Latvia's national dish — large dried grey peas soaked overnight, then boiled with bacon, onion, and salt until tender. Eaten with sour milk on Christmas Eve and at family celebrations.
Pelēkie zirņi ar speķi — grey peas with bacon — is the national dish of Latvia, hearty Baltic winter food with deep pagan-Yule roots. Tradition says you must finish every pea on the plate, or tears will follow in the year ahead.
Spoon up pelēkie zirņi ar speķi — large pale-grey peas mixed with crispy bacon and golden caramelized onion, glistening with rendered fat. Bite: peas firm-tender with distinct earthy-nutty flavor (different from regular green peas), bacon's smoky salt rendering richness throughout, onion's developed sweetness. Cold sour milk poured over cools the dish and adds tang. Pair with dark rye bread for soaking. This is Latvian Christmas Eve unchanged for centuries.
Grey peas have a unique meaty texture distinct from green peas. Long slow cooking preserves shape while tenderizing. Bacon's fat renders into the peas during final combining.
Variations
With added smoked sausage. With more onion. Vegetarian (without bacon). With added cabbage. With brown sugar drizzle. Served with mashed potato.
On the Palate
Where Pelēkie Zirņi ar Speķi sits in the Latvian flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 6
How it's made
11 steps · 30 min active + 3 hours 30 min waiting
- 1480 min
Soak 500 g dried grey peas (pelēkie zirņi) in cold water overnight.
- 24 min
Drain. Place in heavy pot with 1.5 L fresh water + 1 tsp salt + 2 bay leaves.
- 35 min
Bring to a boil; skim scum.
- 492 min
Reduce to medium-low; simmer 90 min until peas are tender but still hold their shape. Add water if needed.
Watch outPinch a pea—it should crush softly but the skin stays intact and the shape holds.
- 511 min
Meanwhile, dice 300 g smoked bacon (speķis). Render in heavy pan 8 min until crispy.
Watch outBacon is ready when the edges curl and turn deep golden and a pool of clear fat has rendered out.
- 66 min
Add 2 chopped onions to bacon; cook 5 min.
- 74 min
Drain peas (reserve some cooking liquid).
- 84 min
Combine peas with bacon-onion mixture in pot.
- 92 min
Stir in 100 ml reserved liquid + 1/2 tsp pepper + adjust salt.
- 106 min
Heat through 5 min.
- 111 min
Serve hot with cold sour milk (rūgušpiens) or sour cream on the side, dark rye bread.
