In Latvia, a celebration without cake is not really a celebration. Can you imagine Christmas without piparkukas, or Ligo without caraway cheese, or any party without sweets and snacks? These thoughts led us to wonder whether Latvians can be described as people loving to eat, especially sweets. Let us examine this hypothesis from a number of different angles.
- Historical perspective. Ancient Latvians made very simple sweets from available natural products: honey, apples and berries. As sugar became more available, more sweets began to appear. However, traditional delicacies (e.g. bread soup with whipped cream or sklandrausis) are still highly valued.
- Modern trends. The most popular sweets in Latvia today are still Cielaviņa cake, endless variations of honey cake, chocolate sausage, dessert made of Selga biscuits and sweet curd, and of course the ever-popular Napoleon cake. Interestingly, despite the influence of globalisation, Latvians are still more likely to choose traditional desserts, although many are switching to healthier alternatives (raw food cakes or sugar-free desserts) or international masterpieces (e.g. gourmet Pavlova or super high-calorie brownies).
- Survey results. The survey revealed that the most popular Latvian sweets include chocolate cakes from local confectioners, as well as the iconic sweet curd snacks. Many of the respondents admitted that they try to reduce their sugar intake by choosing less sugary desserts or using natural sweeteners. Well, at least everyone gets to choose what they want!
Can Latvians be described as sweet-toothed? We think so, but we’d like to stress that moderation is key. Traditional sweets are still part of our culture, but more and more people prefer healthier alternatives. No doubt that there will be even more new Latvian desserts to come!pējams, redzēsim vēl vairāk inovāciju latviešu desertu pasaulē. Šaubu nav!