Subscribe Menu

Granola bar in Estonian – MÜSLI/BATOON


You know muesli. Originally known in Swiss German as Bircher/muesli, (because it was developed around 1900 by Swiss physician Maximilian Bircher-Benner for patients in his hospital), or simply Müesli, the word is an Alemannic German diminutive of Mues which means "puree" or "mash-up."

In non-Swiss Standard German, it is spelled MÜSLI, just like in Estonian. Müsli is defined as a breakfast and brunch dish based on toored kaera/helbed (raw rolled oats) and other ingredients including tera/viljad (grains), fresh or dried fruits, seemed (seeds) and pähklid (nuts), and may be mixed with any kind of piim (milk), jogurt or fruit juice.
Photo by Riina Kindlam (2016)

And when it’s pressed into a bar for snacking, Estonians call it a müsli/batoon or müsli baton. Like the one you pass on in a relay running race or twirl in a parade, only a lot more practical and maitsev (tasty).

Shown here is a rather exclusive and unique variety, which was handed out to hundud (cub scouts) at a weekend camp recently after hiking a RMK (Riigi/metsa Majadamise Keskuse) or State Forest Management Centre trail.

Suurem RAMM means “greater (physical) strength”. A rammu/mees is traditionally a man exhibiting great ramm, such as a weightlifter (tõstja) or wrestler (maadleja). A synonym for ramm – strong like a ram, but is in fact pronounced like “rum” – is JAKS, which means might or endurance. If you have the strength and/or ability to do something, then you can achieve it: sa jaksad.

Ramm is what this RMK sponsored matka/teelise amps or hiker’s snack promises to help you with. The loan word snäkk has made its way into Estonian long ago, but AMPS is a good original Estonian word meaning mouthful. And it’s onomatopoetic to boot; the equivalent of “chomp”. What specifically does this NÄMMI AMPS or “yummy bite” contain? It is a: jõhvika – cranberry, porgandi – carrot, astel/paju – sea-buckthorn müsli-mixture piima/šokolaadis in milk chocolate. Fancy that.

All nature lovers are encouraged to visit the RMK Forest Management Centre website. There’s a bit more to peruse on the Estonian language page, but the English version currently opens with quick access to a live mets/kitse deer camera (www.rmk.ee/en).

Riina Kindlam

Read more