Aukstā zupa: Latvian cold beetroot soup

The flavour is cool, tangy and mildly earthy rather than sweet. Cucumber and herbs add freshness, while egg and potato make the soup more filling. Mustard or vinegar may give some versions a sharper finish.

What the different versions share is their beetroot colour, chilled serving temperature and tangy dairy base.

The best-known Latvian version combines beetroot with kefir, buttermilk or another fermented dairy product and is served fully chilled. Fresh cucumber, boiled egg, potato, dill and spring onion are common additions.

The amount and presentation of the potato and egg vary between recipes. Some versions also include sausage or another meat product.

Official tourism material explicitly notes that families maintain their own versions and even differ over mustard and vinegar. The balance can range from mild and creamy to sharper and more acidic.

There is no single recipe used by every household or restaurant. Meat may be present or absent, and the balance of dairy, beetroot and seasoning changes from one version to another.

Latvia.travel connects aukstā zupa with the beginning of summer. There is no fixed date when restaurants begin serving it, and availability may vary between restaurants and seasons.

In summer, it may appear on café, lunch-restaurant and traditional Latvian menus. Its vivid pink colour makes it easy to recognise even when the menu description is brief.

Traditional versions contain dairy and usually egg. Some recipes also include sausage, mustard or other ingredients, so ask before ordering if you have allergies or follow a vegetarian diet.

Ask whether it contains dairy, egg or meat before ordering. The short Latvian name alone does not describe every ingredient in the kitchen’s version.

An approximate English pronunciation is “OWK-stah ZOO-pah”. This is a practical pronunciation aid rather than a formal phonetic transcription.

The name translates directly as “cold soup”.