How to Cook Latvian Cuisine
Found on the coast of the Baltic Sea, Latvia is a small European country known for its rich traditions and beautiful natural habitats. Traditional Latvian cuisine was high-calorie food with farm-raised ingredients and little reliance on spices, though the cooking has been increasingly influenced by Polish, Russian and German cultures. Latvian staples include locally produced items like dairy products, potatoes, peas, cabbage, meat, berries and nuts.
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Instructions
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Think meat and potatoes, covered in sauce. Typical Latvian menus include daily servings of baked or boiled potatoes and meat dishes like cured ham or beef. Boiled beans and peas are also staples, and meals are often dressed up with sour cream-based sauces.
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Stock your cupboard with common Latvian spices, including onion, parsley, celery root, dill, scallions and garlic, before you begin to cook.
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Visit the Virtual World of Latvia online to read about Latvian cooking customs (see Resources below). The insightful website provides information about ancient traditions and eating customs, as well as explanations of customary holiday menus and dining etiquette. You can also find a list of traditional Latvian food and drink recipes.
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Purchase "A Taste of Latvia" by Siri Lise Doub or "From Zaiga's Kitchen: Marvelous Latvian Recipes for Soups, Salads, Main Dishes and Desserts" by Zaiga Zatermane from Amazon.com (see Resources below). "A Taste of Latvia" even includes photos and regional information to contextualize the featured recipes.
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Cook a batch of traditional Latvian "piragis." A piragi is a traditional roll filled with bacon and onion and glazed with a beaten egg. Try them out on your family and friends by visiting Epicurean.com for a recipe that yields over 5 dozen piragi rolls (see Resources below).
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Finish off your meal with Aleksandre torte, a traditional Latvian dessert. Pastries are a popular form of cuisine in Latvia, and this raspberry-filled pastry recipe can be found at the Chef2Chef Culinary portal (see Resources below).
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Review the Latvian Food Glossary at CookbookWiki.com (see Resources below). This inclusive guide contains a list of common Latvian ingredients and the names you'll find them under at local markets.
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Tips & Warnings
Latvia produces dozens of varieties of beer that are considered among the best in the world. Add a malted beverage for an authentic touch when you cook Latvian-style cuisine.
