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Estonian recipe

How to make Kama

kama

Southern Estonia, now eaten everywhere

Commons: Kama Estonia
Photo: Orf3us, CC BY 3.0

A fine flour of roasted barley, rye, oats and peas, stirred into buttermilk, kefir or milk and eaten without cooking. With sugar and berries it becomes a light, nutty dessert or breakfast.

Serves 4 10 min

Ingredients

  • 8 tablespoons kama flour (sold in Baltic and Nordic shops)
  • 500 ml kefir or buttermilk
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons sugar or honey
  • 200 g blueberries or other berries
  • Whipped cream, if you like

Method

  1. Put the kefir or buttermilk in a bowl and stir in the sugar or honey.
  2. Add the kama flour a spoonful at a time, stirring well so that no lumps form. It should be thick like a yoghurt.
  3. Fold in most of the berries.
  4. Spoon into glasses, top with the rest of the berries and a little whipped cream if you like, and serve at once.
Made it at home? Tick it off and it goes into your kitchen passport.

Kama was farmers' fast food: the roasted flour kept well, was easy to carry and needed no baking.

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