RECIPES AND STORIES OF LATVIAN FOOD AROUND THE WORLD

What remains of Latvian identity when even the language disappears? How to make Midsummer cheese if there is no cottage cheese? What flavors are associated with home for different generations of Latvians outside Latvia?

The museum “Latvieši Pasaulē” has published a collection of recipes and stories about Latvian dishes outside Latvia. It is a richly illustrated publication based on the museum’s study “The Taste of Home”.

The book’s 12 chapters are dedicated to popular Latvian dishes. Each chapter intertwines memoirs, interview quotes, and items from the museum’s collection. The book includes 25 proven recipes that provide a glimpse into the cuisines of Latvians living abroad: from beetroot rasola in Australia and beef pies in Brazil to Thai-style meatball soup in America. The book was created with the active participation of diaspora Latvian families and communities. The museum created it as a summary of research on Latvian culinary heritage and its role in maintaining ethnic identity outside Latvia. The publication reflects the experience of Latvian emigrants and their descendants around the world: starting from the peasant colonies in Russia in the second half of the 19th century, continuing with the journeys of World War II refugees and life in exile during the years of Soviet occupation, up to the modern diaspora in Europe, North America, South America, Australia and elsewhere.

A book for both those who like to cook and anyone who wants to get to know the Latvian experience in the world.