Latvian cuisine

Latvian cuisine originated from the peasant culture and is strongly based on crops that grow in Latvia's [[Latvia#Climate|maritime, temperate climate]]. Rye, wheat, buckwheat, oats, peas, beets, cabbage, pork products, and potatoes are the staples. Latvian cuisine offers plenty of varieties of bread and [[dairy product]]s, with dark rye bread (''[[rupjmaize]]'') considered to be a Latvian specialty. Meat features in most main dishes, but fish also is commonly consumed, especially in the coastal areas next to the Baltic Sea. Both hot- and cold-smoked varieties of meat and fish are common.

Latvian cuisine originated from the peasant culture and is strongly based on crops that grow in Latvia's [[Latvia#Climate|maritime, temperate climate]]. Rye, wheat, buckwheat, oats, peas, beets, cabbage, pork products, and potatoes are the staples. Latvian cuisine offers plenty of varieties of bread and [[dairy product]]s, with dark rye bread (''[[rupjmaize]]'') considered to be a Latvian specialty. Meat features in most main dishes, but fish also is commonly consumed, especially in the coastal areas next to the Baltic Sea. Both hot- and cold-smoked varieties of meat and fish are common.

Many common dishes in contemporary Latvia have their roots in Slavic, Germanic and Nordic cultures. Popular dishes adopted from [[Soviet cuisine]] include [[pelmeni]] (''pelmeņi'') with [[sour cream]], Ukrainian [[borsch]] (''borščs''), [[Beef Stroganoff|stroganoff]] (''stroganovs''), [[dressed herring]] (''siļķe kažokā''), [[shashlik]] (''šašliks''), [[Olivier salad|rasol]] (''rasols''), [[plov]] (''plovs''), [[kefir]] (''kefīrs''), [[kvass]] and [[solyanka]] (''soļanka''),{{cite book |title=From Peasant to Pleasant. The Cuisine of Latvia |year=2014 |url=http://www.latvia.eu/sites/default/files/media/files/brosura_latvian_cuisine.pdf |publisher=[[Latvian Institute]] |isbn=978-9-98-473651-8 |access-date=12 December 2017 |archive-date=8 May 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180508221817/http://latvia.eu/sites/default/files/media/files/brosura_latvian_cuisine.pdf |url-status=dead }} as well as dessert dishes such as [[medovik]] (''meduskūka'') and [[mille-feuille]] (''Napoleona kūka''). German influences can be seen in dishes such as caramelised [[sauerkraut]] (''štovēti kāposti'') and slammed pork patties (''karbonāde''). Meatballs, aka cutlets, (Latvian: ''kotlete'') and various meat pies - particularly speķa rauši a Latvian meat-filled variant of [[pierogi]] (''pīrāgi'') are also very popular.

Many common dishes in contemporary Latvia have their roots in Slavic, Germanic and Nordic cultures. Popular dishes adopted from [[Soviet cuisine]] include [[pelmeni]] (''pelmeņi'') with [[sour cream]], Ukrainian [[borsch]] (''borščs''), [[Beef Stroganoff|stroganoff]] (''stroganovs''), [[dressed herring]] (''siļķe kažokā''), [[shashlik]] (''šašliks''), [[Olivier salad|rasol]] (''rasols''), [[plov]] (''plovs''), [[kefir]] (''kefīrs''), [[kvass]] and [[solyanka]] (''soļanka''),{{cite book |title=From Peasant to Pleasant. The Cuisine of Latvia |year=2014 |url=http://www.latvia.eu/sites/default/files/media/files/brosura_latvian_cuisine.pdf |publisher=[[Latvian Institute]] |isbn=978-9-98-473651-8 |access-date=12 December 2017 |archive-date=8 May 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180508221817/http://latvia.eu/sites/default/files/media/files/brosura_latvian_cuisine.pdf |url-status=dead }} as well as dessert dishes such as [[medovik]] (''meduskūka'') and [[mille-feuille]] (''Napoleona kūka''). German influences can be seen in dishes such as caramelised [[sauerkraut]] (''štovēti kāposti'') and slammed pork patties (''karbonāde''). Meatballs, aka cutlets, (''kotlete'') and various meat pies aka [[pierogi]] (''pīrāgi'') - particularly, [[speķrauši]], the traditional Latvian meat-filled variant of it - are also very popular.

The most consumed alcoholic beverage is [[beer]],{{cite book |editor1=Vladimir Poznyak |editor2=Dag Rekve |year=2018 |title=Global status report on alcohol and health 2018 |url=https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/274603/9789241565639-eng.pdf#page=294 |publisher=[[World Health Organization]] |page=273 |isbn=978-92-4-156563-9}} with a flourishing craft beer scene.{{Cite web |last=Jāns |date=2018-05-24 |title=LATVIAN BEER (GUIDE) |url=https://rigatours.lv/latvian-beer/ |access-date=2024-03-31 |website=RigaTours.lv |language=en-US}} The national liquor is [[Riga Black Balsam]].{{Cite magazine |last=Spratte Joyce |first=Katy |date=13 May 2020 |url=https://chilledmagazine.com/the-global-sip-riga-black-balsam |title=Move over world-famous Italian bitters, Latvia's funky, herby liqueur has arrived |magazine=Chilled Magazine |access-date=30 November 2021}}

The most consumed alcoholic beverage is [[beer]],{{cite book |editor1=Vladimir Poznyak |editor2=Dag Rekve |year=2018 |title=Global status report on alcohol and health 2018 |url=https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/274603/9789241565639-eng.pdf#page=294 |publisher=[[World Health Organization]] |page=273 |isbn=978-92-4-156563-9}} with a flourishing craft beer scene.{{Cite web |last=Jāns |date=2018-05-24 |title=LATVIAN BEER (GUIDE) |url=https://rigatours.lv/latvian-beer/ |access-date=2024-03-31 |website=RigaTours.lv |language=en-US}} The national liquor is [[Riga Black Balsam]].{{Cite magazine |last=Spratte Joyce |first=Katy |date=13 May 2020 |url=https://chilledmagazine.com/the-global-sip-riga-black-balsam |title=Move over world-famous Italian bitters, Latvia's funky, herby liqueur has arrived |magazine=Chilled Magazine |access-date=30 November 2021}}