Kama

About This Recipe

Kama is one of the oldest continuously produced foods in Estonia, a fine powder milled from a blend of toasted rye, barley, oat, and pea flour. The combination was refined over centuries by Baltic Finnic peoples as a dense, nutritious travel food — mixed with water, milk, or fermented dairy it becomes a thick, nutty porridge or pudding in minutes. Today kama is most commonly enjoyed as a light summer dessert or breakfast: a few tablespoons stirred into cold kefir with honey and fresh berries. Its earthy, slightly smoky, malt-like flavour is entirely unique and deeply nostalgic for every Estonian.

Ingredients

Serves 2

• 6 tbspkama flour (toasted grain mix)
• 300 mlkefir or thin skyr
• 2 tbsphoney or brown sugar
• 100 gfresh strawberries or blueberries
• 1 pinchsalt

Instructions

1. 1

   Mix the kama

   Pour the kefir into a bowl. Add the kama flour, honey, and pinch of salt. Stir vigorously until there are no dry lumps and the mixture reaches a thick, creamy consistency.

2. 2

   Rest briefly

   Allow the mixture to stand for 2–3 minutes. The kama will continue to absorb the kefir and thicken slightly. Thin with a splash more kefir if preferred.

3. 3

   Serve with berries

   Spoon into bowls and top with fresh berries. Serve immediately.

Variations

• •

  Kama mousse with whipped cream

• •

  Kama smoothie with banana and oat milk

• •

  Kama energy balls with dates and nuts

• •

  Vegetarian: swap the protein for roasted king oyster mushrooms, smoked tofu or cooked chickpeas — adjust seasoning slightly upward to compensate.

Storage

Best consumed immediately. Prepared kama thickens considerably if left to stand longer than 30 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions