Bread
Estonians have been baking bread for over seven thousand years, bread has always been considered as one of our most important food products – one can say that bread is the symbol of food in Estonia. There are many beliefs and customs related to bread, the following of which was thought to keep food on the table and the family living a happy life.
Black bread and bread products are also appreciated today – the bread departments of our supermarkets often have one of the most diverse product varieties. In addition to traditional rye bread, Estonians also buy crust bread, fine rye bread, black pan bread, floor bread, brown bread, white bread and many other bread products. An Estonian eats on average 40 kilograms of bread products per year. Almost all of the bread eaten is of domestic origin, bakery products of foreign origin are seldom eaten.
The first Estonian bread industries were established already in the 19th century and Estonia’s oldest bead industry, Leibur, is already more than 250 years old. The industries today manufacture around 90% of the entire Estonian bread production, however, the number of small bakeries and farms whose produce ends up on supermarket shelves is also on the rise, as they offer variety.