Angelica Udeküll

A childhood interest, not only in cooking but also in music, has served Angelica Udeküll well.

For she has gone from a pre-schooler, making cutlets in her family kitchen, to head chef of Wicca, a gourmet restaurant in Laulasmaa – without missing a beat. 

As a child, Angelica studied piano and choir conducting at the Tallinn Music High School.

And although she later went on to study cooking technology, she believes her musical training has a very important part to play in her current profession.

“Music is known to develop both hemispheres of the brain at the same time,” she says.

“Figuratively speaking, I have the ability to see different groups of voices or processes in the kitchen at the same time. I understand what goes together, what doesn’t and how important nuances and details are.”

And just as music affects a person’s emotional well-being and mood, so does food. It can

be said that both are built on the same foundations.

“As they say, both music and cooking are momentary, emotional experiences,’’ she says.

Angelica, is also a firm believer that local and high-quality ingredients – the more unusual the better - add playfulness to cooking.

“The food table is also extremely rich in the nature around us. I really enjoy experimenting with different weeds, flowers and ingredients that are literally local.

“At the same time, it is interesting to add modernity and a light twist to the local ingredients, using for example ginger and chili.’’

She is also firmly of the view that chefs must be always in development – challenging themselves and forging forward with new ideas.

“Today, I definitely feel so much more confident than when I was at, say, 20 years old,” she says.

“Years of experience in the kitchen have clearly shaped my cooking handwriting and overall understanding of food. Nevertheless, it is always possible to develop further and find new and exciting nuances. The development is exciting and keeps it fresh.’’