ExploFood · Europe
What to eat in Latvia
Five dishes to try in Latvia, the most typical first. Three are vegetarian.
Five dishes to try in Latvia
Grey peas with speck Pelēkie zirņi ar speķi
Large grey peas stewed with fried bacon and onion.
How to have it: Traditionally eaten at Christmas; served year-round in Lido and other folk-style canteens.
Pīrāgi Speķrauši
Crescent-shaped yeast buns filled with chopped bacon and onion.
How to have it: Sold in every bakery and at Riga Central Market; good as a snack with kefir.
Rye bread Rupjmaize
Dark, dense rye bread with a slightly sweet and sour taste.
How to have it: Served with almost every meal; also try rupjmaizes kārtojums, a rye-bread dessert with cream.
Sklandrausis
Rye-crust tart filled with mashed potato and sweet carrot.
How to have it: A Latvian folk dish found at markets and festivals; eat it cold with milk or kefir.
Riga Black Balsam Rīgas Melnais balzams
Dark, bitter herbal liqueur sold in a black ceramic bottle.
How to have it: Try a shot or mix it with blackcurrant juice; the coffee version is common in Riga bars.
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Questions
What food is Latvia famous for?
Grey peas with speck (large grey peas stewed with fried bacon and onion) comes first on our list, followed by Pīrāgi, Rye bread, Sklandrausis and Riga Black Balsam.
What is the national dish of Latvia?
Ask ten people and you get several answers. The dish we put first for Latvia is Grey peas with speck: large grey peas stewed with fried bacon and onion. Traditionally eaten at Christmas; served year-round in Lido and other folk-style canteens.
Which dishes in Latvia are vegetarian?
Three of the five on this page are vegetarian as usually made: Rye bread, Sklandrausis and Riga Black Balsam. Recipes vary, so ask about stock, lard or fish sauce.
What do people drink in Latvia?
Riga Black Balsam: dark, bitter herbal liqueur sold in a black ceramic bottle.
How reliable is this list?
The dishes are hand-picked from general knowledge in the Explo app, where you can also tick off the ones you have tried. Recipes vary by region and by family, so take it as a starting point.
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Get ExploDishes are hand-picked from general knowledge in the Explo app, with links to Wikipedia. Recipes and names vary by region.