Latvian Chop-Chop and Drink: Traveler Guide

Why Latvian food dey surprise visitors

Latvian cooking na honest one, e dey follow season and e dey root for forest, Baltic Sea and long winter. Expect rye bread, dairy, pork, fish, berries and mushroom, dem dey serve am plenty most times. Riga get modern food scene wey dey grow fast, but the real heart of the food still dey villages.

Correct dishes wey you must try

• Grey peas with bacon (pelēkie zirņi ar speķi) — na the unofficial national dish: dem go boil grey peas with fried onion and pork fat, you go chop am with kefir.
• Skābputra — sour, fermented barley soup, very traditional and e be taste wey you go first learn to like.
• Rupjmaize — heavy, dark, small sweet rye bread, na e be the backbone of every meal.
• Sklandrausis — sweet carrot-and-potato pie from Kurzeme area, dem don protect am as traditional special dish.
• Smoked fish — for coast for Kurzeme, smokehouses dey sell flounder, cod and herring.

Street food and quick chop

• Pīrāgi — small crescent pastry wey get bacon and onion inside, dem dey sell am everywhere.
• Speķrauši — similar bacon roll, e sweet well well with hot drink.
• Rye bread dessert (rupjmaizes kārtojums) — layers of crumbled rye bread, cranberry jam and whipped cream, na sweet chop wey people love.

If you want cheap food wey get variety, go Riga Central Market for the old Zeppelin hangars, or the food court for Centrāltirgus near am.

Wetin to drink

• Riga Black Balsam (Rīgas Melnais balzams) — dark, bitter herbal liquor wey dey around 45 percent, e start since 18th century. Try am for coffee or with blackcurrant.
• Kvass (kvass) — low-alcohol fermented rye drink, e dey refresh body for summer.
• Local craft beer — Valmiermuiža and Labietis na popular Latvian breweries.
• Birch sap (bērzu sula) — dem dey tap am for spring, dem dey sell am fresh or fermented.

Practical eating tips and manner

• Main food for casual Riga restaurant dey cost around 9 to 15 euros; lunch deals dey cheaper.
• Tip around 10 percent, dem go appreciate am but e no be must.
• Latvians fit look reserved; if you carry quiet, polite manner e go fit well.
• Plenty cafes dey close early pass southern Europe, so no waka reach dinner too late.
• Tap water safe make you drink am.

Stay connected for Latvia

HelloSIM eSIM go keep you online for maps, menu translation and restaurant booking across Riga and the coast, no roaming charges, no need to dey find Wi-Fi.