Mulgipuder
Mulgipuder (also Mulgi puder) is mashed potatoes mixed with pearl barley and topped with fried pork[1].
Mulgipuder is the only Estonian national food that is in the UNESCO List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity[2].
Some claim that Mulgipuder is not in the older cookbooks.
A very important detail is missing in the UNESCO article. It is written in the article by the Eesti Rahvakultuuri Keskus ("Estonian National Culture Center") that "After the potatoes and pearl barley are boiled or stewed to become soft, they will be mixed, avoiding at that mashing potatoes". In the UNESCO article this detail is completely missing, there is written instead "The ingredients are boiled until soft and then mashed". This detail is very important, because when the pieces of potato are not left whole when mixed with pearl barley, the porridge becomes hard and tastes bad.[3]
What makes this food unique to Estonia, is adding pearl barley to mashed potatoes. Many foods in Mulgimaa contain barley, as a lot of barley is grown there.
References
[edit]- ^ "Mulgi pudru valmistamine ja söömine Mulgimaal". Eesti Rahvakultuuri Keskus.
- ^ "Cooking and eating Mulgi puder, traditional mashed potato with barley in the Mulgimaa region, Estonia". UNESCO List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. 2024.
- ^ Lillemäe, Leevi (2024). "AK. Nädal uuris, kuidas UNESCO kultuuripärandi hulka kantud mulgiputru keeta". ERR (in Estonian).