Latvian cuisine is characterized by agricultural products, and meat is present in most main dishes. Due to Latvia’s location on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, it is of course famous for its fresh, delicious fish!
Bread
Latvia is famous for its bread. Large loaves with “black” crust smell slightly sour because the bread is baked from rye flour with malt, but it owes its unique flavor to caraway. Bread is an ingredient of many Latvian dishes. It is used to make, among other things, soups and desserts. It is characterized by a very long shelf life.
Pickled foods
Latvians love making pickles and they have something to be proud of. In addition to traditionally prepared sauerkraut and pickled cucumbers, you will also find a variety of vegetables. Beetroots or originally tomatoes or pickled garlic. For these delicacies, it is worth going to local sellers, including: to the market halls in Riga, this wonderful selection will surprise you.
Smoked the fish
Latvians like eating fish. Initially, locals smoked the fish to preserve it. Today, they keep up with this tradition.If you try Latvian smoked fish, you will understand why this local delicacy is popular. The smoky flavour combines well with the taste of local fish like herring, pike, plaice or cod.You can find smoked fish in most fishing villages along the coast. If you don’t have the time to visit these, head to the Riga Central Market.
Tradicional Dishes:
Latvian cold soup
Aukstā zupa is a refreshing Latvian cold soup with an unusual, deep pink color. It is made with beets, cucumbers, kefir, hard-boiled eggs, and milk sausage. Greens such as dill and scallions are essential.Aukstā zupa is a seasonal dish, you find it in restaurants on their menus in summer.
Karbonade
Slices of pork breaded in flour and beaten eggs, then fried. Before the meal, mushroom sauce is poured over slices of pork. The additions are usually french fries, pickled vegetables, boiled potatoes or, of course, rye bread.
Potato pancakes
Kartupeļu pankūkas are Latvian potato pancakes – they are made from a combination of grated potatoes, eggs and flour, seasoned only with salt and pepper. Kartupeļu pankūkas, fried until golden brown, are traditionally served with sour cream and blueberry sauce. In a restaurant with various extras.
Grey peas and bacon
Gray peas with bacon is a traditional Latvian dish often served during Christmas. The pea itself resembles a large chickpea with a brown outside and gray inside. It is a species from Latvia that recently obtained PDO (European Union Protected Designation of Origin) status.
Cabbage soup
In Latvia cabbage soup consists of sauerkraut cooked with potatoes, carrots and grits. Sometimes you will also find a version with bacon. Like grey peas, sauerkraut soup is a great dish in winter when you want to warm up.
Latvian meatballs soup
Frikadeļu zupa is a Latvian meatball soup . The soup is usually prepared with a combination of water, carrots, celery, and potatoes. It is flavored with bay leaves and peppercorns. The meatballs are made with ground beef or pork (or a combination), milk, eggs, onions, flour, and breadcrumbs.
Pelmeni
Due to the large Russian community, you will also find pelmeni or cepeliny in Latvian restaurants. These are not large dough dumplings filled with meat stuffing.
Desert:
Rūpjmaizes kārtojums
Layered rye bread dessert is a traditional Latvian dessert made of rye breadcrumbs, blackcurrant or lingonberry jam and whipped cream. It is sprinkled with grated dark chocolate and/or cinnamon and often served with fresh berries and cottage cheese ice cream.
Latvian cranberry mousse
This traditional Latvian cranberry mousse is so light, fluffy and deliciously pink that you’ll never believe that the secret ingredient is wheat cream! The dessert contains cranberry juice, sugar, flour or wheat cream milk.
Sklandrausis (sweet rye pie)
It is a traditional Latvian sweet pie, made of rye dough and filled with potato and carrot paste and added caraway.
Popular Alcohol:
Moonshine
Moonshine contains 45–55% alcohol, mostly made from potatoes or grains, yeast, water and sugar. After weeks of fermentation, it’s distilled with wood cooker. At Folkklubs ALA Pagrabs restaurant, there’s a bar downstairs where different flavors of moonshine are served: garlic, horseradish are among the delicious tastes. The restaurant’s owner Krišjānis Putniņš decided to make traditional moonshine from vodka. Now it’s one of the most popular drinks among locals at the tavern.
