Estonian blood sausage made from pig's blood, pearl barley, onion and marjoram in an intestine casing. Traditionally eaten at Christmas with lingonberry jam, sour cream and hapukapsas sauerkraut.

Verivorst grew from peasant winter cookery in the Estonian countryside, where families slaughtered a pig before the Christmas darkness. The pig's blood was mixed with pearl barley, onion, marjoram and stuffed into the intestine casing. The Christmas market on Tallinn's Town Hall Square (Raekoja plats) sells it through December, paired with lingonberry jam and gluhwine. Many Old Town restaurants like Olde Hansa and Rataskaevu 16 also serve it as a year-round homage to the season.

Where to eat Verivorst in Tallinn

3 editor picks for Verivorst in Tallinn, ranked by editorial score. All Tallinn signature dishes · Verivorst across every city.

Book food experiences in Tallinn

See all 563 food experiences in Tallinn

Make it at home

Serves 42 hrIntermediate

Ingredients

  • 500g pearl barley
  • 500ml pig's blood
  • 200g pork back fat, diced
  • 1 large onion, finely chopped
  • 2 teaspoons dried marjoram
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1m natural sausage casing
  • Lingonberry jam to serve
  • Sour cream to serve

Method

  1. Boil the barley in salted water until just tender, about 25 minutes, then drain and cool.
  2. Soften the onion and pork fat in a heavy pan over low heat for 10 minutes until translucent.
  3. Mix the cooked barley, onion mixture, blood, marjoram, salt and pepper in a large bowl.
  4. Stuff into the sausage casing, leaving room for expansion, and tie into 15cm links.
  5. Roast at 180C for 40 minutes, turning once, then serve hot with lingonberry jam and sour cream.

Editor tip. If you can't find pig's blood, the dish works as a barley-pork sausage without the colour, but the iron flavour is what makes it Estonian Christmas.

Common allergens: Gluten.