One of the most noticeable differences between the food in Estonia and in America is that there are far fewer preservatives and genetic modifications in the agricultural items here, so the produce is typically smaller and can be oddly shaped. I do not mind these imperfections at all, and I have really enjoyed preparing fresh meals with my landlady some days.
My landlady loves to go "mushrooming," which involves us visiting the forrest to handpick mushrooms for meals. We also collect strawberries from her parents' country garden to make into handmade jellies. Overall, food is prepared in a very similar way to the United States. It is true to say, however, that Estonians generally do not use the same quantity and variety of spices that Americans use, but they do use similar cooking techniques, like grilling, baking or hot pot.
The typical food of Estonia is a product of preparing for the long winters in the Baltics, which is to say, pickles! The grocery stores have hundreds of pickled items, since Estonians are used to pickling their vegetables to preserve them to eat outside of the growing season. It is very difficult to find tropical fruits here, like mangoes, papayas and pineapples, but hearty and dependable produce, like potatoes, onions and beets, is extremely common. Even though Estonia sits on the Baltic Sea, foods such as shrimp, lobster and crab are very expensive here. The most accessible and affordable fish comes from coastal or freshwater lake areas.
