The World | Europe | Latvia

Latvian cuisine is influenced by German, Scandinavian, and Slavic cuisine, as well as that of Latvia’s neighboring Baltic states, Estonia and Lithuania. Latvia’s climate is well suited to dairy farming and meat production, and to crops such as rye, oats, barley, potatoes, and sugar beets. Cream and butter are used in many dishes and pork fat is often used for flavoring. Dark rye breads are popular, and they are often sweetened with honey and malt. Fishing is of prime importance in Latvia, and fish, especially herring, is eaten fresh, dried, or smoked. Generally, Latvian cuisine is not highly seasoned, but caraway seeds, poppy seeds, dill, parsley, and bay leaves add a distinct flavor to Latvian dishes. Mushrooms are important to Latvian cooking, and wild mushrooms are collected in season and hung and dried to be used to flavor dishes year round—and to make a Latvian specialty: pickled mushrooms.