Sprat Sandwich

The Baltic sprat has been salted and spiced on this coast for centuries, and kiluvõileib - sprat on buttered bread - is the closest thing Estonia has to a universal snack. It turns up at receptions, on pub menus, at Christmas, and on the table whenever someone opens a tin.

What you actually see

• The fish - small silver Baltic sprats cured in salt with a spice mix of allspice, black pepper, coriander and bay.
• The taste - dark, soft and intensely savoury rather than fishy in a fresh way.
• The standard assembly - a slice of black rye bread, a thick layer of butter, one or two sprats and a slice of hard-boiled egg.
• The variations - spring onion, cucumber or a little sour cream, all built on the same contrast of sour bread, fat and salt.

When to go

Year-round, though the sprat season proper is winter. Tins of spiced sprats are in every supermarket and cheap, and the brands from the coast are the ones locals reach for. Market halls, Balti Jaam and the Tartu hall among them, sell them loose from the counter, which is better than tinned. Pubs and older restaurants almost always have the sandwich on the starters list.

Honest expectations

It is very salty and quite oily, which surprises people expecting something like an anchovy on toast. One or two is a snack; a plateful is a lot.

Tinned sprats travel fine, but check airline rules on liquids if the tin is in oil and you are carrying it in hand luggage.

Nearby

The Balti Jaam market in Tallinn is the easiest place to buy them loose, with the black bread and butter to go with them.