Kama - where pagan meets new Nordic

"Chocolate was in short supply during my soviet childhood, so instead I recall scoffing these little Kama bonbons, so nutty and chocolaty! 27 kopecks a kg, if I remember rightly!" Katya, who grew up in Tallinn, Estonia, remininses.

Well, chocolaty - ish. Chocholate was in real 'deficit' in the USSR, so Estonian factories were using Kama flour - an ancient, humble mix of grains - to mimic the roasted coco flavours.

Kama is a very old and unique dish, containing finely milled rye, also barley, peas and, sometimes, wheat. Its origins are in Estonia and Finland, although versions of it exist in other parts of Europe (heard of tolokno in Russia?).

When the grain is roasted and, when mixed, it becomes wonderfully nutty - and so good for you. Little gluten, but plenty of protein and fibre. 

"When growing up, we loved the bonbons, but we used to .... scoff, at this funny old-fashioned Kama flour. Looked like something a cow would enjoy!"

How much times have changed. Now Kama is akin to the Estonian national dish, made into fancy foams in fancy restaurants and hailed as the super food of the Nordic table.

The most common way of eating Kama is with kefir or yoghurt, but you can also make lovely desserts with it - like these Kama truffles, Katya holds in the picture below (frone one of her first supperclubs). Here mascapone is mixed with Kama, booze and coco powder. Lush.

Katya and her Kama truffles.

Unfortunately, you cannot buy Kama in the UK (we are seriously thinking of making it ourselves soon though!), but Katya brings a few faithful bags with her from Estonia every times she goes.

This week we are making a granola with rye flour, oats, nuts and Kama flour, as part of our #RyeLove campaign. You don't need to have Kama for this recipe, but it adds a little bit of something.