Soups are a universal dish, known across the world and in all cultures, and they hold a special place in Latvian cuisine as well. Following the rhythm of the seasons, Latvians include soups in their daily meals throughout the year — warming up in winter with hearty beet or sauerkraut soup, and cooling off in summer with cold soup or a light milk and vegetable soup made with the season’s first carrots, peas, and potatoes.