“Buberts” From Grandmother’s Wartime Refugee Cookbook (Andris Valdmanis)
Andris prepared buberts together with his four-year-old son Māris, using a recipe from his grandmother’s wartime-refugee cookbook, so there would be something tasty ready when little brother Lauris woke up from his nap. Before long, Lauris was awake, and both brothers eagerly prepared to enjoy the freshly made buberts.
Our House Smells Like Latvia (Līga Druka-Smalka)
Līga is from Latvia. Before moving to the United Kingdom, she lived in Aizkraukle, a town that is still her second home. Now she lives in Wales, in Cardiff, yet Latvia is always in her heart.
Pancake Breakfast in Boston (Gints Grinbergs un Armands Ramoliņš)
For about 30 years, the Latvian community in Boston has had a special Family Day tradition: making pancakes. However, this tradition has a small twist compared to usual—only the men make the pancakes! Listen to an interview with Gints and Armands, long-time Family Day pancake makers, about how this tradition began and how it continues today.
“Debesmanna” in Vanilla Sauce (Silvija Gurtiņš Mežgailis)
Silvija says that her mother and mother-in-law used to make debessmanna in the traditional way — first boiling the berries, then pressing them through a sieve to obtain a smooth mixture.
Whisk Until it is Fluffy and Airy (Maruta Bergs)
While living in Latvia, Maruta remembers how her mother and grandmother prepared a variety of sweet dishes during her childhood. After moving to America, she had to relearn everything from scratch! Watch the interview with Maruta Bergs, where she talks about how she prepares semolina mousse (debesmanna), fruit jelly (ķīselis), and pashka.
First Time’s for Rupjmaize
The ambassador of the “Taste of Home” Liene Brūns bakes her own rye bread for the first time. How will it turn out?
“Ķīselis” in Interview Excerpts from Latvians in Bashkortostan
”Ķīselis” in interview excerpts from Latvians in Bashkortostan. Interviews took place during a museum expedition in 2009.
In 20 Minutes and Without a Recipe – “The Truly Latvian Easter Paska Competition”
The ‘Truly Latvian Easter Paska Competition,’ led by Māra Gulēna and Elizabete Ludvika, was held at the Toronto Latvian Seniors Association (TLPA) gathering on April 17, 2025.
Latvian Sweet Soup in Brazil
In 2009, the museum went on an expedition to Brazil. During the expedition, a multicultural food market in the city of Americana was also visited, where local Brazilian Latvians had their own stand offering traditional Latvian dishes. One of the dishes available for purchase was “sweet soup.” The photo shows Erliņš Arājs with his sister Nansi.
Let’s Do It the Way We Do it in This Century, in This Era (Inese Grava-Gubiņa)
Fragments from an interview with Inese Grava-Gubiņa, July 13, 2025.