Latvian Taste of Home Abroad
Living in different parts of the world, Latvians pay greater attention to preparing traditional foods, as these are not always readily available in shops, cafés or restaurants in their countries of residence.
Every Latvian living abroad has their own taste of home and their own understanding of what constitutes “Latvian cuisine.” Yet these diverse experiences are united by the connection between food, family and a sense of belonging to Latvia.
Latvian dishes prepared around the world are based both on family recipes, brought from Latvia and passed down through generations, and on creative adaptations in the new country, using local ingredients. In autumn, many Latvians make their own pickled cucumbers and fermented cabbage, preserving familiar Latvian flavours. The methods vary: cabbage tampers are made by hand, while the cabbage is fermented in glass jars, ceramic crocks and plastic barrels. As places of residence and available resources change, so do the methods, but the familiar taste of home remains.countries of residence
Jānis Liepiņš made this cabbage tamper for his wife, Elza, at their home in Port Credit, Canada, in the 1960s. The Liepiņš family had a large vegetable garden with berry bushes and fruit trees. Whatever they did not eat fresh, they preserved for the winter. Every autumn, the Liepiņš family shredded, tamped and fermented large quantities of cabbage.
