The small heroes of our breakfast: beautifully handcrafted fish delicacies
Authentic flavours
We love flavours that are truly made – shaped by human hands, produced in small batches, each with a story of its own.
The heroes of our breakfast are beautifully handcrafted fish products, born on Saaremaa at Tihemetsa Farm, home to the small yet soulful fish producer Tihemetsa Kala, run with dedication by Tiina and her son Mart.
Meie hommikusöögilauas rändavad Tiina ja Mardi valmistatud purgid-konservid lauale vaheldumisi: kord kuldsed käsitöö-sprotid, kord õlis sädelev kilufilee ehk saarepärane anšoovis, kord nostalgiline räim tomatis. Need tooted näevad välja lihtsad. Tegelikult kannavad nad endas aga uskumatus koguses traditsioone, hoolt ja oskusi, imelisi maitseid, rohkem kui arvata oskaks.
How does a jar of Saaremaa anchovies come to life?
As you add a delicate oil-cured sprat fillet to your breakfast sandwich, it’s easy not to imagine the journey that bite has taken to arrive at our table.
It all begins with the fishermen, who bring the catch in from the sea and deliver it to the hands of the men and women at Tihemetsa. From there, Tiina takes over, placing the whole fish together with traditional sprat spices to rest at room temperature. And she lets it rest for many days.
Not ten, twelve, or thirteen by the clock – but for as long as the fish truly needs. Sometimes ten days, sometimes twelve, sometimes more. The only measure is touch: when the backbone has softened and the flesh yields gently under the fingers, fermentation has finished its work, and the fish is ready to be packed into jars.
A meditation scented with sea and oil
When we visited the small-scale production at Tihemetsa, we were able to take part in the process ourselves. The emotion was powerful: a long table, women seated around it, each with a portion of fish in front of her. Lively conversation slowly fades, movements become steadier, more rhythmic…
The fish are cleaned, the delicate backbone gently removed, the skin carefully slipped away. Then the fillets are placed into jars one by one. Layer by layer, with care and precision, so that the final result is just right for the Old Hapsal Hotel breakfast table.
Did you know that in a single working day, one person prepares only 15 jars of Saaremaa anchovy fillets? Just 15 jars.
That means each and every jar is quite literally handmade. Once the jars are filled with fillets, they are topped with oil, sealed, and ready to make their way to Haapsalu.
Why does this matter to us?
After experiencing firsthand the making of sprats, pickled Baltic herring, and Saaremaa anchovies, I now look at the small jars on our breakfast table with entirely different eyes.
These fish products are not just “another topping for a sandwich.” They are gourmet delicacies shaped by stories, skills, traditions, and deep respect — brought to our breakfast table with care.
At Old Hapsal Hotel, we want our guests to truly taste Estonia — not just dishes, but the stories behind them.
Tihemetsa Kala is one of those stories, showing how much beauty and dedication can be found in something seemingly so simple as a small jar of anchovies.
Our breakfast offers more than a tasting experience. It offers an understanding of how much care and love go into every product that reaches our table.
The hostess and head chef of our hotel, Daire Kaup, has made it her personal mission to share this story with every guest at the breakfast table.
“I never would have thought that I’d end up making sprats, anchovies, or pickled Baltic herring myself. In fact, I don’t even like fish — it’s never been my first choice. But when the opportunity came up, I thought: why not? And that’s how it happened that I cleaned sprats for the first time in my life 🤭 and discovered that it was actually far more fun and fascinating than I could ever have imagined.”