In Estonia, especially during the Soviet era that Pärt experienced, the meal revolves around dark rye bread (leib), present at every serving, and a filling dish (kõhutäis, "belly filler"): a porridge, a soup-base, or a cold salad. There is no separation into starter/main/dessert as in French cuisine; everything is placed on the table, shared, and a sweet dish (often based on bread, berries, or fermented milk) simply concludes the meal. Frugality and patience—virtues of daily Soviet life as well as Pärt's music—reign.

An emblematic mixture of roasted rye, barley, oat, and pea flours, heir to travel provisions and grain preservation. Stirred into fermented milk (kefir, buttermilk), it becomes both a drink and a snack. It is the most identity-defining ingredient of Estonian cuisine—sober, earthy, almost monastic.