Estonian Christmas eats: blood sausage, sült and a festive taco twist
From classic sült and sauerkraut to a Taco Tuesday-inspired fusion, Estonia's holiday flavors are sneaking onto the airwaves and into shopping carts as Christmas nears.
Actor and resident taste-tester Christopher Rajaveer got into the holiday spirit on a recent segment of "Ringvaade," sampling some of Estonia's recently award-winning Christmas favorites.
His top pick? Verivorst (blood sausage) with hapukapsad (sauerkraut).
"Every December, I remember that these dishes even exist," he said, noting that their seasonal rarity adds to the appeal.
Sült (headcheese, or aspic) can be a polarizing dish, and Rajaveer admits he's not a big fan.
"I last ate sült like 20 years ago," he said. "I can eat it, but there's just always something more appetizing."
Even so, the version he tasted won him over — at least in the studio. "The meat is tender," he said, recalling childhood memories of grittier varieties. "This sült is silky smooth and melts in your mouth."
A surprise on the menu was a hunter's solyanka, a soup not typically associated with Christmas in Estonia — but not off-limits either.
Another unexpected twist: this year's title-winning best Christmas roast wasn't the traditional pork, but roast chicken — a pick Rajaveer found underwhelming.
"Summery, light, barbecue-style chicken," he said, adding that chicken isn't his holiday meat of choice.
'Estonian blood pancake taco'
Meanwhile, on "Terevisioon," Estonian Grilling Union (EGL) judge Renee Meriste showcased the country's top-rated verivorstid (blood sausages) and verikäkid (blood pancakes) and added a playful twist of his own: an Estonian-style blood pancake taco inspired by Latin American flavors.
In the studio, Meriste fried up the verikäkid in oil and built the tacos with horseradish, a slice of verikäkk, pickled red cabbage and fermented celery.
The result, he said, tastes incredible — and the hard taco shell gives it a nice crunch.
"Someday, what we're making here today will be known as the 'traditional Estonian blood cake taco,'" he quipped.
Meriste, who has lived in the U.S. for years, explained that Taco Tuesdays in Los Angeles date back to at least the 1930s, when tacos were an affordable street food.
"They cost one dollar," he said. "And when I first moved there 18 years ago, they still cost one dollar. Today, in 2025, tacos on Taco Tuesday cost $1.99."
The EGL taste-tested 24 different types of verivorst and six different verikäkid before crowning the best product in each category.
"They all tasted completely different — even I was surprised," Meriste added.
From time-honored classics to inventive twists, Estonian holiday foods have delivered both nostalgia and a few surprises for viewers — and their shopping lists — this year.
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Editor: Neit-Eerik Nestor, Annika Remmel, Aili Vahtla
