the cuisine of_latvia

OFLATVIA

THECUISINE

Latvia is located in a temperateclimatic zone with fairly long andcold winters and warm, shortsummers. Due to the harshclimate and relatively poor soilquality Latvians have alwaysworked hard to provide food forthemselves and their families.Food has thus always beenassigned great value by Latvians.

Bread has a specialplace in the Latvianconsciousness,and respect for it is

encouragedfrom earlychildhood.OF

LATVIA

THECUISINE

Although Latvian cuisine hastraditionally been based onagricultural produce, meat alsofeatures prominently in the Latviandiet. People living along the 500 kmof Latvian coastline have alwaysbeen involved in fishing, and fishhas been an integral part of theirdiet. Fish are also caught inland,but these freshwater species areconsidered more of a delicacy,in the same way as crayfish are.

FOOD PREPARATIONWomen were the cooks in traditionalLatvian homes and responsible forfeeding the household three times a day.Longer days in summer meant thatpeople worked for longer, and thus atefour meals a day. At first, food was pre-pared in clay potswhich were placedin the fire or onthe open hearth.Over time, caul-drons hung abovethe hearth andbread ovens forbaking leavenedbread becamepopular.Latvian foods arecharacteristicallybland, without ause of strongspices, and have areasonably highfat content. As aresult of the terri-tory of Latviabeing ruled by the German aristocracy forseven centuries, Latvian peasants learnedto use new ingredients and to preparefood in different ways. For example, oneof the most popular Latvian foodstoday – sautéed sauerkraut – is a tradi-tion inherited from the Germans.

ANCIENT COOKINGTRADITIONSIf we look back over 1000 years, then welearn that the Baltic and Finno-Ugrictribes inhabiting the territory of Latviasubsisted mainly from grains – rye,wheat, barley, oats, millet and hemp.

Porridges, patties and leavened breadwere made from these grains. People alsoate peas, beans, turnips, black radishes,linseed and its oil, wild carrots and garlic.Stock farming developed alongside agri-culture, and the Latvian diet thus alsoconsisted of fowl, beef, horse meat and

pork. Of course, game meat – beaver,deer, wild boar, duck, goose – and over25 different species of fish were alsoeaten. As there are no sources of salt inLatvia, it was obtained through trade orbarter and was used sparingly. Food wasalso made more flavoursome through the

use of caraway seeds, onions, garlic andwhite mustard. It is probable that if wetasted these ancient foods today, theywould seem to us to lack salt and otherspices. The only sweetener used washoney, but the most popular dessertswere probably wild berries and hazelnuts.

Crushinggrain usinga rubbingstone.

Bakingrye bread onhot stones.

THE CUISINE OF LATVIA

home such as rye bread, cottage cheese,rügußpiens (curdled milk), and sometimesalso fried meat or patties. After lunch,people would usually have a nap beforebeginning work again. On returninghome in the afternoon, soup or porridgewas eaten with a drink of rügußpiens. On

Sundays the diet consisted of stewedmeat, white bread, pîrågi (bacon rolls),pancakes, sweetened cottage cheese orberry jelly with milk.

COOKING100 YEARS AGOMore detailed information about thetraditional Latvian diet stems from the19th century. At this time a plant fromNorth America was spreading quickly –the potato. Thanks to potato farming,

Latvian peasants no longer had foodshortages in winter and spring, whenstores of grain had been depleted. It isbelieved that the most common meal forLatvian coastal fishing families in the19th century was boiled potatoes withcottage cheese and herring or pilchards.

Today potatoes, prepared in differentways, are still a very popular componentof the Latvian diet.In autumn, the cellar of each farm wasused to store dried sausages and pork,and barrels of salted cabbage, cucumbers,mushrooms, meat and herring. These

were used as ingredients for mealsthroughout winter.In summer, when there was a lot of out-door work to be done further away fromhome, people would eat a moderatebreakfast, for example, milk porridge.Lunch consisted of food brought from


Churningbutter in1926.

Removingbread fromthe oven in1927.

THE HARVEST FESTIVALIn autumn, when the harvest had beenbrought in and food was abundant, farmswould usually celebrate the harvest festi-val. Because of this, weddings wereusually held in autumn. After the harvest,a piglet or ram was often slaughtered anda feast was organised. The new season’ssauerkraut was eaten and bread wasbaked from the newly harvested grains.Bread baked from the flour made from thefirst harvest was assigned particularpowers. When eating this bread, a wishwas made, which would be fulfilled.Whenever a domestic animal was slaugh-tered, the meat which could not be eatenstraight away was salted and dried, ormade into sausages. Blood and pearlbarley were used to make special bloodsausage, and brawn was made by boilingmeat off-cuts.Pîrågi (bacon rolls) filled with diced fattybacon and onion are still baked today foralmost all Latvian celebrations. Varioussweet platter breads are also baked,which are topped with rhubarb, apples,berries in summer and sweetened cottagecheese or dried apples in autumn.

FOOD AT TRADITIONAL LATVIAN CELEBRATIONSThe most typical ancient foods eaten by Latvians are still found today at traditionalLatvian celebrations. These celebrations are related to annual seasonal events, and tothe rhythm of farming in the northern hemisphere, which is dependent on the solaryear. This is why Latvian food and drink at traditional celebrations are those which arethe most convenient to prepare at any given time of year. Food and drink were alsotraditionally assigned mythological significance, although few Latvians would be able totalk about this significance today.

LATVIANEATING CUSTOMSSimilar eating customs were widelyspread in rural areas up until World WarII. After the War, more and more countrydwellers came to live in cities, andLatvians began to structure their eatingschedules around work, as is the case inmany other industrialised countries.Today people often no longer preparemeals at home. However, many ancienteating customs are still practiced today,and ancient foods are still eaten byLatvians daily and on special occasions.Latvians have always been great fans ofdairy products. Milk, rügußpiens, cottagecheese, cream, cheese and butter used tobe eaten in every house almost at everymeal, and this tradition has continued.Latvians have always been able to findmany delicious edible foods in the wild:

foods that do not need to be cultivated,only gathered. Since long ago people inLatvia pick berries in the summer time –wild strawberries, bilberries, raspberries,loganberries – and cranberries, mush-rooms and nuts in the autumn. ManyLatvians like to eat honey, and bee-keep-ing traditions have developed over thecenturies. Today Latvian farms often havetheir own bee hives, and honey produc-tion is the business of many farms. Inturn, among coastal dwelling families,smoking fish at home is still popular, andin many areas people eat smoked eel-pout, flounder, eel, lamprey and cod.


Jan‚ i celebrationsin the 1920s.

CHRISTMAS DINNERSpecial foods were eaten at the wintersolstice, a celebration to mark the daysbecoming longer. Many of these foods canstill be found on contemporary LatvianChristmas tables. A popular dish used to bea boiled pigs head with boiled pearl barley,although today the most popular traditionalChristmas dish is boiled grey peas withpieces of fried meat and fatty bacon, usual-ly eaten accompanied by a drink of rüguß-

piens or kefîrs (curdled or cultured milk).This dish can be found in many restaurantsand cafés in Latvia all year around. All of thepeas boiled at Christmas must be eaten bythe morning, otherwise there will be a lottears shed in the new year. Another specialChristmas food is the once-popular bloodsausage with pearl barley, because itsrounded bend is reminiscent of a circle,symbolising the solar year. In western Latviaa traditional Christmas snack is sklanduraußi (tarts filled with a mashed potato andcarrot). In the last 100 years it has alsobecome popular to bake gingerbread at

EASTER EGGSAt the time of the spring solstice, orEaster, food stores would usually havebeen running low, so eggs were saved forsome time before Easter. Boiled eggs,coloured with brown onion skins and dec-orated with scratched designs have beenthe main Easter food for many centuries.Many families still boil and eat their ownhome coloured eggs at Easter. Anotheronce popular Easter food – sproutedgrain – today no longer appears on thetable as a festive delicacy, but is used asdécor instead.

CELEBRATINGTHE SUMMERSOLSTICEToday the most popular celebration inLatvia is Jåñi or the summer solstice. Thismarks the shortest night of the year,when throughout Latvia special Jåñi folk

songs are sung, floral wreaths are made,and countless bonfires burn until themorning. The main Jåñi foods are freshcaraway cheese and beer, which is foundon every Jåñi festive table. Usually thetable will also be laden with pîrågi, sweetplatter breads, various meats and manyother modern foods, which suit contem-porary Latvian celebrations.Because it is an outdoor celebration, anincreasing list of modern picnic foods arebeing eaten at Jåñi, for example, friedsausages, barbecued meat and varioussalads.

Christmas, another tradition inherited fromthe Germans. Today one of the most popu-lar Christmas meals is roast pork withsautéed sauerkraut. A modern festive tablealso often includes carp, and fish scales areplaced in pockets and purses, so that thenew year brings a lot of money. Accordingto Latvian tradition you should eat ninemeals at Christmas for the coming year tobe rich, although today this ritual is per-formed only rarely.


THE CONTEMPORARYLATVIAN MENUOn an average day Latvians usually eat amoderate breakfast before going to work.People drink a morning coffee or tea andeat sandwiches with cheese, sausage,tomatoes or cucumber.

For many Latvians the day is not imagin-able without a drink of milk, which isusually drunk at breakfast. A boiled eggor omelette is also a popular breakfastdish for many.Lunch in Latvia is eaten between middayand three: this is dependent on what timethe day has begun. People usually eat ahot lunch, which consists of a type offried meat (pork chops, rissoles, sautéedfillet, steak, chicken) or fish (salmon,trout, cod, pilchard), potatoes (boiled,fried, or mashed), boiled rice or buck-wheat, and a fresh salad. Sour cream is

AT THE LATVIANWEDDING TABLEAnother Latvian celebration that shouldbe mentioned are weddings, which sinceancient times have been associated withan abundance of food. Also today food isa large component of a Latvian wedding.

It is hard to imagine a Latvian weddingwithout the ancient festive dishes –pîrågi, sweet platter breads and beer.There are also usually at least five typesof salad on the table, various meat-basedsnacks and a lot of fruit. It is traditionalto eat ground meat pîrågi together withbroth or meatball soup as a first course atweddings. This is followed by the main

course, which at a Latvian wedding andbirthdays can be sautéed pork ribs, porkchops, schnitzel, roast, steak, rolled vealor rissoles with boiled potatoes andsautéed sauerkraut. These are served witha sauce made from a milk or cream base.Dessert is usually made of berries or amilk jelly with a sweet sauce. Aftermidnight the guests are offered the “NewWife’s Torte”, which is served withcoffee.

If you find yourself at a large Latvianparty, then assume that you will have todo a lot of eating, drinking and singing. Inmany homes you will have the opportu-nity to drink herbal tea (made from arange of herbs, not just peppermint orcamomile), which will possibly have beengathered by your hosts during thesummer.

A scenefrom the filmLatvian Weddingin Nıca(Latvießukåzas Nîcå),produced in1931 byA.Rustei˚isandK.Linde.


DRINKSMany Latvians drink innumerable cups oftea or coffee during the day, usually with-out milk. Fruit juices or spring water arealso drunk. Spring water has now becomeso popular that it can be found in almostevery office. In the last ten years more

and more families do not purchase springwater from the shop, but rather collectwater for the whole week from naturalsprings instead. Two of the most populartraditional Latvian drinks today arerügußpiens (curdled milk with no otheradditives) and kefîrs (cultured milk).Other popular traditional drinks includekvass (a non-alcoholic drink made fromyeast), fresh or fermented birch juice andbeer.Beer is a traditional Latvian beverage – itis impossible to imagine ancient or con-temporary Latvian celebrations without it.

usually eaten as an accompaniment, or asauce using cream as a base. Some peoplealso eat soup as an entrée, which in Latviais usually made with pork (or can also bemade with a fish stock), adding onionsand carrots. Meat soups may also containpotatoes, beets, sauerkraut, beans, peas,sorrel or fresh nettles. Many different kindof desserts are eaten. These usually aremade of dairy products and fruit, withgelatine or potato starch added.

At lunch time Latvians drink fruit juices,kefîrs (cultured milk), milk, tea or coffee.On arriving home from work, a secondlunch, or supper, is made. This is eatenaround six or seven in the evening. Atthis time there is a large diversity in theLatvian home – supper can consist of

soup, various salads, or can be a hot meal(similar to lunch), or a more traditionalfood, for example, a milk-based soup.However, many people who do not wishto spend a lot of time preparing food afterwork buy ready-made or frozen foods, oreat a number of sandwiches or bunstogether with a cup of tea. Latvians alsoenjoy eating pastries and other bakeryproducts, and pizza has also become apopular and easy meal to prepare.

On traditionalseasonal holidays

special food isoften served in

restaurants.Would you like

to taste aMartin‚ i roast

goose?


Beer is the most commonly mentioneddrink in Latvian folklore, and has innume-rable folksongs dedicated to it. In Latviabeer was traditionally brewed from barleyand hops. Honey was also often addedduring the brewing process, and theproduct was then called medalus (honey

beer). Juniper berries or wormwood werealso added to give the beer flavour. Todaythere are many types of beer which areproducts of breweries throughout Latvia.The most popular are Aldaris, Césu,Piebalgas, Térvetes, UΩavas, Bauskas andLåçpléßa beers. Beer is the most popularalcoholic beverage drunk when friends

meet in a tavern in the evening, celebratea wedding or the summer solstice.Another special strong alcoholicbeverage made in Latvia is Rîga BlackBalsam, first made in the 18th centuryand based on an ancient recipe used byRigan pharmacists. The ingredients in-clude various herbs, and because of thisthe liqueur is dark, has a thick con-sistency, is fragrant and is consideredmedicinal.

BELIEFS ASSOCIATEDWITH EATINGThere are many beliefs and customs asso-ciated with food and eating in Latvia. Oneof the most important features of Latvian“eating etiquette” is to offer food to oth-ers around you if you yourself are eating.Latvians are enthusiastic bread eaters,

and in many homes, when cutting thefirst slice from a loaf of bread, the end iscalled a ‘farmer’s son’. Young womencompete to eat this slice, so that theymay marry a ‘farmer’s son’ – someonewho has their own home and farm.Another belief is that a loaf of breadshould be sliced from the fatter end, inorder for the eldest daughter to be thefirst to marry.Today people still hold a number ofbeliefs about salt. Each Latvian knowsthat if a food has too much salt added,the cook is in love. If salt is spilled on thetable or on the floor, then there will be aquarrel in the house.Sitting down to a meal is a serious busi-ness, which requires people to be calmand act with decorum, to demonstraterespect for the food and for those whohave worked to put it on the table – theploughman and the cook. The place ofhonour is at the head of the table, wherethe head of the house usually sits. Thosewho sit at the corner of the table shouldbe afraid of being cursed – that they willnot be married for seven years. Andeveryone knows that if a spoon or fork fallto the ground, a female visitor will arrive,whereas if a knife falls, the visitor will bea male.You are welcome at our table and wewish you

LABU APETÈTI !

A peasantbrewing beerin 1928.

The taste ofRîga BlackBalsamwill take youback to the18thcentury.


TYPICALLATVIAN FOOD

AND DRINKRECIPES

Choose meat from a young, relativelyfatty piglet (knuckles and a piece of sideor shoulder). Chop knuckles in half, cutup the side or shoulder. Wash all of themeat. Place in a saucepan and add cold

PORKIN ASPIC


COLD APPETISERS

1kg (2lb., 3oz) pork,50g (1.75oz) flavouring vegetables

(onion, carrot, parsley,celery),pepper, bay leaves, salt.

water to cover meat. Cover saucepan andbring to the boil, skimming off any foam.Add peeled flavouring vegetables and salt,then simmer on low heat with thesaucepan partly covered. Add pepper andbay leaves towards the end of cooking.Remove from flame when meat separateseasily from the knuckles.Remove meat from broth, separate frombone and cut into cubes. Strain broth, let

it settle, and skim fat from the top. Rinsebowls in cold water. If you wish for theaspic to have a garlic flavour, add a cloveof minced garlic to each bowl. Arrangeboiled carrot and parsley in the bowls.Add meat and pour over broth. Place in acool room to set. Before serving, upturnthe pork in aspic on a shallow dish. Servewith vinegar, mustard and horseradish.Veal in aspic is prepared in the same way.

Soak herring and peel off skin. Slice filletinto angled pieces. Dice vegetables andarrange to cover a fish plate in a slightmound. Arrange the pieces of herring ontop of the mound with the points comingtogether in the centre. Mix sour cream,horseradish, salt and sugar and pourdiagonally over the herring. Spreadchopped spring onions. Cut hollow coneshapes from a boiled carrot to decoratethe centre or one side of the dish.

“HERRINGIN A JACKET”


COLD APPETISERS

1 salted herring,150g (5.25oz) boiled vegetables

(carrot, beetroot,green peas),

100g (3.5oz) sour cream,10 g (0.35oz) horseradish,

salt, sugar to taste,spring onions.

HERRINGWITH

VEGETABLES

Heat milk, stirring occasionally, until thetemperature reaches 90-950C (194-2030F). Grind or process cottage cheeseand add to milk. If the cottage cheese issweet, mix with rügußpiens (curdled milk)for the whey to separate more easily.Continue to heat at 85-900C (185-1940F)for 10-15 minutes. When a clear wheyseparates, remove from heat, and allowcheese to sit. Pour off liquid. Place cheeseinto a dampened linen cloth. Holdingcorners of the cloth together, roll cheeseback and forth to allow any extra liquid toseparate out before the cheese coolsdown. Put cheese in a bowl. Mix sourcream with eggs, salt and caraway seedsand gradually add to cheese, mixing witha wooden spoon. Add the mixture to asaucepan with melted butter, and stircontinuously over a low flame for 10-15minutes, until cheese is smooth andshiny, and has a temperature of 75-800C(167-1760F). (The lower the temperatureand shorter the heating time, the softerand more crumbly the cheese will be. Ahigher temperature and a longer heating

1kg (2lb., 3oz) skim milk dry cottagecheese,

5l milk,100g (3.5oz) sour cream,

2 eggs,100g (3.5oz) butter,

salt, caraway seeds.

JÅˆICHEESE


COLD APPETISERS

SUMMER SOLSTICE

time will make the cheese harder). Placecheese in a dampened linen cloth. Gathercorners of the cloth together and tie,smooth out any folds, and place under aweight in the refrigerator. When cheeseis cool, remove from cloth, place on ashallow dish and slice.

Jåñi cheese is served with butter or honeyor as a snack with beer. If you wish tostore the cheese for a longer period, rubwith salt, wrap in paper or plastic wrapand store in a cool, dry place. The cheesecan also be spread with butter and bakedin a hot oven until brown.

Soak pearl barley for 6-8 hours in coldwater. Dice pork. Put pork and grits in asaucepan, add water to cover and cookuntil the meat is almost tender. Chopsorrel, onions and carrots and sauté in but-ter. Add sautéed vegetables, parsley andsalt to the saucepan, and continue cookinguntil meat is tender. Before serving, sprin-kle with chopped dill or parsley and addsour cream. You may substitute 200g (7oz)of diced potato instead of pearl barley. Boilpotatoes with the meat. Steam sorrel sep-arately and add it to the soup when themeat and potatoes are tender. Decoratewith a boiled egg.

SORRELSOUP

NOTE: the dark green sorrel leaf resem-bles spinach in look and taste. However,sorrel has a lovely tart flavour that can’tbe replaced in this recipe. 250g (8.75oz) pork,

800g (28oz) water,300g (10.5oz) sorrel,

30g (1.05oz) carrot,20g (0.7oz) onion,

10g (0.35oz) parsley,20g (0.7oz) fat,20g (0.7oz) pearl barley,

1-2 eggs,salt, sour cream,dill and parsley.


SOUPS

GREYPEAS

WITHBACON

Soak peas, then cover with hot water andboil until tender. Dice bacon and onionand sauté. Serve drained peas in individ-ual clay bowls, adding fried bacon mix-ture to each serving. Serve with a drink ofrügußpiens (curdled milk). Beans withfresh bacon are also prepared in this way.

200g (7oz) grey peas,60g (2.1oz) smoked or unsmoked

streaky bacon,40g (1.4oz) onion,

salt.


HOT FOODS

SAUTÉEDSAUERKRAUT

Melt butter in a large saucepan. Choponion and sauté it in butter until lightbrown. Chop sauerkraut into smallerpieces and add to the saucepan. If youwant the sautéed sauerkraut to be light incolour, cover sautéing onions withboiling water, cover the saucepan imme-diately and cook over a low flame. If youwant the sauerkraut to be darker, sauté

onions in an uncovered pan, adding wateronly after some time. Cook sauerkraut for2-3 hours. In the last 20 minutes, addgrated carrots. When sauerkraut is ten-der, add salt and sugar to taste. (If thesauerkraut is not as dark as you wouldlike, add caramelised sugar to the pan).Serve with roast pork, chops and otherfatty meat dishes.

400g (14oz) sauerkraut,water,

50g (1.75oz) carrot,30g (1.05oz) onion,50g (1.75oz) butter,

salt, sugar.


HOT FOODS

BAKEDPORKRIBS

Make a series of 6-7 cm long cuts diago-nally across ribs or cut membrane acrosseach of the ribs, so that meat can be eas-ily divided after roasting. Rub with saltand pepper and bake for 1 hour as youwould a pork roast. If meat is fatty,remove skin and layer of fat. After baking,divide into portions (two ribs to eachserve), place in a serving bowl, pour overthe pan juices and serve with boiledpotatoes an sautéed sauerkraut.

FOR 10 PEOPLE

1,5-2kg (3.2-4.3lb.) pork(the side, with ribs),

50g (1.75oz) onion,50g (1.75oz) carrot,

25g (0.875oz) parsley,salt, ground pepper.


HOT FOODS

WITHSAUTEED SAUERKRAUTAND BOILED POTATOES

FISHCOOKEDIN

MILK

Cut fish into pieces, cut onion into rings,coarsely grate carrot, chop parsley. Layerfish pieces with vegetables in a saucepan,sprinkling each layer with vegetable oil,salt and pepper. Pour over hot milk, addbay leaf and simmer over low heat for 10-15 minutes. Add sour cream at the end ofcooking.Serve fish with the cooking liquid andboiled potatoes. Sprinkle with choppedherbs before serving.

500g (17.5oz) fish (mackerel, perch,pilchards, etc.),

140g (4.9oz) flavouring vegetables(onion, parsley, carrot),

260g (9.1oz) milk,2 tablespoons vegetable oil,2 tablespoons sour cream,

chopped parsley or dill,salt, pepper, bay leaves.

WITHBOILED

POTATOES


HOT FOODS

WHIPPEDCRANBERRY DESSERT

WITH MILK

Rinse cranberries. Crush and squeeze outjuice. Place cranberry solids in a sauce-pan, cover with water, boil for five min-utes and strain. Add sugar. Gradually addsemolina, stirring constantly. Heat untilsemolina thickens, then add cranberry

juice. Pour mixture into a bowl and coolrapidly. Whip mixture until it becomeslight and airy and has doubled or tripledin volume. Serve in deep dessert disheswith cold milk.

75g (2.65oz) cranberries(or other berries),

200g (7oz) water,50g (1.75oz) sugar,30g (1.05oz) semolina.


DESSERTS

DEBESSMANNA

LAYEREDRYE BREADDESSERT

Finely grate rye bread, add half of thesugar and fry in melted butter on the pan,stirring frequently. Allow mixture to cool.Beat cream with remaining sugar andvanilla essence. Layer rye bread, jam andwhipped cream in serving dishes, sprinklerye bread on top and decorate withwhipped cream. Serve with a drink of milk.

VERSION 1:

75g (2.625oz) dry rye bread,50g (1.75oz) loganberry jam,

20g (0.7oz) sugar,60g (2.1oz) cream,

cinnamon,vanilla essence.

Finely grate rye bread, mix with cinnamonand half of the sugar. Beat cream, addingsugar and vanilla essence gradually, untilmixture forms stiff peaks. On a shallowdish arrange layers of bread, jam andwhipped cream, finishing with a layer ofbread which is decorated with whippedcream. Serve with a drink of milk.

VERSION 2:

80-100g (2.8-3.5oz) dry rye bread,20g (0.7oz) sugar,

15g (5.25oz) butter,50g (1.75oz) loganberry jam,

60g (2.1oz) cream,vanilla essence.


DESSERTS

RYEBREAD

NOTE: This recipe is intended for bakingbread in a traditional wood-fired breadoven. However, you can also bake thebread in an electric or gas oven using abaking tray.


BREADS ANDPASTRIES

Before baking, sift flour and leave at roomtemperature. When baking bread for thefirst time, you must make the starter.Add sifted flour to buttermilk (both mustbe room temperature), stir in 50g sugar,cover and allow to ferment in a warmplace for 8-12 hours. Then add 500-700gflour to near boiling water and beat thor-oughly to form a porridge of mediumthickness (to make the mixture thicker,you can gradually add more flour). Addthe starter, beat, cover and leave to fer-ment in a warm place for 8-9 hours oruntil the mixture sours.When the starter is ready, make the leav-en. Mix one third of flour intended forbaking with hot water and beat with a

wooden spatula until the mixtureis smooth. Cool to 35-400C,then add starter and contin-ue to beat until the mixtureis smooth again. Sprinkle

over thick layer of flour,cover and put ina warm placeto rise for 10-

12 hours.When the leaven has a pleas-

ant sour taste and has increased involume, begin to knead, slowly adding allof the flour, until it has all been kneadedin and the dough is elastic and does notstick to your fingers or the container. Thedough must be firm, because as it rises itwill become softer. Smooth dough, coverand put in a warm place to rise, until ithas increased in volume by one third orhalf of its original volume. Let it rise for

TO BAKE APPROXIMATELY10 LOAVES OF BREAD:

10kg coarse rye flour,~ 5-7l water,

pinch of salt,caraway seeds to taste.

FOR THE STARTER:

250g (8.75oz) coarse rye flour,250g (8.75oz) buttemilk,

50g (1.75oz) sugar.


BREADS ANDPASTRIES

NOTE: The amount of ingredients can bereduced as long as the parts ratio ismaintained.

1-1.5 hours, the time will depend on thesourness of the dough and the season.After baking the bread the abrkasis (asmall piece of left over dough which ismade hard by kneading in extra flour) isleft for a week in a cool place. Next timethis will become the starter. To assist itsfermentation, dissolve in warm waterbefore use.The oven is lit when the dough begins torise. To check if the oven is too hot,throw in a handful of flour. If the flourimmediately burns to a black colour,then the oven must be cooled. The ovenis the right temperature for baking whenthe flour becomes brown in 5-6 seconds.Each loaf is made to have a weight of 2-4 kg. Sprinkle flour on the bread-shovel,then with wet hands take enough doughfor one loaf, place on the bread-shoveland form it into a loaf shape. Smooth thetop with wet hands, and score 2-3 linesinto the sides, so that the loaf does notcrack. There must be no less than a palmwidth space between each loaf whenbaking.Bake bread for 1-2 hours, the length oftime is determined by the size of theloaves. You can tell if the loaf is ready bylistening to the sound when knocking onthe underside of the loaf. After removingloaves from the oven, wet the tops withwater, cover with a linen cloth and allowto cool.

SKLANDURAUÍI

400-500g (15.75-17.5oz) coarse ryeor wheat flour,

200g (7oz) water,50g (1.75oz) lard or margarine,10g (0.35oz) sugar, salt,

1 egg.

POTATO FILLING:

250g (8.75oz) potato,25g (0.875oz) milk,15g (0.525oz) butter,

salt.


BREADS ANDPASTRIES

VEGETABLE TARTS

Sift flour onto a pastry board, rubthrough lard or margarine. Heat water to20-25 °C (68-77°F), add sugar and salt(10-15g (0.35-0.525oz) of yeast can alsobe added), and knead into a stiff doughthat can be easily rolled. Roll dough intoa sheet of 2-3mm thickness, cut outround shapes 10-15cm (4-4.8 inches) indiameter. Fold up edges of each round toa height of 1-1.5cm (0.4-0.6 inches),and place on a greased baking tray.Fill each case with potato fillingand then carrot filling. Brushwith beaten egg and bake in amoderate oven for 10-15minutes, until the top hasbrowned and pastry is dry andcrusty.Potato filling: Boil peeled pota-toes in salted water, drain,mash through a sieve. Add boiledmilk and butter and mix well.

Carrot filling: Boil unpeeled carrots,then peel, mash through a sieve. Add

salt, sugar, sour cream and flour and mixwell.Sklandu raußi can be baked with only thepotato or only the carrot filling.Alternatively, add grated fresh carrot,salt, sugar, eggs, sour cream and flour tomashed potato and mix well.

CARROT FILLING:

350-400g (12.25 -14oz) carrot,50 g (1.75oz) sugar, salt,25g (0.875oz) sour cream,

2 eggs,15g (0.525oz) flour.

Sift flour. This removes any impurities andaerates to assist the growth of the yeastfungus. Mix yeast with warm water andflour and put in a warm place to rise for15-20 minutes. Dissolve salt and sugar inwater or milk which has been heated to30-350C (85-950F), add beaten eggs,yeast, sifted flour (leave approximately 5-6% of flour for kneading and shaping) andstir to form an even dough. Add meltedbutter and knead, until the dough springsback from your hands and edges of thebowl. Pat down the dough, sprinkle withflour. Cover the bowl with a lid or cleancloth and put in a warm place to rise.After 1 hour the dough will have nearlydoubled in size. Punch down dough torelease carbon dioxide, which hindersgrowth of the yeast fungus, and continueto rise for 1 hour. Best results will beachieved if the temperature of the doughis 25-30 °C.The dough is ready when its volume hasincreased by 2–2.5 times, and if whenpressing the dough, the impression slow-ly fills out, and if the dough has a pleas-ant smell and taste. If the dough is left torise for too long, its consistency becomesthinner, and it tastes and smells slightlyfermented. The bread often collapseswhile baking, or can taste sour. Doughthat has over-risen can be corrected byadding a little liquid and flour and re-kneading.

100g (3.5oz) yeast,150g (5.25oz) water or milk,25g (0.875oz) flour,

1-2 eggs.

YEASTDOUGH


BREADS ANDPASTRIES

FOR PÈRÅGIBACON ROLLS

AND SWEETBREADS

FILLING:

350g (12.25oz) smoked streaky bacon,50g (1.75oz) onion,

ground pepper.

Prepare dough without a starter (seeabove). After dough has risen, divide into30-35g (1.05 – 1.225oz) pieces, roll intoround balls and leave on a pastry board for10-15 minutes to rise. Press each pieceflat, place bacon filling in the centre, presstogether edges of dough above or at theside of filling. Roll with both hands toeven out filling; make the shape long withslender ends and bend into a half-moon.Place on a greased baking tray, leave torise, brush with beaten egg and bake in ahot oven. Brush with melted butter onceremoved from the oven.

BACON ROLLSPÈRÅGI

450-500g (17.5oz) flour,250g (8.75oz) milk or water,25g (0.875oz) yeast,75g (2.625oz) margarine,25g (0.875oz) sugar,

5g (0.175oz) salt,1 egg.

Bacon filling:Cut rind off bacon.Dice bacon and onionand sauté (sauté only for ashort period, so that fat does not run off),add pepper and mix well.


BREADS ANDPASTRIES

Prepare dough without a starter (seeabove). Roll risen dough into a sheet 1 –1.5cm (0.4 – 0.6 inches) thick. Place on agreased baking tray, smooth and allow torise. Peel apples and slice. Arrange slices inneat rows on dough. Brush with meltedbutter. Mix cinnamon and sugar and sprin-kle over apples. Bake in a moderate oven

until crust has browned and apples aresoft. When cool, sprinkle over icing sugarand slice into square or rectangular pieces.Dried apples may be substituted for freshapples, in this case the apples must besoaked before use. The dough may also bespread with a thin layer of sour cream andsugar before adding apples.

DOUGH:

450-500g (15.75-17.5oz) flour,250g (8.75oz) milk,25g (0.875oz) yeast,

100g (3.5oz) butter or margarine,100g (3.5oz) sugar,

2 eggs,5g (0.175oz) salt,

cardamom.

APPLESLICE

TOPPING:

800g (28oz) apples,50g (1.75oz) sugar,

2g (0.07oz) ground cinnamon,50g (1.75oz) butter,

icing sugar.


BREADS ANDPASTRIES

VITAMINTEA

1 tablespoon drogas3 parts dried nettle leaves

(Urtica dioica L.),3 parts dried carrot,3 parts dried rosehips,1 part dried blackcurrants,

300g (10.5oz) water.

Add drogas to coldwater, boil for 10minutes, allow to

steep for 2-4hours in a well

sealed container ina cool place. Strain.

Drink 1 glass 2-3times per day.

LINDEN BLOSSOMTEA

3g (0.105oz) dried linden blossoms(Tilia cordata Mill.),

15g (0.525oz) sugar or honey,250g (8.75oz) water.

CARAWAY SEEDTEA

5g (0.175oz) caraway seeds(Carum carvi L.),

15g (0.525oz) sugar,250g (8.75oz) water.

Add caraway seeds to boiling water. Boilgently for five minutes, allow to steep for10-15 minutes. Caraway seed tea can beserved with milk or cream.

HERBALTEAS

Pour cold water overlinden blossoms.Bring to the boil,steep for 10-15 min-utes. Strain.Sweeten with sugar orhoney.


BEVERAGES

For further information please contactthe Latvian Embassy or consulate in your country or the Latvian Institute:

Latvijas institüts, Ka¬˚u iela 7, Rîga, LV 1050, Latvia.Phone: (+371) 6750-3663, Fax: (+371) 6750-3669

E-mail: [email protected] ; http://www.li.lv ; http://www.latvia.lv

The Latvian Institute promotes knowledge about Latvia abroad.It produces publications in several languages on many aspects of Latvia.

This publication is based on recipes from personal archives, Latvian Bakers Association,and from “Latvießu nacionålie édieni” by ˆ. Masi¬üne and A.Pasopa, Avots, 1986, Rîga.

Thanks to M.Briede, I.Brinkmane and E.Gråvîtis for consultations.Food in photographs prepared by Daina Lapiña.

π The Latvian Institute, 2004π Text and concept: Ieva Pîgozne-Brinkmane π Layout: Uldis Sosnovskis

English translation: Marianna Maija Auliciema Chief editor: Raimonds Cerüzis Editor: Ieva Pîgozne-BrinkmanePhoto credits: Ancient Environment Workshop, K.Kalns (Diena), A.Korsaka, P.Korsaks, Latvijas Balzams, A.Liepiñß (Diena),

R.Puriñß (Diena), A.Tone, I.Znotiñß (Diena).Historic photos: P.Korsaks personal archive,

Latvian Museum of History: No.28485 by M.Pluka, No.11085 by A.Punka, No.8593 and No.5379 by J.Students.

ISBN 9984-736-27-X

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