A sweet dessert soup made from stale Latvian dark rye bread, water, dried fruit and cinnamon, topped with whipped cream; a unique Latvian use of rye scraps.
Where to eat it: 4 restaurants across 1 city.
Maizes zupa evolved as a Latvian peasant way to use stale rupjmaize that would otherwise go to waste. The bread is soaked, sweetened with honey or sugar, and cooked with dried apples, raisins and cinnamon into a thick, dark pudding-soup served as dessert. The dish is unusual internationally because it transforms a savoury staple into something sweet. Pētergailis and other traditional Latvian rooms serve it as a dessert course; LIDO stocks it on the buffet line.
Common allergens: Gluten, Dairy
Tip from the editors. The soup thickens as it sits. If it sets too firm in the fridge, loosen with a splash of water before serving.
Pētergailis has worked the Old Town corner between St. John's and St. Peter's churches since 1978, cooking traditional Latvian dishes with mostly Latvian.
Signature: Pelēkie zirņi (grey peas), Roasted Latvian pork, Karbonāde
Order: The grey peas with bacon, the kitchen's anchor dish since opening.
Tip: Named for the golden rooster atop St. Peter's; the dining room is filled with a long-collected display of ceramic roosters and hens.
LIDO Atpūtas Centrs anchors Riga's budget Latvian eating, with hot-counter plates of karbonāde, grey peas and pīrāgi for under €15 in a wooden-castle complex.
Try: Latvian buffet plates
Tip: Pay by weight at the till; a full meal with a beer lands around €12 on a weekday.
LIDO Vērmanītis is the central Riga branch of the buffet chain, an easier sit than the Atpūtas Centrs flagship for a quick Latvian counter lunch.
Try: Latvian counter plates
Tip: Weekday lunch service is fastest; build a plate of karbonāde, grey peas and rye for around €10.
Milda on Grēcinieku in Old Town holds a Bib Gourmand for great-value traditional Latvian and Lithuanian cooking, named for the figure atop the Freedom.
Signature: Pelēkie zirņi ar speķi (grey peas with bacon), Pelmeni (Latvian meat dumplings), Cepelinai (Lithuanian potato dumplings)
Order: Grey peas with bacon and sour cream, the national dish, served generously.
Tip: Booked solid for Sunday lunch; weekday lunches are an easier sit. The wine list is short but well-chosen for Baltic food.
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