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Riga (Latvia)
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Snack
Vegetarian
Food Flavour DNA
Nutritional Values
450kcal
22gProtein
4gCarbs
38gFat
—Fibre
350 gServing
* Per serving · 350 g. May vary.
Allergens
🥛 Dairy
Jāņu Siers
How to order / say it
Say it
Jāņu siers — [YAH-nu SYEHRS]
Order
One serving of Jāņu Siers, please.
Locally
Viens Jāņu siers, lūdzu.
Say locally
A traditional Latvian caraway cheese made for the summer solstice.
Why try it?
Jāņu Siers is a staple of Latvian Midsummer celebrations, known as Jāņi, and is deeply ingrained in Latvian culture. Its preparation and consumption during these festivities symbolize abundance and unity.
How it tastes
Jāņu Siers has a mild, creamy flavor with a slightly tangy hint, accompanied by the earthy warmth of caraway seeds. Its texture is smooth and semi-soft, a perfect complement to hearty rye bread.
Origin & History — first documented: 1200
Jāņu Siers is believed to date back to the 16th century, originating around the time when cheese-making became widespread in Latvia. It gained popularity as a celebratory dish during Midsummer, traditionally made by home-farmers for the summer solstice festival.
Recipe
Ingredients
- 🥛 500 g Quark Cheese
- 🥛 1 liter Whole Milk
- 🥛 100 g Butter
- 🥚 2 large Eggs
- 🧂 1 tbsp Caraway Seeds
- 🧂 1 tsp Salt
Method
- 1 Heat the milk gently until it is warm, not boiling.
- 2 Add quark and mix until the curds form.
- 3 Remove from heat and strain the curds from the whey.
- 4 Mix curds with eggs, butter, salt, and caraway seeds.
- 5 Shape the mixture into a wheel and cool until set.
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