FOOD WORKSHOPS AND PROGRAMMES IN GAUJA NATIONAL PARK

„CĒSU MAIZE” (Bakery „Cēsu Maize”)

Rīgas iela 18, Cēsis, LV-4101, Latvia

cesu.maize@gmail.com, www.cesumaize.lv

LATVIAN FLAVOURS THAT YOU NEED TO TRY OUT ON YOUR NEXT TRIP

• RUPJMAIZE (dark rye bread) has always been a staple of Lat- vian diet. For an added drop of sweetness, apple juice is often used in the recipe for Latvian dark rye bread. It is also used to make Rupjmaizes kārtojums (Layered rye bread), a traditional Latvian dessert made from rye breadcrumbs, blackcurrant or lingonberry jam, and whipped cream. Latvians make also a bev- erage, called kvass, from fermented dark rye bread.
• JĀŅU SIERS (Jāņi cheese or Līgo cheese) is a Latvian sour milk cheese with cumin, traditionally eaten when the Latvian celebra- tion the Summer Solstice. Nowadays the cheese has become one of the symbols of Latvian culture.
• SPEĶA PĪRĀGI (Bacon buns) are Latvian oblong or cres- cent-shaped baked bread rolls or pastries filled with finely chopped fatty bacon cubes and onions. Smaller bacon buns are often prized for their daintiness and are considered the work of a skilled cook.
• PELĒKIE ZIRŅI (grey peas) is a popular Latvian cuisine snack made from large grey peas. It is a traditional Christmas dish in Latvia.
• AUKSTĀ ZUPA (summer cold soup) is a sweet cold soup made from beets and kefir (hence the vibrant pink colour). To add some richness to the dish, dill and spring onions are also found in auktsa zupa.
• LATVIAN STEW is a braised pork with dried apricots and brunes. It is s a simple, comforting combination of tender, slow cooked pork shoulder, carrots, onions, apricots, and prunes that’s warm and flavorful and even better the next day.
• LOCAL FISHES from local fishermen: flounders, pike, sturgeon. If you look at Latvia’s long coastline, it shouldn’t come as a surprise to you that Latvians like eating fish and also offer it to the quests.
• BIEZPIENMAIZE (Latvian cheesecake) is a baked cheesecake, where yeast dough is for the base and cottage cheese for the topping. Usually it would contain sultanas and would be served cut in rectangles.
• STRAWBERRIES WITH MILK (and also other berries like blueber- ries, raspberries) is a simple dessert that you just have to try.
• MEDUS KŪKA (Honey cake) is a multi-layered cake with honey as its main ingredient. It also has a creamy filling made from sour-cream between the layers. It is a sweet and delicious treat that goes very well served with an afternoon tea.
• BEER from local breweries - excellent taste.
• APPLE CIDER (and also made from other fruits and berries).
• At the end of the day try RIGA BLACK BALSAM (Melnais Balzāms), a liqueur which comes in several flavours, the most popular of which being blackcurrant and cherry.