RIGA - Latvia's south easternmost province, Latgale, is famous for its distinctive dialect, eccentric customs and unique culture. A wonderful place to sample the flavors of Latgale, literally, is the Aglona "Maizes Muzejs" 's a bread museum which defies comparison.
While a bread museum may sound, on the surface, like a boring prospect for spending free time, this place is truly unique and entertaining to visit. It is a great place to enjoy a cultural experience, a delicious meal, an alcoholic beverage, accordion music, and a little bit of dancing, all in the course of about two hours, and for only 5 lats per person.
Our group traveled to the bread museum on a sunny Saturday afternoon. We were greeted by a loud but extremely lovable folk costume-wearing Latgallian woman. She ushered us into a room with long wooden tables covered in, predictably, bread and butter.
Basket in hand, she extolled the virtues of "rudzu maize" 's a thick dark rye bread, made fresh on her museum's premises. Her discussion began with the importance of bread to people of all cultures around the world, and especially to Latvians. She shared a plethora of anecdotes about rye bread, emphasizing the propensity of rye bread to brighten one's day, and feed one's soul.
She also discussed rye bread secrets, including the question of whether there was some secret special ingredient added to make rye bread soft. According to our guide, the most important ingredient was not actually an ingredient at all 's but rather the old fashioned wood oven used for baking.
Then, our guide switched to Latgallian 's astounding the group with her strange and magical dialect. Every word was like a cannon exploding, delivered with such force, and volume. But it was wonderful to hear and to compare the differences between standard Latvian and Latgallian.
Latgallian is officially recognized as a national dialect in Latvia's constitution. However, some patriots have argued that it deserves status as a second separate and official language. Here, listening to this woman switching from standard Latvian to Latgallian, our group could to some degree understand why. It is without question a rich and exceptional variation of the Latvian language, to say the least.
Our bustling host disappeared into the kitchen for a moment, emerging with a bottle of "kandza," (Latvian moonshine). This bottle of homemade alcohol was to be passed around the table with a single little shot glass. However, there was one condition 's your neighbor had to pour out your shot, measuring the amount of alcohol you would drink according to his own will. The strict rule was that you had to drink everything that was given to you.
Luckily, the small children present, as well as our bus driver, were given an exception. The alcohol was certainly not tasty, but it had a heart-warming effect on all patrons at the bread museum.
Soon after the introduction of the bottle of homemade booze came the meal itself.
We began with a delicious homemade pea soup, served home-style out of a big communal bowl. It was reminiscent of a French Canadian pea soup, and it complemented the rye bread wonderfully.
Next, we were served potatoes with ground meat gravy. This typical farmer's grub was also rather tasty, and came accompanied by cabbage salad, pickles, cottage cheese, sour cream, and other ubiquitous Latvian side dishes. Everyone emerged stuffed to the gills.
After the meal, a man with an accordion came out, and everybody started to dance. Couples bounced happily around the room, fuelled by the inner strength and energy which only "rudzu maize" can give. It was a fitting way to end a meal that was truly steeped in tradition.
Daugavpils iela 7,
Aglonas pagasts, Preilu rajons
Phone: + 371 653 21905
