each Estonian culture, the first one symbolizing one of the 12 pivotal point of any friendship Apostles. or romantic relationship with Nova Scotians eat Solomon an Estonian is the tasting of Gundy. They’ll soak the herring the country’s cuisine. Esto one day. The next day put the nians often have to explain cut-up pieces of herring in a jar their food choices. “Why on with vinegar, peppercorns, sugar, earth would you eat that?” and allspice with onions layered someone might ask, with their in. And on day three, it’ll go on eyebrows arched in horror. bread with cream cheese. The dish most commonly in Perhaps the biggest herring need of defense is sült. Jellied aficionados on the planet are meat is enough to implode the Dutch, who have been many people’s interest in trying chowing down on it in large something new. However, an quantities since the 1400s. The equally provocative but less- most popular variety is defended food is pickled herring. Hollandse Nieuwe. To be given Changing someone’s mind this name, the fish must consist about it takes wit and ingenuity, of at least 16 percent fat. As but you could build a delectable you can see, there are plenty of gateway to the rest of the people to vouch for herring! Estonian ethos and customs. Or Put it in mayonnaise: Com at least, you’ll know that person bined with boiled beets and is going to be sticking around potatoes, onion, hard-boiled in your life. eggs, and mayonnaise, you have Herringas or räim in Esto the classic Estonian rosolje. nian. Clupea harengus membras People eating will be so transin Latin. From the 1200s to the fixed by the magenta colour and 1400s, herring was sold in ports the miracle occurring on their all around the Baltic Sea. This taste buds that they won’t think petite silver fish would have much about what it’s made of. been caught in spring and then “It’s just like potato salad” you cured for consumption later. In can tell them. addition to wanting to eat her- Fry it: This kind of defeats the ring for longer, fluctuations in whole purpose of having pickavailability (whether due to led the herring, but, at some overfishing or the moving of point it was fermented, if only spawning grounds) also promp to extend its window of conted consumers to cure it in sumption. Pass it through flour. different ways. This included Deep fry it in oil. Then serve it brining with a salt and water with some crispy potato wedges. solution, or pickling, which can Smother it in cheese: If this involve vinegar, salt, or sugar. individual likes anchovies on So it’s a dish born out of pizza, your job has become ecessity. A clever hack that much easier. Melted cheese n gave us a new flavour. Put it on goes well with pretty much a plate with some boiled anything. Just cut it into smaller potatoes and sliced onion and pieces and hide it around other lunch is ready. What do you do, toppings, and you’ve made a though, if your guest is eating pizza estone. around the pickled herring? Another alternative combinaThe Comparison Game: In tion is to put the fish in tomato Sweden, there’s surströmming. sauce, almost as if it were In this instance, the herring is skumbria. fermented for half a year or Tell them it’s healthy: What if more and canned, giving some you have nothing around to pair acidity to its flavour. Once it’s the pickled herring with? Don’t opened up, you can expect to worry, there’s still hope. You’ll singe your nostrils. You can just need to use clever psychoalways say “At least heeringas logical tricks. isn’t pungent!” Don’t think I’m Remind the person that pickpicking on Sweden, though. I led herring contains plentiful would gladly subsist on gravlax amounts of omega-3 fatty acids. and meatballs for a month if I These will slow down the could get away with it. clogging of arteries and reduce Strength in Numbers: Tell blood pressure. They have them how many people love to anti-inflammatory properties, tuck into the stuff from across thereby preventing the deterioration of the brain. You can tell cultures.
Vincent Teetsov
Dendrologist Olev Abner of Tallinna Botaanika/aed writes that puude TIKKAMINE – tapping trees for sap doesn’t hurt them. The healthy tree’s läbi/mõõt (diameter) should be upwards of 20 cm though and although the sap (up tp 15 litres on a warm day) stops flowing as soon as a birch begins to leaf out, plugging up the ca 8 mm wide and 5 cm deep hole you’ve drilled seems a common courtesy in return for the special beverage you’ve received. Supposedly any species of birch can be tapped and yellow birches produce sap with the highest levels of antioxidants. Alas, yellow birch does not grow in Europe. But then, unlike any kask I’ve seen in Canada, in these parts, bark on the lower tüvi (trunk) of older kased gets tremendously furrowed, thick and grey. So much so, it gets a new name – korp / (adj.) korpas, and you would have trouble recognising it as a birch at eye level. In the last century, a home’s or farm’s maja/hoidja puu (protective tree) was often a birch. Is Northern Birch Credit Union our oma kase pank? Puude kallistajad (tree huggers) have for some reason been known to collect more omakase oma kase kasemahl. Ultimately, the “chef” decides how much and what s/he will offer. RIINA KINDLAM, Tallinn
them, “Do it for the sake of your health!” The real experience: Not everyone would agree that herring is Estonia’s true national fish. In 2007, an article in The Wall Street Journal argued that “...few Estonians actually eat it.” This was after the Estonian National Fishery Association ran an internet opinion poll about the matter. In the article, less herring being sold in Estonia, due to the increased pollution of fishing grounds in recent years, was listed as one reason why herring might not be a suitable choice of national fish. Nevertheless, after votes were evaluated, and the debate was even brought into the Esto nian parliament, Baltic herring still became the national fish. Some might say that pickled herring is the kind of flavour you need to grow up with. Or maybe you need to be a bearded lighthouse keeper on a stormy island to enjoy it. Then again, people take pride in going out and trying all kinds of different flavours than what they’re used to. Even if the person you offered it to never wants it again, at least they tried it. Though, once they try it, they’ll probably be a fan for life.
9
Estonian American Business Alliance
Q&A with the President of the Riigikogu Jüri Ratas Dear Fellow Estonians and Friends of Estonia, It is with great pleasure that on Sunday, April 18th, 10 am PST, The Estonian American Business Alliance and the Estonian Society of Los Angeles will host an infor mative live session with the President of the Riigikogu, Mr. Jüri Ratas. Our talk will be very informative for all of us in terested in Estonia. One of the most important questions we all have on our minds will be covered, Mr. Ratas will give us an update about Covid-19 covering the following topics. • current status • vaccination status and availability • economy, business support • education, schools, hobby,
sport • public services • road to opening • travelling Most importantly for those of us here in the United States, traveling restrictions, self-iso lations, summer 2021 travel. What will this look like especially if we are vaccinated, could Estonia open borders for the vaccinated travelers from the United States of America? Could Estonian Americans feel confident they can travel back home and this will be an opportunity to invite all Americans with the vaccine to visit and learn about the wonders of Estonia? After Mr. Ratas’ live update, as time permits, you are welcome to participate and ask questions. Please join us on Sunday, April 18th, 10 AM PST at www.eestiselts.com
Estonian culture organizers hope vaccine passes will increase audiences being developed in Estonia – a vaccination certificate that As the number of people who gathers peoples’ data from the have recovered from the digital registry and generates a coronavirus or have been certificate that allows the per vaccinated for it grows, the son to travel abroad. culture sector and event orga Marten Kaevats, digital afnizers are looking at ways to fairs adviser to the Government increase spectator capacities Office of Estonia, noted that a once a vaccination certificate traveler would not have to is put to use. worry about local restrictions Although there is practically with this certificate. However, no way to put on events now, he is still not sure if it would the culture sector is already work as a domestic solution. looking for opportunities to “This has to be a greater somake the most of the post- cietal discussion, since there are coronavirus situation. The as- many topics touching on human sumption is that the 50 percent rights and ethics,” Kaevats spectator capacity regulation noted. “I personally would like will once again be imposed. to dance a little and see my Organizers are discussing friends and if we can do that among themselves if they can safely, I would love that. But it increase spectator numbers if is a wider and larger topic, some of the visitors are either there is no clear answer.” vaccinated, or have recovered Eva Saar said that spectator from the coronavirus. One of restriction discussions have also the leaders of these discussions reached healthcare experts and is Jazzkaar producer Eva Saar. Ministry of Culture representa“We can see that it is pos tives. When it comes to data sible through the ticket sale protection, Saar said people system. When a ticket is would maintain the freedom to bought, you can add that you not publish their vaccination have received the vaccine and information and instead acquire also add your vaccine certificate a regular ticket. number. In addition to your “It is a temporary solution ticket, your vaccine certificate for sure because at one point, and identity is checked on loca- we do not need to make such tion,” Saar said, adding that exemptions. Once the number both vaccinated and non-vacci- of vaccinated and recovered nated people must have the people is high enough,” Saar same opportunities. noted. “We certainly do not want a Chancellor of Justice Ülle solution where only vaccinated Madise has assessed that dispeople would have an advan- crimination and division of tage,” she said. society is constitutionally pro An arrangement such as this hibited. The justice chancellor requires a safe and secure sys- also said it is also unconsti tem that helps prove the person tutional to create exemptions is either vaccinated or re based on the number of anticovered. One system is already bodies a person has.
ERR, April 2021
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