“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.

Leontīne Kadenceva (née Līsmane, 1930) in Bakaldīna, 15.08.2009. Interviewed by Rita Grāvere, Ieva Vītola.

I cooked “ķīselis” one day, too! You put in berries. Alycha plums and gooseberries, and sugar and starch.
And then, when you don’t make it with starch, then you add store-bought starch.
Oh, tasty, tasty! Now that’s Latvian food — “ķīselis”!

Viktors Kārkliņš (b. 1958) in Maksim Gorky village (formerly Arhlatvieši) 14.08.2009. Interviewed by Rita Grāvere, Ieva Vītola, Toms Ķikuts, Ilze Zībarte–Ķikute.

“Ķīselis” was at all celebrations — with fruit, thick like that.

Anna Ivanovna Gusarova (née Veisa, 1957) in Maksim Gorky village (formerly Arhlatvieši) 14.08.2009.
Interviewed by Rita Grāvere, Ieva Vītola, Toms Ķikuts, Ilze Zībarte–Ķikute.

Well, for us, I don’t know how it is in Latvia, but at all our celebrations, whether it be christenings or funerals, what’s served on the table — “ķīselis” is served! (“Ķīselis”?) Yes, “ķīselis” with raisins and yellow plums. It has always been at celebrations.

Elvīra Rācene (née Luts, 1926) in Pobeda village (formerly Livānija) 18.08.2009. Interviewed by Rita Grāvere, Toms Ķikuts, Ieva Vītola.

In earlier times the deceased was sung over; for the burial breakfast Latvians serve little sandwiches, cold meat, coffee. Then afterwards, when they come home from the cemetery — they serve soup, “ķīselis”, bread, pīrāgi, a short soup — stewed meat in sauce.

Elvīra Braznauska (b. 1921) in Maksim Gorky village (formerly Arhlatvieši) 19.08.2009. Interviewed by Rita Grāvere, Toms Ķikuts, Ilze Zībarte–Ķikute.

(What had to be put on the table at Christmas?)
They prepared cold meat, baked pīrāgi. They cooked “ķīselis” — we had apple trees, we had apples — they cooked “ķīselis”. They baked apple pīrāgi.