Latvian cuisine typically consists of agricultural products, with meat featuring in most main dishes.

Fish A fish (: fish or fishes) is an aquatic animal, aquatic, Anamniotes, anamniotic, gill-bearing vertebrate animal with swimming fish fin, fins and craniate, a hard skull, but lacking limb (anatomy), limbs with digit (anatomy), digits. Fish can ...

is commonly consumed due to

Latvia Latvia, officially the Republic of Latvia, is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is one of the three Baltic states, along with Estonia to the north and Lithuania to the south. It borders Russia to the east and Belarus to t ...

's location on the eastern shore of the

Baltic Sea The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by the countries of Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden, and the North European Plain, North and Central European Plain regions. It is the ...

. Latvian cuisine has been influenced by other countries of the Baltic rim."Latvian Cuisine."Latvian Institute
Accessed September 2011. Common ingredients in Latvian recipes are found locally, such as potatoes,

wheat Wheat is a group of wild and crop domestication, domesticated Poaceae, grasses of the genus ''Triticum'' (). They are Agriculture, cultivated for their cereal grains, which are staple foods around the world. Well-known Taxonomy of wheat, whe ...

barley Barley (), a member of the grass family, is a major cereal grain grown in temperate climates globally. It was one of the first cultivated grains; it was domesticated in the Fertile Crescent around 9000 BC, giving it nonshattering spikele ...

, cabbage,

onion An onion (''Allium cepa'' , from Latin ), also known as the bulb onion or common onion, is a vegetable that is the most widely cultivated species of the genus '' Allium''. The shallot is a botanical variety of the onion which was classifie ...

s, eggs and

pork Pork is the culinary name for the meat of the pig (''Sus domesticus''). It is the most commonly consumed meat worldwide, with evidence of pig animal husbandry, husbandry dating back to 8000–9000 BCE. Pork is eaten both freshly cooke ...

. Latvian cuisine is markedly seasonal, and every season has its own distinctive products and dishes.

Meals

Breakfast is normally light and usually consists of sandwiches or an omelette with a drink, which is often milk. Lunch is eaten from noon time to 3 p.m., and tends to be the main meal of the day; as such it can include a variety of foods, and sometimes, there is also soup as an entrée and a dessert. Between lunch and supper, a smaller meal (''launags'') is sometimes had, usually consisting of a snack, fresh fruit, sweets or a small portion of savoury food. Consumption of ready-made or frozen meals is now common. Another small snack, known as ''naksniņas'', is popular before bedtime.

Common foods and dishes

Latvian cuisine is typical of the Baltic region and, in general, of

Northern Europe The northern region of Europe has several definitions. A restrictive definition may describe northern Europe as being roughly north of the southern coast of the Baltic Sea, which is about 54th parallel north, 54°N, or may be based on other ge ...

. Main dishes are often high in fats. In seasoning, dried spices, such as caraway, black pepper, allspice are used, and fresh herbs, such as parsley, spring onions and especially dill, are held in high regard. Latvian cuisine originated from the peasant culture and is strongly based on crops that grow in Latvia's maritime, temperate climate. Rye, wheat, buckwheat, oats, peas, beets, cabbage, pork products, and potatoes are the staples. Latvian cuisine offers plenty of varieties of bread and

dairy product Dairy products or milk products are food products made from (or containing) milk. The most common dairy animals are cow, water buffalo, goat, nanny goat, and Sheep, ewe. Dairy products include common grocery store food around the world such as y ...

s, with dark rye bread ('' rupjmaize'') considered to be a Latvian specialty. Meat features in most main dishes, but fish also is commonly consumed, especially in the coastal areas next to the Baltic Sea. Both hot- and cold-smoked varieties of meat and fish are common. Many common dishes in contemporary Latvia have their roots in Slavic, Germanic and Nordic cultures. Popular dishes adopted from Soviet cuisine include pelmeni (''pelmeņi'') with sour cream, Ukrainian borsch (''borščs''), stroganoff (''stroganovs''),

dressed herring Dressed herring, colloquially known as shuba, herring under a fur coat, or furry herring ( or ), is a layered salad composed of diced spekesild covered with layers of grated boiled eggs, vegetables ( potatoes, carrots, beetroots), chopped on ...

(''siļķe kažokā''), shashlik (''šašliks''), rasol (''rasols''), plov (''plovs''), kefir (''kefīrs''), kvass and solyanka (''soļanka''), as well as dessert dishes such as medovik (''meduskūka'') and mille-feuille (''Napoleona kūka''). German influences can be seen in dishes such as caramelised sauerkraut (''štovēti kāposti'') and pork cutlets (''karbonāde''). Polish minced meat patties (''Polish: kotlet mielony, Latvian: kotlete'') and meat-filled

pierogi Pierogi ( ; ) are filled dumplings made by wrapping Leavening, unleavened dough around a Stuffing, filling and cooked in boiling water. They are occasionally flavored with a savory or sweet garnish. Typical fillings include potato, cheese, ...

(pīrāgi) are also very popular. The most consumed alcoholic beverage is

beer Beer is an alcoholic beverage produced by the brewing and fermentation of starches from cereal grain—most commonly malted barley, although wheat, maize (corn), rice, and oats are also used. The grain is mashed to convert starch in the ...

, with a vibrant and flourishing craft beer scene. The national liquor is Riga Black Balsam.

Dairy products

Latvia is much richer in dairy products than other Western countries. Cottage cheese (''biezpiens''), sour cream (''skābais krējums''), soured milk (''rūgušpiens'') and different types of fresh and dried cheeses are available. Kefir, soured milk and other fermented milk beverages are usually consumed alongside hot meals. Cottage cheese is frequently mixed with sour cream and fresh herbs as a breakfast dish, as well as added to salads and used in cakes and other desserts like the curd snack (''biezpiena sieriņš''). In 2012, curd snack ''Kārums'' was voted favorite product of Latvian consumers, receiving 20% of votes. For lunch, the cottage cheese is traditionally usually eaten with boiled potatoes, lightly salted herring, spring onions and sour cream. Since the early 20th century a distinct type of butter is made in Rucava – the Rucava white butter (''Rucavas baltais sviests''). It is much leaner than normal butter, with a 40% fat content on average. In 2018 this type of butter received the

Protected Designation of Origin The protected designation of origin (PDO) is a type of geographical indication of the European Union aimed at preserving the designations of origin of food-related products. The designation was created in 1992 and its main purpose is to designat ...

classification in

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...

. Hemp butter (''kaņepju sviests'') is made by finely ground roasted hemp seeds, mixed with butter or hemp oil. Seeds, nuts, dried fruits, clover or mixtures of dried herbs are often added to cheese. It also frequently smoked or aged in oil, but fresh cheese is served with garlic or herbs. Jāņi cheese, a fresh sour milk cheese with caraway seeds, is made and served during the Midsummer festival Jāņi and considered a symbol of Latvian culture, and was included in the EU Traditional Specialty Guaranteed register in 2015.

Soups

Soups are commonly made with vegetables and broth or kefir. Cold borscht (''aukstā zupa''), fish soup (''zivju zupa''), sorrel soup (''skābeņu zupa'') and mushroom soup (''sēņu zupa'') are also consumed by Latvians. A traditional Latvian dessert is rye bread soup (''maizes zupa'') made from rye bread, whipped cream, dried fruit and cranberries. Cold borscht is usually eaten in the spring and summer seasons and consists of kefir or soured milk, boiled beets, chopped radish, fresh cucumbers, boiled eggs and fresh herbs.

Bread

Rye bread (''rudzu maize'') has been a national food staple for centuries and is included in the Latvian Culture Canon and the EU Traditional Specialty Guaranteed register. The bread is similar to Russian or German black bread and is made from coarse rye flour,

malt Malt is any cereal grain that has been made to germinate by soaking in water and then stopped from germinating further by drying with hot air, a process known as "malting". Malted grain is used to make beer, whisky, malted milk, malt vinegar, ...

and caraway seeds and traditionally baked in a wood-fired oven. Another popular type of bread is sourdough bread (''saldskābmaize'') made from finely ground rye flour and caraway seeds. Fried rye bread with garlic (''ķiploku grauzdiņi'') and

mayonnaise Mayonnaise (), colloquially referred to as "mayo" (), is a thick, creamy sauce with a rich and tangy taste that is commonly used on sandwiches, hamburgers, Salad#Bound salads, bound salads, and French fries. It also forms the base for various o ...

is often served as a starter in restaurants and bars. Historically white bread (''baltmaize'') was considered a delicacy and was eaten only on festive occasions.

Pastries

A popular pastry is the speķrauši, wheat or rye flour buns filled with finely cut streaky bacon and onions. Sometimes caraway seeds are also added to the dough. Speķrauši are commonly served during winter solstice Ziemassvētki and summer solstice Jāņi. Kliņģeris, a large sweet pretzel with dried fruits and spices, is usually served as a dessert on special occasions, such as name days and birthdays. Sklandrausis is a traditional dish in Latvian cuisine which has a Livonian origin; it is a sweet pie, made of rye dough and filled with mashed potatoes and carrots and seasoned with caraway. In 2013, sklandrausis received a " Traditional Speciality Guaranteed" designation from the

European Commission The European Commission (EC) is the primary Executive (government), executive arm of the European Union (EU). It operates as a cabinet government, with a number of European Commissioner, members of the Commission (directorial system, informall ...

. Potato pancakes with smoked salmon and sour cream are also very popular.

Drinks

Ancient Latvians brewed

(''alus''),

mead Mead (), also called honey wine, and hydromel (particularly when low in alcohol content), is an alcoholic beverage made by fermenting honey mixed with water, and sometimes with added ingredients such as fruits, spices, grains, or hops. The alco ...

(''miestiņš'') and honey beer (''medalus'') before the 13th century, both celebratory occasions and everyday use. After the Baltic Crusades, the local beer brewing was influenced by the incoming Western European techniques. For example, prior to that, many herbs were used, but they were replaced by hops as a

preservative A preservative is a substance or a chemical that is added to products such as food products, beverages, pharmaceutical drugs, paints, biological samples, cosmetics, wood, and many other products to prevent decomposition by microbial growth or ...

and flavoring agent. A craft brewery drawing upon the ancient brewing traditions is that uses a wide variety of herbs, flowers, berries, and spices in their brews. A very popular drink in spring is fresh birch sap. Traditionally, it was preserved by adding raisins, lemon rind, and blackcurrant twigs. Every spring, birch sap is sold in markets and roadside stalls, but it can also be seen in more refined products, such as birch sap lemonade, still and sparkling wine,

mulled wine Mulled wine, also known as spiced wine, is an alcoholic drink usually made with red wine, along with various mulling spices and sometimes raisins, served hot or warm. It is a traditional drink during winter, especially around Christmas. It is ...

and birch sap schnapps. Kvass, traditionally brewed from fermented rye or black bread, has also remained popular in Latvia. In the

Latvian SSR The Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic (Also known as the Latvian SSR, or Latvia) was a Republics of the Soviet Union, constituent republic of the Soviet Union from 1940 to 1941, and then from 1944 until 1990. The Soviet occupation of the Bal ...

, kvass was sold by street vendors from carts with big yellow canisters, while nowadays mass-produced kvass can be bought at supermarkets. With the development of cold-hardy grape varieties more suitable for the northern climate, winemaking has become more common in Latvia. In addition to that, raspberry, black currant, and other fruit wines are also being made, as well as

cider Cider ( ) is an alcoholic beverage made from the Fermented drink, fermented Apple juice, juice of apples. Cider is widely available in the United Kingdom (particularly in the West Country) and Ireland. The United Kingdom has the world's highest ...

s. Wine Hill of Sabile used to be registered in the

Guinness Book of Records ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a British reference book published annually, listi ...

as the most northern open-air vineyard in the world. Since 1999 the town also hosts an annual wine festival.

Mushrooms

Latvia has ancient traditions involving edible mushrooms. Wild mushroom foraging is very popular in summer and autumn. Modern, as well as traditional mushroom preparation, is very popular. There are around 4,100 known mushroom species in Latvia, 1,100 of those are cup mushrooms. About ¼ of these are edible. The most popular edible ones are various Boletus and Cantharellus. A traditional mushroom sauce is made from wild mushrooms, onions, garlic, sweet or sour cream and sometimes bacon. It is usually eaten alongside boiled potatoes and brined cucumbers.

Gallery

File:Latvian piragi (bacon buns).jpg, Speķrauši File:Grey peas at restaurant Milda in Riga.jpg, Grey peas with fried speck and radish File:Bukstiņputra.jpg,

Barley Barley (), a member of the grass family, is a major cereal grain grown in temperate climates globally. It was one of the first cultivated grains; it was domesticated in the Fertile Crescent around 9000 BC, giving it nonshattering spikele ...

grit porridge with

milk Milk is a white liquid food produced by the mammary glands of lactating mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals (including breastfeeding, breastfed human infants) before they are able to digestion, digest solid food. ...

, potatoes and speck (''bukstiņputra'') File:Suitsuskumbria ja suitsulest.jpg, Hot smoked mackerels and European plaices File:LatvianHeadCheese.png, Head cheese (''galerts'') File:Rupjmaizes kārtojums.jpg, Layered rye bread (''rupjmaizes kārtojums'') File:Debesmanna.JPG, Redcurrant semolina mousse (''jāņogu debesmanna'') File:Biezpiena sieriņš.jpg, Curd snack (''biezpiena sieriņš'') File:Gingerbreads (Latvia).jpg, Gingerbreads from Latvia File:Aleksanterinleivos.jpg, Alexandertorte

References

External links

Latvian Eats
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