Pelēkie Zirņi ar Speķi: Latvian Grey Peas with Bacon
Pelēkie zirņi ar speķi, grey peas with bacon, is often called Latvia’s national dish. The peas are a large, dark, speckled field pea that has been grown in…
- CuisineLatvian
- Prep12 h 15 min
- Cook1 h 20 min
- Total13 h 35 min
- Makes4 servings
Pelēkie Zirņi ar Speķi: Latvian Grey Peas with Bacon
1. Soak the peas: Rinse the dried grey peas, cover them with plenty of cold water and leave them to soak overnight, for 8–12 hours. They will almost double in size.
2. Boil: Drain, cover with fresh cold water by about 5 cm and bring to the boil. Skim off the foam, then simmer gently for about 1 hour, until the peas are soft but still whole. Do not add salt yet, or the skins stay hard. Drain.
3. Fry the bacon: While the peas cook, cut the smoked bacon (speķis) into small cubes and fry them in a dry heavy pan over a medium heat for about 10 minutes, until golden and crisp and the fat has melted out.
4. Add the onion: Add the chopped onions to the bacon and fat and fry for about 8 minutes, stirring now and then, until soft and golden.
5. Mix: Tip the drained peas into the pan and stir everything together for 2–3 minutes, so the peas soak up the bacon fat. Season with salt and plenty of black pepper.
6. Serve: Sprinkle with chopped dill or parsley and serve hot, with a glass of cold kefir or buttermilk and dark rye bread, the way it is eaten in Latvia.
Grey peas, Latvia's national dish
History & OriginsPelēkie zirņi ar speķi, grey peas with bacon, is often called Latvia’s national dish. The peas are a large, dark, speckled field pea that has been grown in the Baltic for centuries; they turn almost black when cooked, which is why visitors often call them black peas. Since 2015 Latvijas lielie pelēkie zirņi, Latvian large grey peas, are protected in the EU as a product of origin, like Champagne or Parma ham.
For a long time grey peas were everyday peasant food: cheap, filling and full of protein, cooked with a bit of smoked bacon and onion and washed down with sour milk or kefir. They were traditionally eaten at Christmas and New Year, and an old belief says that every pea you eat at the winter feast saves you a tear in the coming year, so the more you eat, the happier your year will be.
Today the dish is everywhere, from home kitchens to Riga’s Central Market and food festivals, and many Latvian chefs serve it in new ways, as a salad, a spread or a side for fish. The classic version, though, stays the same: peas, crispy speķis, golden onion and a glass of something cold and sour on the side.
Grey peas, Latvia's national dish
The story behind the dishPelēkie zirņi ar speķi, grey peas with bacon, is often called Latvia’s national dish. The peas are a large, dark, speckled field pea that has been grown in the Baltic for centuries; they turn almost black when cooked, which is why visitors often call them black peas. Since 2015 Latvijas lielie pelēkie zirņi, Latvian large grey peas, are protected in the EU as a product of origin, like Champagne or Parma ham.
For a long time grey peas were everyday peasant food: cheap, filling and full of protein, cooked with a bit of smoked bacon and onion and washed down with sour milk or kefir. They were traditionally eaten at Christmas and New Year, and an old belief says that every pea you eat at the winter feast saves you a tear in the coming year, so the more you eat, the happier your year will be.
Today the dish is everywhere, from home kitchens to Riga’s Central Market and food festivals, and many Latvian chefs serve it in new ways, as a salad, a spread or a side for fish. The classic version, though, stays the same: peas, crispy speķis, golden onion and a glass of something cold and sour on the side.
