Sklandrausis, which was granted a TSG status in 2013, is a round pie from Latvia prepared in the area since the 16th century. The dough, which is made from unleavened rye flour, is rolled into discs and shaped so that the edges are folded upward.
The filling of potato and carrots is layered atop one another, and once everything is assembled, the top can be coated with cream and sprinkled with either cinnamon or caraway seeds. The pie is meant to be eaten cold with tea or milk.
MOST ICONIC Sklandrausis
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Skābeņu zupa is a traditional sorrel soup. It is made with beef stock, chopped sorrel leaves, pearl barley, onions, potatoes, and lemon juice. Common additions include grated carrots and smoked pork ribs, while hard-boiled eggs and sour cream are typically used as garnishes.
Although skābeņu zupa is most commonly served warm or hot, it is very refreshing when served ice cold on hot summer days. The word skābeņu in the name of this soup is derived from skābs, meaning sour, referring to sorrel’s flavor.
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Maizes zupa is a Latvian dessert of bread soup. In order to prepare it, soggy rye bread is first passed through a sieve, then combined with spices, sugar, and dried fruits. The whole concoction is finally topped with whipped cream. The dessert is characterized by its thick consistency, and it is traditionally served cold.
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Vispipuuro, russedessert, klappgröt, debesmanna, or mannavaht are different names for a creamy Baltic semolina porridge that is prepared with fresh fruit such as tart lingonberries, cranberries, or red currants. When cooked, the thick porridge is whipped until it transforms into a unique treat with a frothy and light consistency.
It is traditionally topped with cream or milk and garnished with fresh fruit. Found across Finland, Estonia, Sweden, Norway and Latvia, this dish is usually enjoyed as a sweet breakfast, a light midday snack, or a refreshing dessert.
Kliņģeris is a traditional birthday cake shaped into a large pretzel. It can also be served on similar festive occasions or as a central piece in a dessert smorgasbord. The big pretzel is made with flour, butter, eggs, heavy cream, sugar, yeast, water, saffron, lemon and orange zest, cardamom, and raisins.
Before baking, the dough is brushed with beaten eggs and sprinkled with almonds. After it has been baked, kliņģeris is often dusted with powdered sugar and decorated with bows, candies, or birthday candles. It is recommended to enjoy the cake while it is still warm and pair it with butter or jam.
Griķi, which is believed to stem from the term for a Greek person, is the Latvian name for the pseudocereal known as buckwheat. One of the staple ingredients of traditional Latvian cuisine, griķi is also the name of this simple dish consisting of buckwheat groats that have been cooked in water with butter and salt before being enjoyed on their own or as an accompaniment to various Latvian specialties.
Boiled buckwheat is typically eaten with butter or sour cream and salads, and it usually accompanies creamy meat sauces or meat specialties such as karbonāde (pork schnitzel) and karbonāde ar kaulu (pork chops).
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Pelēkie zirņi ar speķi is the national dish of Latvia. This type of stew is made with local grey peas (similar to chickpeas), fried onions, and diced speck. The dish was invented when locals used their supplies of dried and preserved food. It is recommended to serve this dish with kefir or a few slices of dense rye bread on the side, such as īstā rupjmaize.
Originating in Latvia, karbonāde is the country’s beloved take on the world-famous Wiener schnitzel. This meat specialty is typically made with a thinly pounded pork cutlet that is coated in a combination of flour, beaten eggs, and (sometimes) breadcrumbs before it is fried to perfection.
A savory chanterelle mushroom sauce is usually spooned over the finished pork schnitzel before serving, while sides such as boiled potatoes with dill, french fries, cabbage salad, pickled vegetables, and slices of rye bread often accompany the whole dish.
MOST ICONIC Karbonāde
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Rupjmaizes kārtojums is a traditional and fairly simple Latvian dessert consisting of dark rye bread, whipped cream or cream cheese, and cranberry jam. Most traditional recipes suggest cranberry jam because of its sourness, but other fruit jams can be used instead.
The dark rye bread is finely grated, flavored with cinnamon and sugar, and pan toasted. The ingredients are then layered in a glass trifle dish or a parfait glass and garnished with whipped cream or fresh fruit. Before it’s served, the dessert should sit in a fridge for a few hours so that the flavors soak into each other.
Salinātā rudzu rupjmaize is a bread baked in Latvia from rye flour. It owes its distinctiveness to the traditional recipe and techniques used for its production. The recipe does not allow the baker to use yeast but requires the caraway seeds to be added to the mixture.
Before the preparation of the dough, around 30% of the rye flour has to 'be sweetened' then set aside and fermented for at least 12 hours. The distinct sweet taste of Salinata bread comes from breaking down the starch into sugars by the malt, and the sour taste is formed during the fermentation of lactic acid.
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