National dish of latvia. National cuisine of Latvia: features and traditions

Snacks in Latvia

Rye bread

Black bread is an important part of the life of a Latvian. He's not like any other Rye bread which you have tasted, it is baked by old recipes, often by hand. In Latvia, you will be served any kind of bread for any dish. Rye bread is usually made from rye flour, buttermilk, salt, water and cumin to taste.

Vegetable pies (Sklandu raushi)

Vegetable pies - raushi sklandu - are mostly eaten in Kurzeme. These pies are made from rye or wheat flour, margarine, sugar, salt and eggs. The filling is usually potato or carrot. This cake is often served with sour cream.

Latvian buns with bacon

These rolls are served as a snack, as well as at lunchtime (with a plate of broth) or at a party. They will be most delicious if they are eaten hot, so to speak, straight out of the oven, but they can also be eaten both chilled and reheated. Typically, they are made from flour, milk, pork, onions, yeast, sugar, salt and eggs. This dish is a must-have item on the Christmas table.

Pork aspic

This is one of the typical Latvian dishes, which is prepared in almost every home. Jellied meat is a dish whose ingredients are added to jelly made from meat broth and consommé. Pork jellied meat in Latvia is usually prepared from the meat of a young pig (usually shanks and ribs), eggs, onions, carrots, celery, parsley, bay leaf, as well as salt, pepper and garlic, which will enrich the taste of the dish. Boiled meat and boiled vegetables neatly spread in a bowl and pour in the broth, after which all this is infused in the refrigerator. Pork aspic goes well with vinegar, mustard, horseradish and salads.

Herring under a Fur Coat

Recipe: Remove the scales and soak the herring. Chop the sirloin and place on a plate. Cut the vegetables into cubes and make the next layer. Alternate layers several times. Combine sour cream, horseradish, salt and sugar and season the salad (without stirring!). Sprinkle the sliced green onions... Decorate the dish boiled carrots.

Janov cheese (caraway cheese)

Today the most popular Latvian holiday is Janov's Day (the day of the summer solstice), the main attributes of this holiday are cheese and beer, which can be found on every festive table. Usually Janov cheese is made from dry cottage cheese, milk, sour cream, eggs, butter, salt and caraway seeds. The recipes for this cheese appeared hundreds of years ago.

Soups in Latvia

Green cabbage soup

Green cabbage soup, which is made from water, sorrel and salt. Also, the soup can include ingredients such as egg yolks or boiled eggs and boiled potatoes... The Latvian version of this soup also includes carrots, onions, dill, pork and pearl barley, which can replace potatoes. The soup can be served hot or cold and is usually served with sour cream. This soup is found in Russian, Polish, Ukrainian, Lithuanian and Eastern European Jewish cuisines.

Meatball soup

Latvian meatball soup is a popular Latvian soup with rich taste... The soup is prepared simply: potatoes and carrots are boiled in the broth, then meatballs are added. Meatballs are usually made from a mixture ground beef, bread crumbs, finely chopped onions, eggs, salt and pepper. Meatball soup is served in a small deep bowl with sour cream, chopped pickles, dill and parsley.

Scaba putra (sour cream soup)

Another traditional Latvian dish that you can find here is sour cream soup. It is made from barley, water, or buttermilk. it summer dish which is chilled for 6-12 hours, which is what makes it so refreshing! Sour cream is added at the last minute. The soup is served cold with herring or bread and butter.

Hot in Latvia

Gray peas with bacon

Gray peas with bacon are usually cooked during Kolyada, but the dish can also be eaten as the main one. Usually, they prefer to eat it with buttermilk or sour milk.

Stewed sauerkraut

it signature dish, which appeared under the influence German cuisine... it delicious dish the preparation is extremely simple: sauerkraut is fried in oil with onions, carrots, salt and pepper. Lightly fried sauerkraut goes well with baked pork and other meat dishes.

Fish cooked in milk

This main dish is popular throughout the country. The recipe is very simple: pieces of fish are cooked in hot milk in a saucepan along with onion rings, grated carrots, parsley, salt and pepper. After the fish is ready, add sour cream to make a delicious cream sauce... The fish is usually served with the sauce it was cooked in, boiled potatoes and seasoning from fragrant herbs.

Desserts in Latvia

Debesmann (cranberry mousse)

This dessert is made from cranberries, black or red currants, strawberries, raspberries or other berries or juice. Usually water, sugar and semolina... Mousse is served in deep bowls; it is eaten with cold milk.

Apple pie

The apple tree is a tree that is widespread in Latvia, therefore many dishes are cooked here with apples. Apple pie it is easy to prepare and it does not take long. Main ingredients: flour, milk, yeast, butter, sugar, eggs, salt and apples for topping.

Latvian rye bread puff dessert

This dessert consists of layers of bread crumbs, whipped cream (made with cream, sugar and vanilla) and cranberry jam... On top of the dessert is usually another layer of crumbs and cream. Dessert is usually served with a glass of milk. Another version of the dessert: crumbs of rye bread are mixed with sugar and cinnamon. You can also add curd cream.

Drinks in Latvia

Latvian beer

The brewing traditions in Latvia are very ancient. Today there are many breweries in Latvia, large and small. The largest and oldest breweries- Cēsu and Aldaris, but of course they are not the only ones. As soon as spring comes and it gets warm and sunny outside, beer yards and terraces appear everywhere, serving beer and snacks.

Riga Black Balsam

Riga black balsam - traditional herbal liqueur, which includes many natural ingredients mixed in pure vodka... You can drink it as in pure form so cook with it various cocktails. Traditional recipe balm includes 24 ingredients: various herbs, flowers, germs, juices, roots, oils and berries; the balm is being prepared in oak barrels... At international fairs, experts from different countries have awarded more than 30 awards to the drink.

Herbal tea

There is nothing nicer than a refreshing taste herbal tea(a mixture of dried fruits, flowers and herbs). Traditionally, the composition herbal teas in Latvia there are herbs such as Linden blossom, mint, St. John's wort, chamomile, calendula and others. For taste, sugar or honey is added to the tea.

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 porridge Scabputras, to which lard or meat were added for satiety, are no longer popular today and are rarely prepared in Latvian kitchens. Other familiar dishes as, for example, Yanov's cheese, is 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 others. vegetable dishes... However on festive table still it is customary to put National dishes.

Peculiarities of national cuisine in Latvia

For Latvians, the main products are:

Flour.
Cereals.
Potato.
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.

An incredible combination of products used in the preparation of some culinary masterpieces typical for Latvia.

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

Most favorite marine species fish in Latvia - Baltic herring, cod, mackerel. If speak about river fish, then especially often Latvians cook carp, pike, perch and bream. Herring is very loved and revered in the country. It is grilled with vegetables, grilled on charcoal, 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 sample the freshest smoked lampreys, eels, cod or flounder.

Meat

Traditional dishes

A trip around the country will be incomplete if you do not taste traditional Latvian dishes. Let's list a few main dishes that are so attractive for culinary tourists in Latvia:

Homemade cheese made from cottage cheese with the addition of caraway seeds and eggs is a must-try. Among the most popular varieties famous Janov cheese. Its taste is pleasantly salty, and the hue is yellowish.
Bread and pea soups also, to some extent, can be attributed to the exotic, which is worth trying for every tourist.
Putras is a porridge made from cereals and vegetables, to which meat, fish, bacon and sometimes even fermented milk products are added.
Stewed Chicken Camaro, blood sausage and pancakes, gray peas with bacon - simple and hearty meals 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. Great option for everyday kitchen.
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.
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 the 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 a light filling from curd cream.

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 juice, different types honey.

Characteristic elements of any Latvian table:

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

Latvia is also famous for its beers, different kinds 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, the menu of which includes 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 hearty lunch or a romantic dinner.

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 enough simple and satisfying based on cereals, meat and fish products.

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

For example, the national Latvian dish of sour porridge (scabputras) with the addition of meat or lard, has ceased to be popular with modern Latvians, and, one might say, remained in the past.

Some national Latvian dishes such as yanov 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, rack of pork ribs... But during the national Latvian holidays, there appear on the tables traditional dishes Latvian cuisine.

Features of national Latvian dishes

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

One more hallmark national Latvian cuisine is an incredible combination products in the manufacture of some dishes.

For example, the famous Latvian dessert "Bubert" made from semolina porridge combined with whipped cream, nuts, vanilla and cranberry sauce... Such a dessert, despite originality of the recipe, is different excellent taste and undoubtedly deserves to be tried.

Even in Latvia you can try such interesting dishes striking a combination different products like a 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.

No less delicious dishes you will be treated in Estonia. You can find out a little more in the materials of our site.

In Estonia, you can not only have a tasty meal, but also have a good rest. Where and how? how to spend an unforgettable weekend!

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

In cooking, it is used as sea fish- Baltic herring, mackerel, cod, and river - carp, bream, perch, pike. The locals are very fond of herring and various dishes from her. They make salads, sandwiches with it, fry it with vegetables, grill, charcoal, etc.

Fish casseroles are very popular with Latvians, such as cod casserole ("Zivyu pudinsh") or a casserole made from the same herring (“Siltyu pudinsh”). Tourists can taste salmon dishes in almost any Latvian restaurant.

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

Quite common in Latvian cuisine and meat dishes... The most popular meat Is pork.

In ancient times, local residents prepared dishes even from pigs, ears and tails. Now these dishes are offered in some Latvian restaurants as delicacies medieval national cuisine. They are very popular with local residents aspic from pork legs 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. Dishes made from potatoes, onions and cabbage are especially popular. A true Latvian-style lunch is rarely complete without potatoes, cabbage and caraway seeds.

Popular in Latvia and bean dishes. Traditional Latvian dish that is usually served on Christmas Are gray peas with speck. During the Christmas holidays this dish must be included in the menus of most Riga restaurants and offered at Christmas markets.

In restaurants specializing in Latvian cuisine, gray peas with speck 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 shops there are 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.

You should definitely pay attention to Latvian desserts. Here you can also try quite traditional buns with cottage cheese or poppy seeds, bagels and cakes, and absolutely 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 caraway seeds. The cheese has a characteristic yellowish tint and a salty curd taste.
Pea and bread soups.
Putras... The dish is a gruel of vegetables and cereals with the addition of fish, bacon or smoked meat, as well as fermented milk products.
Gray peas with bacon.
Silkyu pudins - 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, greasy country 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 an egg-milk mixture and baked in a frying pan.
Camaro (chicken stew).
Sklandrausis Is open vegetable pie made of rye dough, which looks like a cheesecake. For the filling are used boiled potatoes, carrots, sour cream and eggs.
Blood sausage and blood pancakes.
Rye crackers for beer, which will be offered to you in any Latvian bar. Classic version - these are crispy croutons with garlic. In addition, croutons with cheese, tomatoes, seeds and other additives are popular.
Klops is a steak with onion sauce.

After having a light snack or a full meal, you can continue your walk at. A rich exposition on a huge territory will be interesting not only for young guests, but also for adults.

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

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

desserts

Bubert – semolina with whipped cream.
Cake "Alexander" with cranberries and raspberries.
Bread yogurt.
Sweet bread soup with whipped cream, traditionally served with raisins or lingonberry jam.
Pastry Vecriga 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 with lingonberry jam and rye bread is especially popular.

Beverages

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

Various kissels are still very popular among local residents. To have an idea of the Latvian national cuisine definitely worth a try straps which are sour peas or oatmeal jelly with the addition of yogurt or sour lingonberry juice.

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

Very popular with local residents refreshing bread kvass which is sold in all grocery stores.

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

In addition, in Latvia you can buy many high quality liqueurs and vodkas (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 pleasant taste and different high quality... Among light varieties The most popular beers are Aldaris Luxusa, Aldaris Zelta and Bauskas Gaisais, and among the dark varieties - Porteris and Bauskas Tumsais.

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 onion, 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.
« lactic 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, salted cucumbers, 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(Baltic herring, herring, mackerel, flounder, cod, carp, pike, bream, perch, trout, salmon ...). Here are just some of the popular dishes:

"Zivyu pudinsh" - fish casserole from cod.
"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.
« Latvian apples»- baked in dough with sugar and whipped cream.
« bubert "- semolina porridge with milk, cream, nuts, whipped proteins and sour fruit juice.
« riga bagels" - from yeast dough sprinkled with icing sugar.
« Latvian rhubarb pie« .
« piparkukas "- Latvian cookies with black pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves and ginger.
« rice cream with jelly« .
All these delicacies are complemented by: candies "Korovka « , amazingly tender cupcake with raisins, chocolate and sweets from the Laima « , glazed curd snacks "Karums" and, very high quality, Latvian ice cream.

Among non-alcoholic drinks in the cuisine of Latvia, the following are popular: black coffee, black and green tea, Birch juice, 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. Most famous varieties beer: « Aldaris Zelta "," Bauskas Gaisais "," Bauskas Tumsais "," Aldaris Luxusa "," Uzavas "," Piebalgas "," Tervetes "," Cesu alus "... Lovers more spirits will be able to enjoy the famous " Riga black balsam« which, for a long time, has become business card Latvia.
Welcome to hospitable Latvia and bon appetit to everyone!

Over the centuries, the Latvian people have had many contacts with neighboring peoples and states, therefore, modern Latvian cuisine is a kind of synthesis of traditional Latvian cooking methods and culinary traditions of neighboring peoples. Essentially Latvian traditional cuisine in terms of the products used, the dishes prepared and the cooking technologies, it is very similar to the cuisines of the nearest neighbors - Lithuania, Estonia and Russia.

Soviet era completely eliminated all the authentic features of Latvian cuisine, and therefore today talk about Latvian cuisine as special and unique culinary tradition incorrect. Latvian national dishes that could vividly represent the local culture are simply absent.

Two traditions can be distinguished in Latvian cuisine. One of them is the tradition of German townspeople, which is widespread in Estonia as well. It was the Germans who taught Latvians to eat sauerkraut, pickled vegetables, smoked sausages, beer. Another tradition is the primitive nutrition of Latvian peasants based on the consumption of dairy products, potatoes, grain crops and meat. Actually, modern Latvian cuisine is a mixture of these two traditions, recipes with photos of which you will find in this section.

In cooking, Latvians use products typical of all Eastern European cuisines. Since ancient times, rye bread has been baked here, cereals are used (mainly for cooking cereals), legumes (peas, beans), vegetables (carrots, turnips, onions). In the nineteenth century, potatoes appeared in Latvia, which immediately became one of the most popular here. food products... Since ancient times, Latvians have eaten a lot of meat, and fish is popular in the coastal regions. Dairy products are an important source of protein.

A traditional Latvian farmer's lunch is boiled potatoes with milk or kefir. Whenever possible, meat, pickled or pickled vegetables were served to the table. Actually, the active use of potatoes, dairy products, meat and pickled and pickled vegetables is also typical for modern Latvian cuisine.

Another important feature of Latvian cuisine is the moderate use of spices. Salt had to be imported to Latvians in the past, so it was used very sparingly. Latvians season their dishes lightly, usually with caraway seeds, mustard or garlic. Sugar is also unpopular - since ancient times, honey has been the only sweetener in local cuisine. Dishes of the Latvian national cuisine are mild, slightly bland and, as a rule, fatty.

For historical reasons, the table of cold snacks is very rich in Latvia and the table of hot dishes is very poor. Since ancient times, Latvians have worked in the fields from morning to evening, so they did not have time to cook hot dishes. Therefore, Latvians ate cold dishes for breakfast and lunch. Until now, cold snacks are a key element of the Latvian menu.

Like other Eastern European nations, modern Latvians eat a lot of soups. However, there are no special Latvian soups - they are all similar to Estonian, German, Lithuanian or Slavic soups.

The only category of dishes that is really only inherent in Latvians is putra. Putra is prepared like this: individual products(cereals, potatoes, meat, fish, etc.), are cooked separately, then mixed with each other with cottage cheese and yogurt, infused for a day at a low temperature and only then served. Once upon a time putra was the number one dish for Latvian peasants, but today this dish has been forgotten. A typical Latvian lunch is a meat or fish cutlet or chop served with potatoes, vegetable salad and, less often, pickled or pickled vegetables.

The dessert table of Latvians is also unoriginal - almost all desserts and drinks are borrowed from Germans or Russians.

However, if worldwide famous dishes, desserts or soft drinks Latvians cannot boast, then one unique alcoholic beverage they invented after all. The famous Riga balsam, invented in the eighteenth century, is produced only in Latvia. Today it is an element of many popular alcoholic cocktails.

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