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Development and Characteristic Features of Latvian National Kitchen
Ancient Latvian’s had four major holidays, which are associated with the positioning of the sun in the sky – the winter solstice, at Christmas, when the night is the longest, the spring and fall solstices when the day and the night are of equal lenght, and the summer solstice, or Jāņi (St. John’s Day), when the day is the longest. The winter and summer solstices bave always had been the major events. Each holiday has had its own typical foods. Esater eggs and St. John’s Day’s cheese are know to have been sybols of the sun. Eggs were cooked at the spring solstice (Easter) because that is a time when hens lay lots of eggs. Cheese was made at the summer solstice (St. John’s Day) because during the summer cowsprovide a lot of milk.
Christmas. We know that foods in ancient times were often of symbolic importance. The snout of a pig, for example, may well have symbolized the plough which farmers used to till their earth. Pig’s snout was cooked together with a barley sub – product called ķūķi, and it was thought to bring people wealth and good fortune. Ķūķi were made in massive mortar and crushed with pestles theat were made especially for this purpose. The grain was thus separated from the chaff. Ķūķi were usually cooked shortly before the winter solstice on an evening which came to be known, logically, as ķūķi night. Other typical Christmas food included peas, beans and blood sausage with pearl barley, because its rounded bend is reminiscent of a circle, symbolising the solar year. According to Latvian tradition you should eat nine meals at Christmas for the coming year to be rich.…
Latvia is situated on the Baltic Sea. It has always had well developed fishing and agricultural industries, and the nutrion which Latvia’s residents receive has always been based primarily on livestock breeding, fishing and farming. Latvian’s have always loved rye bread, sourdought bread and wheat bread. They have used rough – ground wheat or rye flour, barley grouts and peeled barley to produce porridge. Popular food is grey peas with bacon. Fine – ground flour is used for various pan beads involving cottage cheese, apples and crumbs.Various kinds of pancakes have been baked. Everyone knows the bacon – stuffed roll that is called the pīrāgs. Latvian’s also whip and wide variety of other baked goods – cookies, cakes and tortes. The assortment of tortes in particular is is very wide. Meat dishes come from pork, weather fresh, salted or smoked, and beef. Lamb and fowl are less common. Fish dishes come from fish what are found on Latvia’s stores, such as pilchard, cod, plaice, and herring, as well as fish caught far away – mackerel, for example. Fresh - water fish in Latvia’s waters includes carp, eel, pike, lamprey and bream. Latvians have always liked cold food, including snacks that are made from meats or fishes. Mustard and horseradish are an unfailing addition to these „cold tables”. Soup is often on the table in the Latvian home. Sour cream is commonly added to Latvian soups. Latvians are big potato eaters, but they also like beets, cabbage and carrots. Potatos – boiled, baked or mashed – are in every food item on the Latvian menu. The diet of Latvia’s inhabitant is characterized by a high intake of milk and dairy products: curdled milk, kefir, buttermilk, cream, cottage cheese and cheese. Many Latvian’s prepare cheese at home. Each ethnic region has different cheese recipes.
