What to Eat in Latvia

Latvia sits on the Baltic Sea, with dense forests, peat bogs, rivers, and small farms shaping what cooks can source year‑round. A cool maritime climate with long winters favors root vegetables, grains, and preserved foods over delicate produce. Smoking, pickling, and fermenting are everyday tools alongside baking and boiling.

Meals remain grounded in rye bread, dairy such as kefīrs and quark, pork, and Baltic or freshwater fish, joined by mushrooms and berries from the woods. Families prize hearty midday soups and porridge in cold months, and lighter dishes during short summers. Seasonal traditions like Jāņi, the Midsummer festival, reinforce communal cooking and specific festive foods.

Pelēkie zirņi ar speķi pairs heritage grey peas with cured pork belly and onions, turning pantry staples into a warming meal. The peas are soaked overnight and simmered until tender, while speķis is rendered to crisp lardons before onions are gently sautéed in the fat; everything is folded together and seasoned with black pepper, sometimes finished with a spoon of sour cream and chopped dill. The result is a nutty, earthy base balanced by smoky pork and sweet onions, with creamy peas contrasting crisp edges of bacon.

Culturally, this is one of Latvia’s most emblematic winter dishes and a customary presence on holiday tables. The heritage pea “Latvijas Lielie pelēkie zirņi” holds EU Protected Geographical Indication status, underscoring its local identity and cultivation history. You will find it in home kitchens across Riga and Daugavpils during colder months, and it also appears at communal events where hot, sustaining foods are favored.

Beyond celebrations, grey peas are valued as an economical, protein‑rich staple suited to the climate and historical reliance on legumes. Served with pickled cucumbers or sauerkraut, the dish carries the tangy accents Latvians prize alongside fatty meats. It is typically eaten at lunch or supper when a single bowl needs to satisfy hunger and withstand the season’s chill.

Pīrāgi are crescent‑shaped yeast buns filled with diced speķis and sautéed onions, and sometimes mushrooms or peas in regional variations. The dough is enriched with warm milk, butter, and egg, then kneaded, left to rise, rolled thin, and folded around the filling before being pinched, glazed with egg, and baked until deeply golden. Their aroma combines sweet bread with savory pork, while the texture balances a soft crumb and a lightly crisped shell that yields to a juicy, peppery center.

These buns are inseparable from gatherings, especially Jāņi, when families bake trays to share around bonfires with caraway‑seed cheese. Pīrāgi are also common on name days and at birthdays, where offering a plate signifies hospitality and abundance. The hand‑made shaping is part of the tradition, with households passing down preferred sizes, crimping patterns, and filling ratios.

Eaten warm as a snack or alongside broth, pīrāgi travel well and therefore appear at markets and on holiday tables from Riga to Daugavpils. Many Latvians also freeze them unbaked for quick, freshly baked treats when guests arrive. Their staying power reflects practical cooking in a cool climate and a taste for smoked pork that runs through the cuisine.

Sklandrausis is an open‑faced tart with a rye dough crust and two layered fillings: a lightly salted mashed‑potato base and a sweetened carrot purée on top. The rye dough, sometimes enriched with a touch of fat, is rolled thin, formed into small rounds with pinched edges, then filled, brushed with egg, and baked until the rim is crisp and the orange surface sets; some cooks add cinnamon or caraway to the carrot layer. The taste plays sweet against savory, with earthy rye and potato grounding the bright, honeyed carrots.

Originating among the Livonian communities of Kurzeme, sklandrausis is registered in the European Union as a Traditional Speciality Guaranteed, recognizing its method and ingredients. The tart’s small format made it practical for farm kitchens and fairs, where portable, nourishing foods were prized. Today it remains a cultural marker at regional events and food festivals along the coast and in towns such as Liepāja.

People eat sklandrausis as a snack or dessert, often accompanied by milk, tea, or kefīrs to balance the sweetness. It appears year‑round but especially when local carrots are at their peak. The characteristic orange top and rustic rye edge make it immediately recognizable on Latvian bakery counters and home tables alike.

Aukstā zupa is Latvia’s classic chilled soup built on tangy kefīrs and beets, with cucumbers, radishes, dill, chives, and hard‑boiled eggs providing crunch and richness. Cooks grate or dice cooked (or pickled) beets, chop the vegetables, then stir them into cold kefir seasoned with salt, pepper, and sometimes a spoon of mustard or a splash of pickle brine; it is refrigerated to let flavors develop. The soup pours fuchsia in the bowl, with a creamy, lightly sour base offset by crisp vegetables and the herbal lift of fresh dill.

This dish is synonymous with warm weather, when kitchens aim for cooling, no‑cook meals that still satisfy. It is a staple of home lunches and cafeteria menus, commonly served with a side of hot boiled potatoes to make it more filling without weighing it down. In seaside towns like Jūrmala and across Riga, it often appears as soon as local herbs and early cucumbers arrive.

Aukstā zupa reflects Latvia’s deep dairy culture and preference for clean, garden‑forward flavors during the brief summer. It adapts easily to what is on hand, from extra herbs to diced ham, yet remains recognizable by its kefir tang and beet sweetness. The soup’s simplicity and thrift fit the broader Baltic approach to seasonal eating.

Rupjmaizes kārtojums transforms dense, dark rye bread into a layered dessert with whipped cream and tart jam. Stale rupjmaize is dried, grated, and toasted in a pan with butter and sugar until fragrant and crisp; once cooled, it is alternated in a glass with lightly sweetened whipped cream (sometimes folded with tangy quark) and a layer of blackcurrant or lingonberry jam, with cinnamon often added. The bite mingles malty, caramelized crumbs with airy cream and sharp fruit, producing balanced sweetness rather than heaviness.

This trifle became a national favorite through 20th‑century home cooking, where nothing went to waste and rye bread was always at hand. It illustrates how Latvian kitchens extend the life of staples, turning yesterday’s loaf into something celebratory without exotic ingredients. Many families have a preferred jam—cranberry in winter, blackcurrant in late summer—anchored to what the garden or market provides.

Rupjmaizes kārtojums is served after Sunday lunches, at school events, and on festive tables from Riga to Liepāja. It keeps well chilled, making it practical for gatherings where desserts need to be prepared ahead. The dessert encapsulates the cuisine’s core: resourceful, grain‑centered, and vividly flavored with local berries.

Latvian cuisine stands out for rye breads, cultured dairy, smoked meats, and smart use of preservation that suits a cool Baltic climate. Seasonal produce, foraged mushrooms, and berries keep flavors fresh, while traditional dishes remain central to gatherings and daily meals. For more food insights and travel planning, explore Sunheron’s guides to match destinations and activities with the weather you prefer.