Features of the Latvian national cuisine. food in latvia

The beautiful Baltic country is small in territory, but it 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 the same territory. In each of the Latvian cities there are places attractive for tourists - from narrow streets to famous beaches. As in all countries of the North, Latvia has excellent 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 environmental friendliness of products produced in the country. So what to try in Latvia?

Food in Latvia

Latvian cuisine is characterized by three main concepts - simple, satisfying, tasty. Today it is no less important that this cuisine is eco-friendly. It has been formed over the centuries, absorbing the features of the cuisines of neighboring countries - Lithuanian and Estonian, German and Scandinavian, and even Belarusian. At the core Latvian cuisine- products of agriculture and animal husbandry. As well as the gifts of the Baltic Sea, rivers and lakes of Latvia.

Five of the best and most original products of the national cuisine have become the owners of the European sign "Guaranteed Traditional Product": 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 traditional food guarantee mark, it can only be baked in this country, according to ancient recipes. The older generation, perhaps, remembers bread called "Rizhsky" on the shelves of the USSR. Now you can try it only in Latvia. Bread is cooked 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 flavor. In the refrigerator, such bread can be stored for almost six months, and does not lose either freshness or useful properties. But it's better to eat it fresh.

Unusual soups

Soups are considered an obligatory dish of the Latvian table, as are porridges. They are characterized by a combination of incompatible products. Not everyone dares to taste milk soup with herring, but this is a favorite dish among Latvians. Potatoes, onions and green onions are added there. Beer soup contains cottage cheese, boiled eggs, cumin, butter and rye croutons. All this is seasoned with sour cream.

There are cold soups: beetroot, rhubarb, sorrel, barley on buttermilk, 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 most joyful national holidays in Latvia, cannot be imagined without this cheese, of course, with beer. Refers to soft cheeses, in the format of Adyghe or feta, 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 had not even been invented yet. The modern kitchen provides for oil, but is otherwise respected age-old traditions cooking - with obligatory cumin, eggs, cottage cheese and cow's milk. Ready cheese heads are wrapped in oak or maple leaves, then in clean pieces of linen. After this method of storage, loose yellowish pieces of cheese smell like summer and the sun.

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

Carnikava Lamprey

Not just a delicacy, in the full sense of the word a cult product. It is named after the village of fishermen Carnikava on the banks of the famous Gauja. 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 visitors 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 old dish is this fish fried on coals. The lamprey looks strange: without fins, bones and scales, and even a serpentine shape. But since the time of Catherine II, this fatty fish has been considered a delicacy, and deservedly so.

gray peas

The uniqueness of the dish is that the varieties of this pea are selected and grown only in Latvia. Despite the non-holiday name, gray peas are one of the main decorations of the Christmas table. Latvians consider pea seeds to be a symbol of tears. Therefore, they try to eat as much as possible in order to cry less next year. Eating a lot is easy - delicious. Boiled until soft peas are stewed with bacon fried with onions. The dish is very simple and delicious, worth a try. For those who avoid heavy meals, prudent Latvians serve gray peas with a glass of kefir.

Another indispensable dish of the Latvian Christmas table. This pie is a must rye dough on melted lard, also applies to ancient dishes. It began to be baked in the 17th century, when potatoes were brought into the country. Previously, this cake symbolized the sun. From here it open form and a bright carrot-potato filling. The pie has another, also common name - Sklandic 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 worth trying not because it is marked with a European sign. It's just delicious.

blood pancakes

A very ancient dish, as well as tender and tasty, despite the awesome name. The dough for pancakes is made not with milk, but with carefully filtered blood - pork or deer. It is diluted to the consistency of low-fat milk, and then - according to the recipe. regular test for pancakes. Be sure to try. With butter, lingonberries or jam, it's just 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 under the name of the famous Latvian sprats. Everything that the Baltic Sea gives is transformed into delicious casseroles- from cod, from herring, etc. Latvians also love fish stewed in milk with onions and carrots. Parsley and other aromatic herbs are added to it, served under cream sauce.

Common herring is prepared onion sauce or grilled on charcoal. It turns out a delicacy. Skilled Latvian chefs even cook flounder on a grill so that a simple dish is eaten like a culinary delight. Still worth trying smelt in batter

This crispy cookie is also an attribute of Christmas and new year holidays. In translation, its name means cookies with pepper or cookies with spices. Cinnamon, ginger, cloves, cardamom and allspice are added to it from the heart. They give spicy taste.

Biscuits have been common throughout Northern Europe since the 13th century. Recipes have improved: honey, nuts, cumin, vanilla, lemon or orange peel- who likes what. In stores in Latvia, before the holidays, they 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.

Old Riga

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 tender pastry with the essential coffee. It has been a symbol of the Latvian capital for a very long time. Served in almost all coffee shops. 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. It turns out an exquisite indescribable dish that can only be tasted in old Riga.

Formation of the Latvian cuisine took place over many centuries. Therefore, in the dishes that are considered traditionally Latvian, many features of Lithuanian, Estonian, Belarusian, German and Scandinavian national cuisines are guessed. Most of them are different simple cooking and satiety. Alone National dishes, displaced by European cuisine, are less often cooked in the homes of Latvians, others, for example, janov cheese, are served on the table as often as before. The daily diet of citizens includes mainly fish, vegetable dishes(stews, casseroles, salads), cutlets, but in holidays national dishes are always put on the table in abundance. The main products from which Latvians prepare food are rye and Wheat flour, cereals, potatoes, dairy products, various types of legumes and vegetables.

A Russian tourist in the cuisine of Latvians, and in the cuisines of other Baltic peoples, is sometimes quite surprised by the “combination of the incongruous”, for example, bread soup with dried fruits, rhubarb jelly or black bread with whipped cream. First courses are generally very different from the cuisines of other countries of the world, even those that seem to be located in the neighborhood. In everyday life, Latvians cook soups on bread, milk, and even with added sugar.

Gifts of reservoirs

Despite the fact that the basis of the diet of Latvians is agricultural crops, the location of the country directly on the Baltic coast has led to the widespread consumption of fish and seafood by its inhabitants.

Of the marine fish, the most revered in are mackerel, herring, cod and herring; from the river, perch, pike, carp and bream are most often prepared. A special place is given to herring. This fish is grilled with vegetables, cooked on charcoal, casseroles and various types(salted, pickled, boiled) are included in sandwiches, salads. Cod is also often used to make casseroles. Almost every good Latvian restaurant offers salmon dishes.

On the coast of the Baltic Sea is a large number of fish farms where you can enjoy smoked flounder, eel, cod and lamprey.

V various salads seafood is widely used: shrimp, cuttlefish, scallops, abalone and octopus. They are often mixed with regular boiled rice and herbs, and seasoned with mayonnaise or heavy cream.

Meat

The most consumed type of meat in Latvia is pork. The medieval ancestors of the Latvians loved to treat themselves to pork tails, snouts and ears. A modern person can taste dishes from them in many restaurants, where they are offered as delicacies.

Popular among Latvians are baked pork knuckle and jelly. A lot of dishes are also prepared from veal, beef, lamb, poultry, but not as often as from pork.

Legumes

Legumes are widely used by Latvians in the preparation of soups, second courses, and casseroles. Most popular dish- These are gray peas with speck (lard). It is customary to cook it at Christmas, which is done with pleasure by both housewives and chefs in restaurants. Guests of Christmas markets always have the opportunity to eat this dish. And for tourists who are not on the Christmas holiday, you can try peas with bacon in a restaurant specializing in national cuisine.

Vegetables

The most popular vegetables in cooking among medieval and modern Latvians are cabbage, onions and potatoes. Carrots and beets are a little less common, but also present in many recipes. Unique taste qualities and nutritional value achieved by adding the root and parsley, black radish, horseradish, dill, chicory. Lately traditional dishes began to season with cumin.

Bread

In, most likely, there is no such house in which there would be no rye bread or food prepared with it. On the basis of rye bread, locals prepare yoghurts, all kinds of desserts and, no matter how strange it may sound, ice cream. A frequent guest on the Latvian table is bread soup. And shop windows offer an abundance of types of rye and wheat bread With various additives: with dried fruits, nuts and even grated carrots, which causes sincere surprise among guests from Russia.

National dishes offered by specialized restaurants

Table of an ordinary Latvian hostess and many establishments Catering- this is in most cases a set of national dishes, "optimized" for modernity. To taste real Latvian cuisine “from A to Z”, a tourist should at least once go to a restaurant specializing in cooking, the recipe of which was created in the Middle Ages.

Guests are advised to try the following dishes:

· Cheeses made on the basis of cottage cheese and eggs with the addition of cumin. These include the Yanov cheese mentioned at the beginning of the article, which has an appetizing yellowish tint and an exquisite salty taste.

· Putra - various cereals made on the basis of vegetables and cereals with the addition of meat, lard, fish (optional), less often - fermented milk products.

· Klops - pork or beef steak with an unusual onion sauce.

· Silkyu pundysh - herring casserole with potatoes. It is used both as a festive and as an everyday dish.

· Boiled potatoes with cottage cheese, seasoned with herbs, sour cream and salt. The combination of cottage cheese and potatoes is common for, and it is sometimes shocking for Russians.

For beer, guests in any restaurant will be offered rye crackers with cheese, garlic, seeds, tomatoes and all kinds of seasonings.

Sweets

Buns, cookies, cakes and sweets offered by Latvian stores are not much different from Russian ones. But as for the desserts served in cafes and restaurants, they are very original. For example: semolina dessert with chocolate, jam or whipped cream; milk-bread soup with raisins and cream; bread ice cream with jam; other combinations of bread, jam, nuts, dried fruits and dairy products.

Beverages

Without drinks, it is impossible to form a true opinion about Latvian cuisine. Most of them are based on honey and tree sap (maple and birch). Latvians also often prepare sour jelly with the addition of lingonberry juice or curdled milk, rhubarb jelly, bread kvass. Restaurants offer a wide variety of excellent locally produced beers.

Most catering establishments are concentrated in. Among them, a tourist can choose a cafe or restaurant in accordance with their preferences and budget.

goBaltia

Latvia is known to many as an agrarian 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. Recipes with photos will be presented later in the article.

The specifics of Latvian cuisine

Culinary traditions countries 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, and pickles. Another direction was formed among the local peasants, whose daily diet consisted of dairy products, cereals, meat and potatoes. The combination of such influences is responsible for the formation of modern Latvian cuisine.

The coastal location of the territories of the state caused the appearance of a wide range of fish dishes. Most recipes involve the use of marine products, in particular cod, herring, herring, mackerel. Almost every Latvian restaurant offers salmon dishes.

Latvian cuisine looks incomplete without the local rye bread, which is used in organizing any feast, is considered a national treasure. The product is used even in the composition of soups, desserts, yogurts.

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

Putra

What should you definitely try from the national dishes of Latvia? It is worth starting with a dish 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:

Take a set of ingredients: fish, meat, cereals, potatoes.
Products are boiled until cooked in separate containers.
The components of the future dish are mixed.
Add kefir and cottage cheese.
The resulting mixture is kept for a day in a cool room or on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator.
The next day, the finished putra is served at the table.

Several centuries ago, such a dish had the number one status on the table of Latvian peasants. Nowadays, it has been completely forgotten. 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 national dish of Latvia - potatoes with cottage cheese and herring. Even 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 so in high demand. The combination of these products 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.
Onions are one thing.
Large herring.
Pickled cucumbers - 3 pieces.
Chopped dill and parsley - a tablespoon.
Sour cream - 3-4 tablespoons.

The recipe for the national dish of Latvia is extremely simple. Separately, boil the potatoes and lay on half the plate. Add sliced herring, chopped onion in half rings, cottage cheese with sour cream and pickles. Top everything with herbs.

The dish is served to the table 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 cumin. Sugar is ground with egg yolk. The resulting composition is poured into hot beer. The ingredients are kept on low heat until the first signs of boiling. The dish is served to the table along with toasted croutons and hard cheese.

Silkmeisee

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

Cut rye bread with a thickness of no more than one and a half centimeters. The slices are slightly dried in the oven or oven, and then spread with butter. The previously prepared herring mixture is laid on top. Sausages cut into thin strips are used as the top layer.

Baltic beetroot

An extremely unusual dish is beetroot, to which smoked cod is added. The product is traditionally served chilled. Cooking becomes especially relevant on hot summer days.

The dish is prepared on the basis of the following ingredients:

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

Boil the beets, after cleaning the peel with a metal brush. Water is not poured out, but decanted into a deep bowl. They return here boiled beets after cutting into strips. Rye bread is also placed in the liquid. The container is covered with a lid and put in a cold place overnight. Take out the bread from the saucepan. The base of the soup is salted and peppered. Add chopped small cubes apple and cucumber.

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 for olive oil. Products are distributed on plates and poured with beetroot. As a finishing touch, use a spoonful of sour cream.

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 is used as ingredients. Boil young potatoes based on the number of people available. A few chicken eggs are driven into a glass of milk and mixed until uniform consistency. Spread on the pan boiled potatoes, sausage and loin. The ingredients are poured with a milk-egg mixture, and then baked until golden brown.

Buberts

Buberts is pretty interesting original dish national cuisine of Latvia. The meal is an unusual semolina porridge. The product is prepared on the basis of the following ingredients:

Semolina - 100 grams.
Milk - 500 ml.
Chicken eggs - 2-3 pieces.
Grated chocolate - 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 egg yolks. The latter are whipped with sugar. Proteins are mixed with salt until foam is formed. Milk is heated on the stove, and after boiling, a small stream is poured into semolina by mixing the composition. The mixture is again sent to the fire and boiled for 3-5 minutes until swelling. Then add beaten egg yolks and whites.

Ready buberts are poured 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

We note one more national Latvian dish, which is based, it would seem, on incompatible products. As ingredients used:

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- taste.

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

Apple pie

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

National dish of Latvia - Apple pie- requires the use of the following components:

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

Butter is melted in a saucepan. Add the egg yolks ground with sugar. Mix the ingredients well. Pour flour and soda into the container. Products continue to knead with a spoon until a consistency resembling thick sour cream is formed. Crushed apples are added to the dough, and then beaten egg whites.

Grease a baking sheet with oil. Sprinkle the surface with a thin layer breadcrumbs. The prepared dough is poured here. Preheat the oven to a temperature of 200 o C. The pie 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:

Rye bread without yeast - 150 grams.
Boiled water - 2 cups.
Dried fruits - 150 grams.
Cream of medium fat content - 60 ml.
Cranberries - 50 grams.
Sugar - 4 tablespoons.
Cinnamon and vanilla - a small pinch.
Cookies - to taste.

The bread is cut into slices, after which they are laid in an even layer over the entire area of the baking sheet, previously covered with baking paper. Preheat the oven 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.

Wash dried fruits using a colander and then dry. Soaked bread is ground into gruel. Half the norm of sugar and cinnamon are added here. 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.

They take cranberries, wash them under running water and crush them with a spoon. The berries are rubbed through a sieve. The resulting juice with pulp particles is added to the dish. The cream is whipped together with the remaining sugar and vanilla and then mixed into the soup. Sprinkle the top with crushed biscuits.

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

Let's start with the first dishes. 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 cope well. So, try the following dishes:

« milk soup with potatoes and herring"- milk, potatoes, herring fillet, green and onion, sour cream, water, salt.
« blueberry soup with dumplings» - blueberries, starch, sugar, lemon, flour, eggs and milk.
"beer soup" - beer, eggs, cottage cheese, cumin, sugar, sour cream, bread and butter.
« lactic mushroom soup "- mushrooms (usually champignons), water, milk, onions, potatoes, peppers, salt, butter and bay leaf.
"bread soup" - bread, dried fruits, water, cinnamon and whipped cream.
"cold soup" - beets, cucumbers, kefir, potatoes, boiled sausage, eggs, dill, green onion, 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 (barley, barley), with the addition of meat, bacon, potatoes, fish, vegetables, legumes ... All this is seasoned with milk, curdled milk, sour cream, cottage cheese ...

Now, it's time to move on to the main dishes, the national cuisine of Latvia, which are very numerous and it is impossible to list them all in one article. I will name the most popular:

« 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, they use blood.
camaro is a stewed chicken dish.
« potato pancakes with sour cream.
"barley porridge with milk and smoked bacon."
"bean cutlets".
« peasant breakfast"- smoked loin, homemade sausage, potatoes, green and onions, salted cucumbers, butter, salt. All this is poured with a milk-egg mixture and fried in a pan.
"sklandrausis" - rye dough pastries in the form of a flat basket, stuffed with carrots, potatoes, eggs and sour cream.

An important place in the national cuisine of Latvia is occupied by fish and seafood. For cooking, sea and freshwater fish are used (herring, herring, mackerel, flounder, cod, carp, pike, bream, perch, trout, salmon ...). Here are just a few popular dishes:

"zivyu pudins" - cod fish casserole.
Siltyu pudins - herring casserole with boiled potatoes.
« fried herring with onion sauce.
"charcoal grilled herring"
"fish fried in dough."
"baked in foil, salmon and trout."
"fried smelt, in batter."
"flounder cooked on a grill".
And, of course, the famous latvian sprats» (smoked herring in oil), which are exported to many countries.

After a delicious and satisfying lunch, you can safely proceed to dessert. Sweet dishes are a special article in the national cuisine of Latvia. You will not find such diversity in any other country in the world. Be sure to try:

« sweet rice pudding« .
« vecriga "(old Riga) - amazingly tender cake.
« eclair "- a cake with sweet cream, poured with chocolate.
« Latvian-style apples» - baked in dough, with sugar and whipped cream.
« bubert" - semolina with milk, cream, nuts, whipped egg 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 complement: sweets "Korovka « , amazingly tender cake with raisins, chocolate and sweets from the Laima factory « , curd glazed curds "Karums" and, very high quality, Latvian ice cream.

From without alcoholic beverages, in the cuisine of Latvia, black coffee, black and green tea, Birch juice, kvass, lemonade, mineral water and fruit juices. Also, guests of the country are recommended to taste the products of local breweries. Latvian beer, to the accompaniment of amazing garlic croutons, will not leave anyone indifferent. Crackers for beer, served freshly toasted, delicately crispy and with crazy garlic aroma. The most famous types of beer: « Aldaris Zelta”, “Bauskas Gaisais”, “Bauskas Tumsais”, “Aldaris Luxusa”, “Uzavas”, “Piebalgas”, “Tervetes”, “Cesu alus”. Lovers over strong 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 all!

Latvian cuisine has evolved over a long period of time under the influence of various national cuisines: Estonian, Lithuanian, Russian, German and Belarusian.

Latvian national cuisine is enough simple and satisfying based on cereals, meat and fish products.

For a long time, recipes for traditional Latvian cuisine have undergone certain changes.

So, for example, the national Latvian dish of sour porridge (skubputry) with the addition of meat or bacon, has ceased to be popular with modern Latvians, and, one might say, is a thing of the past.

Some national Latvian dishes, such as janov cheese, are still often found on local tables.

The everyday food of Latvians is now more focused on European cuisine. V Everyday life locals usually eat cutlets, meat and fish, vegetable salads, pork ribs. But during the national Latvian holidays on the tables appear traditional dishes Latvian cuisine.

Features of national Latvian dishes

The main products of the national cuisine of Latvia are flour, cereals, beans, peas, potatoes, dairy products and vegetables. And although national dishes are traditionally based on agricultural products, a large place in the Latvian cuisine is occupied by fish dishes. This is due to the location of Latvia on the coast of the Baltic Sea.

One more hallmark national Latvian cuisine is incredible combination products in the preparation of certain dishes.

For example, the famous Latvian dessert "buberte" prepared from semolina porridge combined with whipped cream, nuts, vanilla and cranberry sauce. Such a dessert, despite recipe originality, has an excellent taste and undoubtedly deserves to be tried.

Even in Latvia you can try such interesting dishes, striking a combination of different products, like beer or bread soup with dried fruits, rhubarb jelly with whipped cream, black bread jelly and other interesting dishes.

Unlike many European residents, Latvians very often consume dairy, bread and sweet soups.

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The coastal location of the state has led to the fact that in the national Latvian cuisine there are enough widely represented fish dishes.

Used in cooking as sea fish- herring, mackerel, cod, and river - carp, bream, perch, pike. The locals are very fond of herring and various dishes from her. Salads, sandwiches are made with it, they are fried with vegetables, on the grill, on coals, etc.

Fish casseroles are very popular among Latvians, for example, cod casserole ("Zivu pudins") or a casserole from the same herring (“Siltu pudins”). In almost any Latvian restaurant, tourists can try salmon dishes.

There are many fishing farms along the coast. Here guests of Latvia and local residents can taste smoked eel, lamprey, flounder, cod.

Quite common in Latvian cuisine and meat dishes. Most popular meat- it's pork.

In ancient times, local residents even prepared dishes from pig snouts, ears and tails. Now these dishes are offered in some Latvian restaurants such as delicacies medieval national cuisine. Very popular with locals aspic from pork feet and baked pork knuckle.

Other types of meat - beef, veal, poultry and lamb are less popular in Latvia, but they are often used in local cuisine.

Vegetable dishes are also actively used in Latvian cuisine. Potato, onion and cabbage dishes are especially popular. A true Latvian-style meal is rarely complete without potatoes, cabbage, and caraway seeds.

Popular in Latvia and bean dishes. Traditional Latvian dish, which is customary to serve on Christmas- These are gray peas with bacon. During the Christmas holidays, this dish is included in the menu of most Riga restaurants and is offered at Christmas markets.

In restaurants that specialize in Latvian cuisine, gray peas with bacon can be ordered at any time.

Latvian cuisine cannot be imagined without bread dishes. Local residents have real Latvian rye bread on almost any table.

In Latvian stores there are also very unexpected types of bread(light carrot bread or rye bread with nuts and dried fruits). In addition, a wide variety of rye bread dishes are popular in Latvia: soups, yoghurts, desserts and even bread ice cream.

Be sure to pay attention to Latvian desserts. Here you can also try quite traditional buns with cottage cheese or poppy seeds, bagels and cakes, and completely unusual desserts, a type of sweet bread soup with whipped cream.

Traditional Latvian cuisine

Guests of Latvia should definitely try dishes according to traditional Latvian recipes.

Homemade cheeses, including the famous yanov cheese, which is made from homemade cottage cheese with the addition of eggs and cumin. The cheese has a characteristic yellowish hue and a salty curd taste.
Pea and bread soups.
Putra. The dish is a gruel of vegetables and cereals with the addition of fish, lard or smoked meat, as well as sour-milk products.
Gray peas with bacon.
Silkyu pudding - traditional Latvian herring casserole with boiled potatoes.
Boiled potatoes with cottage cheese. The combination of cottage cheese and potatoes is typical gastronomic combination in Latvia. To prepare this dish, fatty rustic cottage cheese mixed with sour cream, add herbs and salt to it. This mixture is served in addition to boiled potatoes.
"Peasant Breakfast" is a traditional Latvian dish, known even outside the country. For this dish, smoked loin, boiled potatoes and homemade sausage are poured with egg-milk mixture and baked in a frying pan.
Camaro (stewed chicken).
Sklandrausis- it's open vegetable pie from rye dough, in appearance resembling a cheesecake. Boiled potatoes, carrots, sour cream and eggs are used for the filling.
Blood sausage and blood pancakes.
Rye crackers for beer, which you will be offered in any Latvian bar. Classic variant These are crispy croutons with garlic. In addition, crackers with cheese, tomatoes, seeds and other additives are popular.
Klops is a steak with onion sauce.

After a light snack or a full meal, you can continue your walk in. A rich exposition on a vast territory will be of interest not only to small guests, but also to adults.

Getting to Riga will not be a problem. Online resources will help you find out information about this. Ours - including.

So that the mood is not spoiled by natural anomalies, do not forget to ask about the weather forecast. Read the article and you won't go wrong!

desserts

Buberte- semolina porridge with whipped cream.
Cake "Alexander" with cranberries and raspberries.
Bread yogurt.
Sweet bread soup with whipped cream traditionally served with raisins or lingonberry jam.
Old Riga pastry is a classic pastry that has been associated with Riga for many years. A small cake stuffed with airy curd cream is a great addition. for tea or coffee.
Bread ice cream. Vanilla ice cream is very popular. lingonberry jam and rye bread.

Beverages

The impression of the national Latvian cuisine will be incomplete if you do not try traditional Latvian drinks, which are very different from each other. original taste. Since ancient times, Latvians have been making drinks based on honey, birch and maple sap.

Until now, various kissels are very popular among local residents. To have an idea about the Latvian national cuisine definitely worth a try putelsy, which are sour pea or oatmeal jelly with the addition of curdled milk or sour lingonberry juice.

Among national drinks It is also worth noting rhubarb jelly with whipped cream or milk.

Very popular with locals refreshing bread kvass, which is sold in all grocery stores.

Of the alcoholic beverages famous drink is, of course, Riga Black Balsam.

In addition, many high-quality liqueurs and vodkas can be purchased in Latvia (caraway vodka “Kimenu Degvins”, original vodka from tomatoes and various herbal tinctures).

Since ancient times, Latvia has also been famous for its brewing traditions. Latvian beer has a pleasant taste and is different high quality. Among light beers, the most popular varieties are Aldaris Luxusa, Aldaris Zelta and Bauskas Gaisais, and among dark beers, Porteris and Bauskas Tumsais.