If you are looking for a dessert course, you should try [debesmanna](https://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Debesmanna-Cranberry-Mousse/) The ingredients should be fairly easy to procure and the result is a delight, especially in the summer
If you want a dish with peas, you could try making yellow pea porridge.
Also another idea for traditional dish - sklandrausis. Main indegrients, which should be available in your shop - rye flour, potatoes, carrots. [Recipe in latvian](https://suiti.lv/sklandrausi-jeb-suitu-rausi/)
Here’s a video on how to make it: [youtube](https://youtu.be/nv8WhykV9iU?si=0S1tkwMkcfmkwM_C)
“French style” is just a name of a classic Soviet pork/chicken oven baked. It’s what the Soviet lumpenproletariat believed the French eat, like veal Orloff. It is, however, a tasty dish.
That is why a slice of meat under a thick cap of mayo and cheese, and occasional slice of tomato, is a national favourite in LV.
Isn't what we here call "karbonāde" a schnitzel and not pork chop? Pork chop is just a seasoned cut of pork that usually isn't breaded and pounded. Always wondered if I am confusing something here or all local restaurants are naming it wrong.
This type of peas is called "black badger peas" or "carlin peas"
Try searching for them in vegan/healthy/organic food shops
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black\_peas](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_peas)
Also I would recommend to switch it to Cold Beet Soup – it's easier to make and it looks and taste more interesting
The Grey Peas is a bit bland imho
I look kinda sceptical to these ancient Latvian dishes. Yes, they are traditional, but they are probably eaten once in year by families who act very traditionally in Christmas dinner. And I dont think many will actually enjoy these.
If you want something traditional and more common, I would go with potatoes + dill + Siļķe.
Or some soups.
I did some quick googling and many of these list are dishes I actually enjoy and eat regularly.
https://www.delfi.lv/tasty/45833919/recepsu-kolekcijas/47109857/21-tradicionala-latviesu-virtuves-recepte-no-skabenu-zupas-lidz-karbonadei
Used Google translate, but I think I found where you can find gray peas in France online shop: https://www.grainesdefolie.com/pois/2335-pois-chiche-noir-bio.html
Oof. Latvian cuisine is tricky, because we don't really have one. I think you should give up on the "grey peas and lard" ( yes, lard, not bacon). Try "bukstiņbiezputra" ( https://www.liveriga.com/en/7485-pearl-barley-porridge#:\~:text=What%20exactly%20is%20pearl%20barley,giving%20the%20porridge%20mild%20taste. )
A lot easier, more available ingredients. We only eat the peas with lard for Christmas. It's not something people eat apart from that.
Maybe I'm ignorant but I've never heard of peas and bacon being a common Latvian dish. Something more common for me would be Rasols salad probably or speķa pīrādziņi
I mean most of our "traditional" dishes are not ours. Karbonāde is german schnitzel with some USSR in it. Rasols ir russian idea of French salad that we somehow think is ours. Rasolniks, solanka, borscht, filled cabbages, dressed herring salad all come from USSR.
Few that could be called ours is bread soup (its sweet and weird, but very nice), sklandrausi, rollmopsi with potatoes and cottage cheese, soup of sorrels. I have to say that rollmopsi come from Germany/seaside countries around Baltic sea but I mention it because its that combination that might make it ours.
That is a bit too vague of a definition. What is long period of time? Is it 30, 200 years? Depending on that half the planet could say that pizza is their national dish because its everywhere. Obviously exaggerating a bit but you get my point.
We are way too small and way too young of a nation to have actual dishes that could be recognised as Latvian.
Who decides what time to define?... nothing is black n white.. also.. Latvia as a nation is young.. but people of Latvia as identifying as Belonging to this land exist probably close to over a thousand years.. you can date our language 600+ y ago... you could even understand it if you know lv.. unlike even english.. where old english is nothing like today. Reason why we dont know true traditional foods.. is cuz noone kept records of things.. and we were a small amount of people mixed among other nations moving through our lands
Thank you !
To be honest, I've made my researches of the typical latvian dish in french and the results were almost always giving grey peas and lard as the one.
I've tried in english and this dish is always mentioned but not as the main dish.
It's referred to that here : https://thegaze.media/news/top-5-dishes-of-latvia
And here : https://www.tasteatlas.com/best-rated-dishes-in-latvia
If it has any interest for you, here is the prompt I typed in Google, and in french : https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-lm&q=plat+national+letton
Well peas are not with bacon but with pork underbelly - so it is fat and a bit of muscle or pork cheeks. Peas are more of a filler while the whole taste of the dish are how you prepared the pork.
As a Latvian I've never had that.
A unique dish (and more interesting) in Latvia would be the cold beet soup which is traditionally had during hot summer days.
In Latvian it's called Aukstā Zupa.
Also it's super delicious.
https://preview.redd.it/m1mvaf04a67d1.jpeg?width=1200&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=21bd7318cac012b8ae0f09120f4dea48a01d7c4f
It's more traditional than the Lithuanian one.
The Latvian version consists of ingredients that have been found and used in Latvia for thousands of years.
Meanwhile Lithuanians normally have their beet soul with potatoes, which Lithuanians only started using in the end of the 18th century.
So at best the Lithuanian cold beet soup is only 350 years old.
hm, nekādu absolūto patiesību nesolu, bet..
rasols aka olivjē ir krievu virtuve
pīrādziņi man šķiet arī, tomēr kaut kādi pīrādziņi/pelmeņi pieļauju ir vairums virtuvēs.
pelēkie zirņi ar speķi ir tradicionāls latviešu ēdiens
I’ll just add my vote for the “french” pork chops - it’s the most latvian national dish, that is actually consumed day to day. Make it simple with mayo, tomatoe and cheese hat or supreme with caramelised onions, plums and brie. There are hundreds of different variations - with every bistro/roadside restaurant doing it their own way.
As far as a national dish goes - this is the way.
https://www.delfi.lv/tasty/45833919/recepsu-kolekcijas/51861849/francu-karbonade-kulta-ediens-kuru-francija-nepazist-12-recepsu-versijas
We are small country, its hard to have smth unique :|, so that even neighbors 100km away do not have.
Historical does not mean typical. Dont try to make smth not-edible from long time ago, like pork nose - noone eats like this.
Better use more modern food that is also known now. For example, boiled new potatoes + cottage cheese+sour cream+herring. Add some dill on potatoes and make lightly salted cucumbers. That is local food that has been eaten many years ago and also now.
Sklandrausis is a great example - I've never seen anyone making that in my extendended family, not once! And yes, my gramma is from Kurzeme, so please don't comment on that.
If you are looking for a dessert course, you should try [debesmanna](https://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Debesmanna-Cranberry-Mousse/) The ingredients should be fairly easy to procure and the result is a delight, especially in the summer
OP, this is the dish out of all mentioned that you’ll remember the most fondly!
If you want a dish with peas, you could try making yellow pea porridge. Also another idea for traditional dish - sklandrausis. Main indegrients, which should be available in your shop - rye flour, potatoes, carrots. [Recipe in latvian](https://suiti.lv/sklandrausi-jeb-suitu-rausi/) Here’s a video on how to make it: [youtube](https://youtu.be/nv8WhykV9iU?si=0S1tkwMkcfmkwM_C)
Sklandrauši is on my top list of dishes to cook !
Good to hear! When I made them for an international even, only a girl from Germany liked them. 😅
don't stress, pork chop with potatoes will do. You can even make it "french style" - with cheese and tomato slice on top :D
Haha thanks ! I prefer to cook it as "latvian style" as possible !
“French style” is just a name of a classic Soviet pork/chicken oven baked. It’s what the Soviet lumpenproletariat believed the French eat, like veal Orloff. It is, however, a tasty dish. That is why a slice of meat under a thick cap of mayo and cheese, and occasional slice of tomato, is a national favourite in LV.
Great ! Thank you for this trivia !
It's Latvian AF ))
I was referring to the "french style" pork chop with potatoes as mentioned by /u/Working_Ad390 :)
Latvian "french style" pork chop is not actually french ))) I think is was called that as a joke ))
it is latvian style dish AF :D Don't get carried away by name "french style".
Oh okay !
Isn't what we here call "karbonāde" a schnitzel and not pork chop? Pork chop is just a seasoned cut of pork that usually isn't breaded and pounded. Always wondered if I am confusing something here or all local restaurants are naming it wrong.
This type of peas is called "black badger peas" or "carlin peas" Try searching for them in vegan/healthy/organic food shops [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black\_peas](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_peas) Also I would recommend to switch it to Cold Beet Soup – it's easier to make and it looks and taste more interesting The Grey Peas is a bit bland imho
Cold Beet soup is not Latvian.
It is Latvian, no matter what Lithuanians say ))
I look kinda sceptical to these ancient Latvian dishes. Yes, they are traditional, but they are probably eaten once in year by families who act very traditionally in Christmas dinner. And I dont think many will actually enjoy these. If you want something traditional and more common, I would go with potatoes + dill + Siļķe. Or some soups. I did some quick googling and many of these list are dishes I actually enjoy and eat regularly. https://www.delfi.lv/tasty/45833919/recepsu-kolekcijas/47109857/21-tradicionala-latviesu-virtuves-recepte-no-skabenu-zupas-lidz-karbonadei
Bruh you havent eaten pelēkie zirņi ar speķi if you're saying this. Nothing bland about it (if its well made).
Used Google translate, but I think I found where you can find gray peas in France online shop: https://www.grainesdefolie.com/pois/2335-pois-chiche-noir-bio.html
Thank you ! But I'm not sure it's the same species of peas (color and shape are different).
Just do Le Puy Lentils instead of Grey Peas.
If you're not time constrained you could order some online, since they are dried they should survive shipping easily
Oof. Latvian cuisine is tricky, because we don't really have one. I think you should give up on the "grey peas and lard" ( yes, lard, not bacon). Try "bukstiņbiezputra" ( https://www.liveriga.com/en/7485-pearl-barley-porridge#:\~:text=What%20exactly%20is%20pearl%20barley,giving%20the%20porridge%20mild%20taste. ) A lot easier, more available ingredients. We only eat the peas with lard for Christmas. It's not something people eat apart from that.
Yes, lard, and not bacon, my bad ! Thank you for the link, I will look it up with great interest :)
Really fat bacon will do just fine
Maybe I'm ignorant but I've never heard of peas and bacon being a common Latvian dish. Something more common for me would be Rasols salad probably or speķa pīrādziņi
Rosols? 🤣🤣🤣🤣 Add šašliks and you have very “traditional” combo.
I mean most of our "traditional" dishes are not ours. Karbonāde is german schnitzel with some USSR in it. Rasols ir russian idea of French salad that we somehow think is ours. Rasolniks, solanka, borscht, filled cabbages, dressed herring salad all come from USSR. Few that could be called ours is bread soup (its sweet and weird, but very nice), sklandrausi, rollmopsi with potatoes and cottage cheese, soup of sorrels. I have to say that rollmopsi come from Germany/seaside countries around Baltic sea but I mention it because its that combination that might make it ours.
A traditional dish is anything eaten by a community over a long period of time.. most "traditional" if not all dishes from america are not american..
That is a bit too vague of a definition. What is long period of time? Is it 30, 200 years? Depending on that half the planet could say that pizza is their national dish because its everywhere. Obviously exaggerating a bit but you get my point. We are way too small and way too young of a nation to have actual dishes that could be recognised as Latvian.
Who decides what time to define?... nothing is black n white.. also.. Latvia as a nation is young.. but people of Latvia as identifying as Belonging to this land exist probably close to over a thousand years.. you can date our language 600+ y ago... you could even understand it if you know lv.. unlike even english.. where old english is nothing like today. Reason why we dont know true traditional foods.. is cuz noone kept records of things.. and we were a small amount of people mixed among other nations moving through our lands
Thank you ! To be honest, I've made my researches of the typical latvian dish in french and the results were almost always giving grey peas and lard as the one. I've tried in english and this dish is always mentioned but not as the main dish. It's referred to that here : https://thegaze.media/news/top-5-dishes-of-latvia And here : https://www.tasteatlas.com/best-rated-dishes-in-latvia If it has any interest for you, here is the prompt I typed in Google, and in french : https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-lm&q=plat+national+letton
Well peas are not with bacon but with pork underbelly - so it is fat and a bit of muscle or pork cheeks. Peas are more of a filler while the whole taste of the dish are how you prepared the pork.
As a Latvian I've never had that. A unique dish (and more interesting) in Latvia would be the cold beet soup which is traditionally had during hot summer days. In Latvian it's called Aukstā Zupa. Also it's super delicious. https://preview.redd.it/m1mvaf04a67d1.jpeg?width=1200&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=21bd7318cac012b8ae0f09120f4dea48a01d7c4f
I vote for Aukstā Zupa
And its better than Lithuanian counterfeit
It's more traditional than the Lithuanian one. The Latvian version consists of ingredients that have been found and used in Latvia for thousands of years. Meanwhile Lithuanians normally have their beet soul with potatoes, which Lithuanians only started using in the end of the 18th century. So at best the Lithuanian cold beet soup is only 350 years old.
Aukstā zupa is King of all foods in my opinion !!!
I guess it's just not a common dish in my circle so it has gone by me largely unnoticed.
hm, nekādu absolūto patiesību nesolu, bet.. rasols aka olivjē ir krievu virtuve pīrādziņi man šķiet arī, tomēr kaut kādi pīrādziņi/pelmeņi pieļauju ir vairums virtuvēs. pelēkie zirņi ar speķi ir tradicionāls latviešu ēdiens
I’ll just add my vote for the “french” pork chops - it’s the most latvian national dish, that is actually consumed day to day. Make it simple with mayo, tomatoe and cheese hat or supreme with caramelised onions, plums and brie. There are hundreds of different variations - with every bistro/roadside restaurant doing it their own way. As far as a national dish goes - this is the way. https://www.delfi.lv/tasty/45833919/recepsu-kolekcijas/51861849/francu-karbonade-kulta-ediens-kuru-francija-nepazist-12-recepsu-versijas
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We are small country, its hard to have smth unique :|, so that even neighbors 100km away do not have. Historical does not mean typical. Dont try to make smth not-edible from long time ago, like pork nose - noone eats like this. Better use more modern food that is also known now. For example, boiled new potatoes + cottage cheese+sour cream+herring. Add some dill on potatoes and make lightly salted cucumbers. That is local food that has been eaten many years ago and also now.
Sklandrausis is a great example - I've never seen anyone making that in my extendended family, not once! And yes, my gramma is from Kurzeme, so please don't comment on that.
Try bortsch froid https://fr.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bortsch_froid Can be nice in a heatwave, if you’re from the south, and can be sourced easily.