Food, eating habits and cusine of Latvia

The Latvian cuisine has its influences from the German, Russian, and Swedish cuisine. The country’s cuisine is characterized by cheap and homegrown ingredients like peas, beans and potatoes, and cheap cuts of pork like bacon. They also use a few spices in cooking dishes (or none at all). This is because spices are imported from other countries and are expensive. Moreover, most Latvian dishes are high in calories as they need much energy for their everyday work.

Potatoes, beans, and peas are the food staples in Latvia. Most dishes are made of these ingredients and served with other Latvian delicacies. Rasols (potato salad) and karto flianki (small balls of mashed potato with sour cream) are some of the most popular dishes made of potatoes. The poppy butter is used as an additive for home cooked pea porridge and pea balls which are made of crushed poppy seeds in milk and water.

Some regions in Latvia have their own delicacies. Sutnes is a dish of steamed grains with milk and is a popular dish in Vidzeme. The Skaba Putra (sour cream soup), made of cooked barley and buttermilk which are fermented, is popular food in Zemgale and Kurzeme.

There are certain dishes that are only cooked in special seasons and occasions. During Christmas, Latvians always have smoked pig’s half head (or snout only) in their tables stuffed with peas, beans and sausages. Zidenis, a porridge made of pearl barley and tail/ear of a pig, is eaten during spring time especially in April.