Grey Peas with Speck

Grey peas with speck is the dish Latvians name as their own: large, earthy grey peas simmered soft, then fried with onion and cubes of fatty bacon, usually with a glass of buttermilk alongside. It is humble farmhouse food, and tradition says you must eat it at the turn of the year and not leave a single pea, for luck.

What you actually see

• The peas themselves - the fat, grey field peas that give the dish its name.
• Speck and onion - the fried bacon and onion that flavour them.
• Buttermilk - the traditional sour drink served with it.
• New Year tables - the dish at its most meaningful over the holiday.

When to go

Year-round in traditional restaurants; around New Year for its full customary weight. It is a hearty winter dish more than a summer one.

Honest expectations

It is deliberately plain, rustic food, so come for authenticity rather than fireworks of flavour. The texture of the peas is soft and earthy, which not everyone loves. Best tried at a traditional Latvian restaurant that does it properly.

Nearby

Traditional restaurants in the Riga old town serve it; the Central Market sells the dried peas to take home.