What can you pick up from a local kohvik on your way to work in Tallinn? From the Reval Café on Müüri/vahe tänav (“Between the (town) walls” Street) in Tallinn’s vanalinn (old town), you can grab along a glorious kilu/või/leib among other things.
On dark rukki (rye), often simply called must (black) bread, with red onion and half a boiled egg (keedu/muna) to boot.
Kilud are Baltic sprats and they are commonly marinated in a mixture of black pepper, allspice, cloves, nutmeg, coriander seeds, bay leaves, salt, sugar, etc.
The result: vürtsi/kilud or spiced sprats, a famous Estonian delicacy, the king of open-faced sandwiches.
Are there any other kind?! Või/leib literally means butter bread, just like the Danish smørre/brød. The slang or term of endearment for võileib has become võiku.
The square of cake on the side may be a new kind of seasonal classic simply due to the cool word it bears – PÖFF.
The Pimedate Ööde Filmifestival or Black Nights Film Festival takes over Tallinn in the dark second half of November each year.
Go to www.poff.ee and choose your language.
Riina Kindlam, Tallinn
