We treat food, especially bread, with great respect ― because we know it's not something that can be taken for granted. We have always made do with what we can grow ourselves. The traditional Latvian cuisine is shaped by the seasons. In the autumn we are at our most extravagant. Since our cellars are full then, it is a good time to celebrate weddings. Much to the horror of vegetarians, the gurus of Latvian cuisine have proclaimed meat the king of all food. We eat lots of potatoes and often call them "the other bread". Our cooks are practical but very generous. We tend to go for dishes that do not take much time to prepare.

Most traditional Latvian dishes are very hearty and nourishing, the joy of a nutritionist. Our nutritional pyramid is quite well balanced with little room for snacks: beans rich in protein, peas and all kinds of cereals, very simply cooked meat. Which would be fine, provided we did as much hard labour as the ancient peasants did; we don't. Young girls try all kinds of diets, yet even the most stubborn ones may prove powerless against the strict rules of their no-nonsense mothers: "You've got to eat proper food!" ― by which they mean rich cream sauces, potatoes, pan-fried meat and about a spoonful of tomato and cucumber salad. Dieticians acknowledge that contemporary Latvian cuisine has undergone changes since the olden days ― we don't normally eat brown peas anymore, except as a Yuletide meal. Even our feasts used to be influenced by the Sun. Bowls are round, cheeses are round, so are peas and eggs; we bake round pies to resemble the sun.

In the winter we eat more meat and root vegetables, in summer dairy products predominate: cheese, milk soups and porridges. In the autumn we butcher pigs. Our cooks don’t just use  the choice cuts; they know how to make delicious treats from anything. We drink beer, home-made wine and liqueurs made from berries picked in the summer.

In late summer our women get down to stock up for winter with considerable enthusiasm ― they make jam, fruit preserves and pickles. Home-made food always tastes much better. And every Latvian knows of a secret mushroom-picking place and a very special recipe for a mushroom dish.