It took a long time for the Latvian cuisine to take shape and shape. She has absorbed many features of the Belarusian, Lithuanian, German, Estonian national cuisines. The basis of Latvian cuisine is meat, fish, cereals. Most of the dishes are very simple yet satisfying.

Throughout history, many traditional dishes have changed somewhat. For example, a dish based on sour scabputra porridge, to which lard or meat was added for satiety, is no longer popular today and is rarely prepared in Latvian kitchens. Other familiar dishes, such as Yanov cheese, are still not uncommon on the tables.

Everyday cuisine is increasingly becoming more like European. The daily diet in most cases consists of fish, cutlets, vegetable salads and other vegetable dishes. However, it is still customary to put national dishes on the festive table.

Peculiarities of national cuisine in Latvia

For Latvians, the main products are:

• Flour.
• Groats.
• Potatoes.
• Dairy products.
• Peas.
• Beans.
• Other types of legumes.
• All kinds of vegetables.

The location of the country right on the coast of the Baltic Sea has made Latvians a lover of fish and seafood, although agricultural crops still occupy the first place in the diet.

The incredible combination of products used in the preparation of some culinary masterpieces typical of Latvia seems to be interesting for a Russian person.

Beer or bread soup with dried fruits, black bread or rhubarb jelly with whipped cream will also be very original for tourists. In general, for Latvians, for example, sweet, bread and milk soups are common, which cannot be said about other European residents.

Fish in the national Latvian cuisine

The most favorite marine fish species in Latvia are herring, cod, mackerel. Speaking of river fish, Latvians especially often cook carp, pike, perch and bream. Herring is very loved and revered in the country. It is fried on a grill with vegetables, cooked on coals, and is a part of sandwiches. It is impossible to imagine Latvian cuisine without fish casseroles. Casseroles are often made from cod ("Zivyu pudins") or herring ("Siltyu pudins"). Any Latvian restaurant serves salmon dishes.

The coastline is dotted with many fish farms where you can taste the freshest smoked lampreys, eels, cod or flounder.

Meat

The most popular type of meat is pork.

In ancient times, Latvians easily cooked and ate pork ears, piglets, and tails. Today they can also be tasted in many restaurants. They are served there as medieval, almost gourmet dishes.

Latvians often cook jellied meat or baked pork shank. Lamb, veal, beef, poultry are cooked, but they are much less popular than pork.

Vegetables and legumes

Latvians almost never do without vegetable dishes. The most popular are the simplest everyday options from cabbage, onions and potatoes. Caraway is also added to a real Latvian lunch, where potatoes and cabbage must be present without fail.

Legumes don't lag behind either. The most popular bean dish is served at Christmas. These are gray peas with speck. This Christmas dish is prepared and served by almost all Riga restaurants. Even at Christmas markets, it is always offered to visitors. In specialized restaurants that offer purely national cuisine, this dish can be ordered at any time of the year.

Bread

Every day on any Latvian table there is local rye bread and dishes based on it. Latvians use bread to make yoghurts, various desserts, and even ice cream. Bread soups are common in this country. The shops sell not only delicious bread with dried fruits and nuts, but also light carrot bread, which surprises Russian tourists a lot.

Sweet

Latvians are very fond of sweets. In any supermarket you can find amazing buns with cottage cheese, poppy seeds, jam, and a lot of cakes.

Or you can go to a good restaurant and taste sweet bread soup with whipped cream.

Traditional dishes

A trip around the country will be incomplete without trying traditional Latvian dishes. Here are some of the main dishes that are so attractive to culinary tourists in Latvia:

• Homemade cheese made from cottage cheese with the addition of caraway seeds and eggs is a must-try. The famous Janov cheese is among the most popular varieties. Its taste is pleasantly salty and has a yellowish hue.
• Bread and pea soups can also to some extent be attributed to the exotic that every tourist should try.
• Putras is a porridge made from cereals and vegetables, to which meat, fish, bacon and sometimes even fermented milk products are added.
• Camaro stew, black pudding and pancakes, gray peas with bacon are simple and hearty dishes that are loved by both Latvians and visitors.
• Klops is a steak with delicious onion sauce. Meat lovers will surely appreciate this culinary achievement.
• Silkyu pudns is a traditional and beloved herring casserole with potatoes. A great option for everyday cuisine.
• Boiled potatoes with cottage cheese, sour cream, herbs and salt are added. Cottage cheese and potatoes are a common composition for Latvia, but somewhat exotic for Russia.
• Rye croutons for beer with garlic, cheese, tomatoes, seeds, various spices will be offered to you in any restaurant or bar.
• The peasant breakfast consists of boiled potatoes, smoked loin, homemade sausage, drenched in eggs and milk and baked in a pan.
• Sklandrausis is an unusual name for a Russian ear for an open vegetable pie made from rye dough. Outwardly, such a cake strongly resembles a cheesecake. The filling is usually made with carrots, potatoes, sour cream and eggs.

The most unusual desserts

Latvians are incredibly fond of desserts. Tourists should definitely try here:

• Cake "Alexander" with raspberries and cranberries.
• Traditional "Bubert" from semolina with whipped cream.
• Bread yoghurt and bread ice cream with lingonberry jam.
• Sweet bread soup with cream, jam and raisins.
• Pastry “Vecriga” with light curd cream filling.

Excellent drinks

To create the most complete impression of Latvian cuisine, it is necessary to add drinks to it. Their original feature is the addition of birch and maple sap, different types of honey.

Typical elements of any Latvian table:

• Sour oatmeal, pea jelly, where sour milk or lingonberry juice is added.
• Rhubarb kissel with whipped cream or milk.
• Bread kvass.

Latvia is also famous for its beers, various types of liqueurs and vodka.

Where to try

There are many restaurants and cafes in Riga with a wide variety of themes. There are about 50 restaurants in the capital, whose menus include traditional dishes. The vast majority of places offering traditional dishes are located in Old Riga:

These are only the most popular establishments, in fact, there are dozens and dozens of restaurants both within the Old City and outside of it, and you can choose a truly unique place for a hearty lunch or a romantic dinner.

Latvia is known to many as an agricultural country. Therefore, it is not surprising that the local cuisine is based mainly on agricultural products. In this publication I would like to consider the most interesting national dishes of Latvia. We will present recipes with photos later in the article.

Specificity of Latvian cuisine

The country's culinary traditions have developed due to the influence of several gastronomic trends. The first concerns the traditions of the German part of the population. It was this people who taught the Latvians to use all kinds of marinades, smoked meats, pickles. Another trend was formed among the local peasants, whose daily diet consisted of dairy products, cereals, meat and potatoes. The combination of these influences is responsible for the formation of modern cuisine in Latvia.

The coastal location of the territory of the state has caused the emergence of a wide range of fish dishes. Most recipes involve the use of seafood, in particular cod, herring, herring, mackerel. Almost every Latvian restaurant offers salmon dishes.

Latvian cuisine looks incomplete without local rye bread, which is used to organize any feast. The product is even used in soups, desserts, yoghurts.

As you can see, the Latvian national cuisine has many specific features. We will not dwell on the traditions of the region. Let's go directly to the consideration of names, recipes and tips for preparing local dishes.

Putra

What must be tried from Latvian national dishes? Start with the food known as putra. The food is unique to Latvians and has no analogues in the world. This national dish of Latvia is prepared as follows:

1. Take a set of ingredients: fish, meat, cereals, potatoes.
2. The products are boiled until cooked in separate containers.
3. The components of the future dish are mixed.
4. Kefir and cottage cheese are added.
5. The resulting mixture is kept for 24 hours in a cool room or on the lower shelf of the refrigerator.
6. The next day, the ready-made putra is served at the table.

Several centuries ago, such a dish had the status of number one on the table of Latvian peasants. It has been largely forgotten these days. You can order the national dish of Latvia in Riga only in a few restaurants.

Potatoes with cottage cheese and herring

Let's talk about another Latvian national dish - potatoes with cottage cheese and herring. At the end of the last century, you could see it on the menu of any local restaurant or public dining room. Now this traditional dish is not in such high demand. The combination of these foods may seem inorganic. In fact, the ingredients complement each other perfectly.

The national dish of Latvia involves the use of the following components:

• Potatoes - about four pieces.
• Cottage cheese - 250 grams.
• The bow is one piece.
• Large herring.
• Pickled cucumbers - 3 pieces.
• Chopped dill and parsley - a tablespoon.
• Sour cream - 3-4 tablespoons.

The recipe for the Latvian national dish is extremely simple. Potatoes are boiled separately and placed on half a plate. Add sliced \u200b\u200bherring, chopped onion in half rings, cottage cheese with sour cream and pickled cucumbers. Sprinkle with herbs on top.

The dish is served with several slices of rye bread.

Beer soup

One of the main national dishes of Latvia is extraordinary. The following products are used as components:

• Beer - 0.5 liters.
• Egg - 1 piece.
• Sugar - 100 grams.
• Cumin - 2 tablespoons.

First, the beer is brought to a boil, pre-mixed with caraway seeds. Grind sugar with egg yolk. The resulting composition is poured into hot beer. Keep the ingredients on low heat until the first signs of a boil. The dish is served along with crispy croutons and hard cheese.

Silkumaysee

The national dish of Latvia, whose name sounds like silkumaisee, at one time enjoyed no less popularity than the above recipes. To prepare this traditional dish, the herring is cut into small slices and poured over with milk. The ingredients are crushed with hard boiled eggs. Add a spoonful of vegetable oil and a similar amount of mustard powder. Together with chopped dill, all components are mixed until a homogeneous mass is obtained.

Cut rye bread no more than one and a half centimeter thick. Slices are lightly dried in an oven or oven, and then spread with butter. A previously prepared herring mixture is laid on top. Sausages cut into thin strips are used as the top layer.

Baltic beetroot

Beetroot is an extremely unusual dish, to which smoked cod is added. The product is traditionally served chilled. Cooking becomes especially important on hot summer days.

The dish is prepared based on the following ingredients:

• Medium beets - 2 pieces.
• Fresh cucumber - one piece.
• Smoked cod - 200 grams.
• Chicken eggs - 2 pieces.
• An apple is one piece.
• Large burgundy onion - half.
• Olive oil - 2 tablespoons.
• A bunch of green onions.
• Salt, black pepper to taste.
• Sour cream - a tablespoon.
• Rye bread - several slices.

Boil the beets, after cleaning the peel with a metal brush. The water is not poured, but decanted into a deep bowl. Boiled beets are returned here after cutting into strips. Rye bread is also placed in the liquid. The container is covered with a lid and placed in a cold place overnight. Take out the bread from the saucepan. Salt and pepper the base of the soup. Add the apple and cucumber cut into small cubes.

Boil hard-boiled eggs and knead thoroughly. Cut the onion into half rings. Smoked cod is torn into fibers by hand. Chop green onions. The ingredients are lightly fried in olive oil. The products are distributed on plates and poured over with beetroot. Use a spoonful of sour cream as a finishing touch.

Peasant breakfast

The traditional Latvian dish is known not only within the country, but is also in demand in neighboring countries. An arbitrary amount of smoked loin and homemade sausage are used as ingredients. Young potatoes are boiled per available number of people. Several chicken eggs are driven into a glass of milk and mixed until a homogeneous consistency. Boiled potatoes, sausage and loin are spread in a pan. The ingredients are poured with a milk-egg mixture, and then baked until golden brown.

Buberts

Buberts is a rather interesting, original dish of Latvian national cuisine. The dish is an unusual semolina porridge. A product is prepared based on the following ingredients:

• Semolina - 100 grams.
• Milk - 500 ml.
• Chicken eggs - 2-3 pieces.
• The grated chocolate is a small handful.
• Sugar - half a tablespoon.
• A pinch of salt.
• Sauce based on cranberries, starch and sugar.

How is the national dish of Latvia prepared? Take the egg yolks. The latter are whipped with sugar. The proteins are mixed with salt until a foam is formed. The milk is heated on the stove, and after boiling, it is poured into the semolina in a small stream, stirring the composition. The mixture is again sent to the fire and boiled for 3-5 minutes until it swells. Then add the beaten egg yolks and whites.

Pour the finished buberts into a deep plate. Top the porridge with cranberry sauce and sprinkle with grated chocolate. Consume the dish after cooling to room temperature.

Milk soup with fish

Let's note one more national Latvian dish, which is based on seemingly incompatible products. Used as ingredients:

• Potatoes - 4 pieces.
• Onions - one piece.
• Milk - about half a liter.
• Hake - 400 grams.
• Dried parsley - a teaspoon.
• Butter - 20 grams.
• Salt, black pepper, bay leaf - to taste.

First, boil the fish. Chopped potatoes and onions are added to the hake broth. Salt and pepper the soup, put a bay leaf. When the vegetables are ready, milk is poured into the composition. The dish is poured into plates, adding butter and parsley.

Apple pie

The apple tree is a tree widespread in latitudes in Latvia. Therefore, it is not surprising that many desserts are prepared here using such fruits.

The national dish of Latvia - apple pie - requires the use of the following ingredients:

• Flour - 2 cups.
• Apples cut into small cubes - 500 grams.
• Butter - 300 grams.
• Eggs - 4 pieces.
• Sugar - one glass.
• Baking soda - dessert spoon.

The butter is melted in a saucepan. Egg yolks, grated with sugar, are added. Mix the ingredients well. Flour and soda are poured into the container. The products are continued to knead with a spoon until they form a consistency resembling thick sour cream. Chopped apples are added to the dough, and then beaten egg whites.

Grease a baking sheet with oil. Sprinkle the surface with a thin layer of bread crumbs. Prepared dough is poured here. Preheat the oven to a temperature of 200 o C. The cake is baked for 30-40 minutes.

Bread soup

The dish is a traditional Latvian dessert. The food is served cold. The basis is rye bread, which looks rather unusual.

Ingredients for cooking:

• Yeast-free rye bread - 150 grams.
• Boiled water - 2 glasses.
• Dried fruits - 150 grams.
• Medium fat cream - 60 ml.
• Cranberries - 50 grams.
• Sugar - 4 tablespoons.
• Cinnamon and vanilla - a small pinch.
• Cookies to taste.

The bread is cut into slices, and then laid in an even layer over the entire area of \u200b\u200bthe baking sheet, previously covered with baking paper. The oven is heated to 160 ° C. The bread is fried for half an hour. Then the croutons are removed from the oven and cooled. The product is poured with water and left to soak for 35-40 minutes.

Rinse dried fruits using a colander and then dry. The soaked bread is ground into gruel. Add half the sugar and cinnamon to this. The mixture is combined with dried fruits. The semi-liquid composition is sent to the stove. The soup is boiled over medium heat for 10 minutes. After cooling, the dish is placed in the refrigerator for several hours.

Take cranberries, rinse under running water and crush with a spoon. The berry is rubbed through a sieve. The resulting juice with pulp particles is added to the dish. Whisk the cream along with the remaining sugar and vanilla and then stir into the soup. Sprinkle chopped biscuits on top of the dish.

Cottage cheese with herring, beer soup, cheese with caraway seeds, bread jelly - Latvian cuisine impresses with its unusual combinations of ingredients and cooking methods. The culinary preferences of the inhabitants of the Baltic country were influenced by different gastronomic trends.

German part of the population made smoked meats, pickles and marinades popular. The habitual diet of local peasants consisted of dishes prepared from available products: meat, fish, cereals and dairy products. Latvian cuisine has absorbed also features of Lithuanian and Estonian cuisine, but at the same time retained its originality.

Features:

There are practically no complicated dishes in Latvian cuisine - you can repeat them yourself. They are all satisfying and usually high in calories.

Aromatic rye bread of a rounded shape, without which no local feast can do, is widely known throughout the world.

It not only goes in addition to the hot one, but is also actively used in the preparation of other dishes - it is one of the most popular ingredients in soups, yoghurts and desserts.

The bread recipe, which has received the European quality mark, is passed down from generation to generation. The first mentions of it were found in cookbooks of the early twentieth century, but locals are sure that they started baking it long before that.

The geographical position of the country has played an important role in shaping the cuisine of Latvia. Dishes from sea and river fish are popular here: mackerel, cod, pike and bream. The locals love herring the most. It is prepared in different ways: grilled, charcoal, baked, added to salads and sandwiches. The restaurant menus offer many dishes that include seafood: octopus, shrimp and squid.

Latvians prefer pork. IN Pig tails, piglets and ears were popular here in the Middle Ages. Unusual dishes are rarely consumed in everyday life today, usually delicacies can be seen only on the festive table.

Legumes are cooked as a side dish or as a separate dish... The hostesses treat guests on Christmas with gray peas and bacon.

You can taste this dish at Christmas markets in December or year-round in national restaurants.

Traditional Latvian cuisine

It is better to start your acquaintance with Latvian cuisine with putra... This dish has no analogues in the whole world. It is prepared from fish, meat, cereals and potatoes.

First, all the ingredients must be cooked separately, then put into one container, add cottage cheese and kefir and stand in a cold place for 24 hours.

The next day, an unusual meal can be served. Several centuries ago, this dish was one of the favorite among the peasants. Today, the food is undeservedly forgotten - you can try putra only in a few restaurants.

Tourists might like it beer soup... You can repeat the dish at home. Mix half a liter of beer with two tablespoons of caraway seeds, bring to a boil and pour an egg, ground with 100 grams of sugar into a saucepan.

Remove the dish from the heat at the first sign of a simmer. Beer soup is usually served with croutons and cheese.

At the mention of semolina, many remember the cooled porridge with lumps. Latvians have come up with a way to cook this cereal very tasty.

To prepare a dish that is known in the Baltic country as "Buberts", you need to beat separately the yolks and whites of two eggs.

Proteins are mixed with salt, yolks - with half a tablespoon of sugar. Bring 500 ml of milk to a boil, pour semolina into it, stirring constantly.

Put it on the fire again, cook for about five more minutes. After that, whipped whites and yolks are added to the future buberts.

The finished food is transferred to a deep plate. The porridge is generously poured with cranberry sauce and then the final touch is added - generously sprinkled with chocolate on top. You need to eat the dish hot.

What should you try?

Guests of the Baltic country are amazed by the variety of local cuisine. There are so many dishes with an unusual composition and interesting names that when looking at the menu in a restaurant, eyes run up. Be sure to try the local pastries. When choosing the rest of the dishes, be guided by your own preferences.

Peasant breakfast is in demand not only in Latvia, but also outside the country. This dish is traditionally prepared from loin, homemade sausage, potatoes.

All ingredients are poured with a milk-egg mixture and baked until golden brown.

Those who are ready to experiment will love it milk soup with fish, which local chefs get very tender and aromatic.

Soup for dessert? An excellent choice if you are in Latvia.

Cranberry Bread Soup, dried fruits and cream amazes tourists with its bright taste.

Be sure to try the local drinks infused with honey, birch and maple juices. Bread kvass, sour jelly based on peas and oatmeal, rhubarb jelly with milk perfectly quench thirst.

Acquaintance with the national cuisine of Latvia is a fascinating and sometimes unpredictable journey. Local food is remembered by tourists for the combination of seemingly incompatible, for example, fish and milk.

Do not be surprised if, after returning from the Baltic country, you want to repeat some of the dishes in your own kitchen and surprise guests with not only unusual, but also very tasty dishes.

A beautiful Baltic country - small in territory, but contains a huge number of attractions and natural beauties. Charming authentic villages and ancient baroque castles, Gothic cathedrals and wooden Orthodox churches harmoniously coexist on one territory. Each of the Latvian cities has places that are attractive to tourists - from narrow streets to famous beaches. As in all the Nordic countries, Latvia has a wonderful ecology, beautiful rivers, lakes, forests.

Event tourism is attractive: festivals of organ music, sand sculptures, musical events in Jurmala. In gastronomic tourism, the emphasis is on the sustainability of products produced in the country. So what to try in Latvia?

Food in Latvia

Latvian cuisine is characterized by three basic concepts - simple, hearty and tasty. Today it is equally important that this kitchen is environmentally friendly. It has been forming for centuries, absorbing the features of the cuisines of neighboring countries - Lithuanian and Estonian, German and Scandinavian, and even Belarusian. The Latvian cuisine is based on agricultural and livestock products. As well as gifts from the Baltic Sea, rivers and lakes of Latvia.

Five of the best and most distinctive products of the national cuisine became the owners of the European label “Guarantee of product tradition”: Janov cheese, Tsarnikovskaya lamprey, gray peas, sklandrausis pie and salted rye bread.

Top 10 Latvian dishes

It is difficult to call bread a separate dish. But in Latvia it is worth forgetting about all its other types. Because this one is unique, and after receiving the guarantee mark for traditional products, it can only be baked in this country, according to ancient recipes. The older generation, perhaps, remembers bread called "Rizhsky" on the counters of the USSR. Now it can be tasted only in Latvia. Bread is prepared for at least a day. And it is baked according to the recipe - not in molds, but on special hot stones. The result is a “signature” crust that retains the flavor. In the refrigerator, such bread can be stored for almost six months, and does not lose either freshness or useful properties. But it is more pleasant to eat it fresh.

Unusual soups

Soups are considered an obligatory dish on the Latvian table, like porridge. They are characterized by a combination of incompatible products. Not everyone will dare to taste milk soup with herring, but Latvians have this favorite dish. Potatoes, onions and green onions are added there. The beer soup contains cottage cheese, boiled eggs, cumin, butter and rye croutons. All this is filled with sour cream.

There are cold soups: beetroot, rhubarb, sorrel, buttermilk barley, bread soup with dried fruits. And how not to try the sweet blueberry soup with dumplings! Lemon is added for flavor.

Jan's Day, one of the happiest national holidays in Latvia, cannot be imagined without this cheese, of course, with beer. Refers to soft cheeses, in the Adyghe or feta format, but with a special taste - due to the method of preparation and components. The country is considered the ancestor of all local cheeses, its recipe dates back to ancient times, when butter was not even invented. Modern cuisine provides for butter, but otherwise the centuries-old traditions of cooking are observed - with the obligatory caraway seeds, eggs, cottage cheese and cow's milk. Finished cheese heads are wrapped in oak or maple leaves, then in clean pieces of linen cloth. After this storage method, loose, yellowish pieces of cheese smell of summer and sun.

Until now, every housewife prepares her own cheese for the holiday. It can be tasted in restaurants, bought in stores, but it is more interesting to buy it from peasant merchants.

Carnikava lamprey

Not just a delicacy, in every sense a cult product. It is named after the fishermen village Carnikava on the banks of the famous Gauja River. Fishing here originated more than three centuries ago, already in the second half of the 19th century a fish hatchery and a fish factory were organized here.

Fashionable event tourism attracts many guests to Carnikava - on Lamprey Day. This is a whole action, entertaining and entertaining, with contests, dances and fireworks. The main heroine of the holiday can be tasted fried, smoked, stewed, marinated and in jelly. The most traditional ancient dish is this fish grilled over charcoal. Lamprey looks strange: without fins, bones and scales, and even serpentine. But this fatty fish since the time of Catherine II is considered a delicacy, and deservedly so.

Gray peas

The uniqueness of the dish lies in the fact that varieties of this pea are selected and grown only in Latvia. Despite the non-holiday name, gray peas are one of the main decorations on the Christmas table. Latvians regard peas as a symbol of tears. Therefore, they try to eat as much as possible so that they cry less the next year. Eating a lot is not difficult - delicious. Peas boiled until soft are stewed with bacon, fried with onions. The dish is very simple and delicious and worth trying. For those who avoid heavy food, prudent Latvians serve gray peas with a glass of kefir.

Another indispensable dish on the Latvian Christmas table. This pie, necessarily made from rye dough with baked lard, also belongs to old dishes. They began to bake it in the 17th century, when potatoes were brought to the country. Previously, this cake symbolized the sun. Hence its open shape and bright carrot and potato filling. The pie has another, also common name - Skland gingerbread. In fact, it is least of all like a gingerbread. Lush sides, golden filling, sprinkled with cinnamon - all this is more like a cheesecake. The pie is not worth trying because it bears the European mark. It's just delicious.

Blood pancakes

A very ancient dish, as well as delicate and tasty, despite the frightening name. The dough for pancakes is not made with milk, but with carefully strained blood - pork or deer. It is diluted to the consistency of low-fat milk, and then - according to the recipe for regular pancake dough. Be sure to try. With butter, lingonberries or jam, it's delicious. In addition, useful: trace elements in these pancakes contribute to the normal functioning of the heart and blood vessels.

Seafood

And this is not only smoked herring, which is known as the famous Latvian sprats. Everything that the Baltic Sea gives is transformed into delicious casseroles - cod, herring, etc. Latvians also love fish stewed in milk with onions and carrots. Parsley and other aromatic herbs are added to it, served with a creamy sauce.

Ordinary herring is prepared with onion sauce or grilled over charcoal. It turns out to be a delicacy. Skillful Latvian chefs even cook flounder on a wire rack so that a simple dish is eaten as a culinary delight. You should also try smelt in batter

These crispy cookies are also an attribute of the Christmas and New Years. Translated, its name means cookies with peppers or cookies with spices. Cinnamon, ginger, cloves, cardamom and allspice are added heartily to it. They add a spicy flavor.

Cookies have been common throughout Northern Europe since the 13th century. The recipes were improved: honey, nuts, caraway seeds, vanilla, lemon or orange zest were added to the dough - whoever likes what. Before the holidays, Latvian stores sell spicy dough for baking piparkukas and the cookies themselves in the form of various figures. Glazed angels, stars, houses create an indescribable Christmas atmosphere.

Vecriga

The name of the famous cake is translated as Old Riga. There is no person who has visited Riga and has not tasted the most delicate confectionery with indispensable coffee. It has been a symbol of the Latvian capital for a very long time. Served in almost all coffee houses. Outwardly they look like a common shu cake. The filling is cottage cheese with cream and vanilla. Everything is prepared from the freshest ingredients, without the slightest deviation from the recipe. The result is an exquisite indescribable dish that can only be tasted in old Riga.

The national cuisine of Latvia was formed under the influence of German, Lithuanian, Russian, Belarusian and Estonian cuisines. The local cuisine is quite simple to prepare, yet tasty and satisfying. The basis of Latvian cuisine is made up of agricultural and livestock products - peas, beans, potatoes, vegetables, flour, cereals, meat, milk and dairy products. In addition, Latvia has access to the Baltic Sea, therefore fish and seafood also occupy an important place in the national cuisine. Now, let's take a closer look at what tourists and guests of this hospitable country should definitely taste.

Let's start with the first courses. Do not be surprised if some components of Latvian soups seem, at first glance, incompatible. Believe me, everything will be delicious and the stomach will handle it fine. So, try the following dishes:

• « milk soup with potatoes and herring»- milk, potatoes, herring fillets, green and onions, sour cream, water, salt.
• « blueberry soup with dumplings»- blueberries, starch, sugar, lemon, flour, eggs and milk.
• "Beer soup" - beer, eggs, cottage cheese, caraway seeds, sugar, sour cream, bread and butter.
• « milk mushroom soup»- mushrooms (usually champignons), water, milk, onions, potatoes, peppers, salt, butter and bay leaves.
• Bread Soup - Bread, dried fruit, water, cinnamon, and whipped cream.
• "Cold soup" - beets, cucumbers, kefir, potatoes, boiled sausage, eggs, dill, green onions, mustard, black pepper and sour cream.
• "Pea soup" - peas (usually gray), smoked meats, potatoes, onions, carrots, salt, pepper.
• "Putra" is a cross between porridge and thick stew. It is prepared from cereals (pearl barley, barley), with the addition of meat, bacon, potatoes, fish, vegetables, legumes ... All this is filled with milk, yogurt, sour cream, cottage cheese ...

Now, it's time to move on to the second courses, the national cuisine of Latvia, of which there are a lot and it is impossible to list everything in one article. I will name the most popular ones:

• « boiled gray peas with bacon« .
• "Klops" - steak with a special onion sauce.
• « potato casserole with meat. "
• "Boiled potatoes with cottage cheese".
• "Blood sausage"
• « blood pancakes"- in which, instead of milk, blood is used.
• "Camaro" is a stewed chicken dish.
• « potato pancakes with sour cream ".
• "Pearl barley porridge with milk and smoked brisket".
• "Bean cutlets".
• « peasant breakfast»- smoked loin, homemade sausage, potatoes, green and onions, pickles, butter, salt. All this is poured with a milk-egg mixture and fried in a pan.
• "Sklandrausis" - rye dough baked goods in the shape of a flat basket, stuffed with carrots, potatoes, eggs and sour cream.

Fish and seafood occupy an important place in the national cuisine of Latvia. For cooking, use sea and freshwater fish (herring, herring, mackerel, flounder, cod, carp, pike, bream, perch, trout, salmon ...). Here are just some of the popular dishes:

• "Zivyu pudinsh" - cod fish casserole.
• "Siltyu pudins" - herring casserole with boiled potatoes.
• « fried herring with onion sauce ”.
• "Herring fried over charcoal".
• “Fish fried in dough”.
• “Baked in foil, salmon and trout”.
• "Fried smelt in batter."
• "Grilled flounder".
• And, of course, the famous " latvian sprats»(Smoked herring in oil), which are exported to many countries.

After a delicious and hearty lunch, you can safely proceed to dessert. Sweet food is a special article in the national cuisine of Latvia. You will not find such a variety in any other country in the world. Be sure to taste:

• « sweet rice pudding« .
• « vecriga (old Riga) - an amazingly tender cake.
• « eclair "- a cake with sweet cream topped with chocolate.
• « apples in Latvian"- baked in dough, with sugar and whipped cream.
• « bubert "- semolina porridge with milk, cream, nuts, whipped whites and sour fruit juice.
• « riga bagels"- from yeast dough, sprinkled with powdered sugar.
• « latvian rhubarb pie« .
• « piparkukas ”- Latvian biscuits, with black pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves and ginger.
• « rice cream with jelly« .
• All these goodies are complemented by: candies "Korovka « , an amazingly tender raisin cake, chocolate and sweets from the Laima « , glazed curd snacks "Karums" and, very high quality, Latvian ice cream.

Among non-alcoholic drinks, in Latvian cuisine, the following are popular: black coffee, black and green tea, birch sap, kvass, lemonade, mineral water and fruit juices. Also, guests of the country are advised to taste the products of local breweries. Latvian beer, accompanied by amazing garlic croutons, will not leave anyone indifferent. Crackers for beer, served freshly toasted, delicately crunchy and with an insane garlic aroma. The most famous beers: « Aldaris Zelta "," Bauskas Gaisais "," Bauskas Tumsais "," Aldaris Luxusa "," Uzavas "," Piebalgas "," Tervetes "," Cesu alus "... Lovers of stronger drinks will be able to enjoy the famous “ Riga black balsam« , which, for a long time, has become the hallmark of Latvia.
Welcome to hospitable Latvia and bon appetit to everyone!