There have been more than a few occasions in Estonia when I have exclaimed
kirsid! (cherries) only to be corrected, “No, they’re
murelid”. For Estonians, who have maintained a closer connection to the soil than most urban Canadians, kirss is a Morello or sour cherry (as well as wild varieties). So it turns out the juicy, deep-red sweetie most widely enjoyed in Canada is in fact the larger, meatier
murel.
Upon spying the fruits pictured above in a garden in Tallinn’s Pelgulinn neighbourhood last week, I shouted
ploomid! (plums) and was once again corrected, “
Ei, need on kreegid” (No, they are damsons – a small European plum). Size-wise their indigo-skinned fruit is more akin to olives or grapes and I had never seen or tasted one before.
Next to the given
kreek/kreegipuu, which was noisily showering fruit with every passing wind gust, were two apple-laden neighbours (
õunapuu), one with reddish and the other yellowy-white bobbles. Foiled again, for I was not able to recognise them for what they truly are, perhaps a sügis(fall)dessert and kuld (golden) renett? Eesti boasts a large variety of apples with very whimsical names such as lambanina (lamb’s nose), martsipan, valge klaar (white clear) and talve nauding (winter enjoyment). The scene pictured above, of apples around a campfire pit is not a common sight. The older generation and in fact most people still make use of nature’s bounty. They say Põltsamaa taliõun (winter apple) makes the best juice, Antonovka the best compote and sügisjoonik is best for drying – sliced and into the oven.
Anyone and everyone with a cottage or relative in the country is bringing home apples these days. People bring them to work, where there are big "sharing bowls" for all to enjoy.
