“Small producers want to develop, become better and achieve their goals. What I like most is this sense of pride that producers have in what they make,” says Evita Straumīte, Professor and Leading Researcher at Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies (LBTU), Dr. sc. ing., speaking about the “Novada Garša 2026” food quality competition. Meanwhile, Elīna Ozola, Head of the Rural Development Department at the Latvian Rural Advisory and Training Centre (LLKC), emphasises: “Food is not just something we eat; it is also about the economy, security and culture – such as ‘Sklandrausis’ – as well as new trends, such as freeze-dried products, which are already becoming part of Latvia’s food identity.”
When we see a product bearing a gold, silver or bronze “Novada Garša” medal, we can be confident that it is a genuinely high-quality product made from locally produced ingredients. “We would like consumers to appreciate this entire chain as well. A farmer grows the raw material – this means employment, well-maintained land and a well-kept farmstead. Then the farmer or a processor adds value to the product,” says Elīna Ozola, while Evita Straumīte emphasises: “Producers bring their products to the competition and tell their story, and you can feel how proud they are of what they have created.”
A Story of Quality and Competing with Yourself
Elīna Ozola and Evita Straumīte can safely be called the godmothers of “Novada Garša”, as over the years they have kept their finger on the pulse of the event and encouraged an ever-growing number of participants to take part. Elīna Ozola explains that the word “competition” was included in the name because people enjoy competing, but in a way, it is a competition with yourself – is my product good enough to meet the standard for a gold medal? “If five cheeses are entered in the dairy products category, theoretically all five can receive gold, and equally, none of them may receive an award.” Each product is assessed on its own merits. “Does it have the appropriate appearance, aroma, consistency, texture and taste, and are there any deviations or deficiencies?” adds Evita Straumīte.
The origins of “Novada Garša” date back to 2016, when, with the financial and organisational support of the Ministry of Agriculture, 100 small food producers and home producers were brought together at the international food exhibition “Riga Food 2016”. Over the past four years, the competition has taken on a new format and has been organised by LLKC in cooperation with LBTU. As Elīna Ozola explains, the key point is that this is not simply a competition about whether the taste, appearance or producer’s story appeals to the judges. “It is more about quality. Different types of products have specific criteria, so cheese is not judged according to the same criteria as honey. Taste is, of course, important, but there are other indicators as well.” Quality is determined by appearance, consistency, texture, taste characteristics and aroma, Evita Straumīte adds. “Specific criteria have been developed for each product group, and the experts assess the products accordingly. Although products are evaluated according to specific criteria, some product groups, such as beverages and honey, also include an overall impression criterion – how pleasant and appropriate the product is for its particular type. For example, linden blossom honey should have a menthol-like flavour and a slightly astringent aftertaste. If these characteristics cannot be detected, the honey will not receive the highest score.”
Sales Are Going Well, but the Product Does Not Perform as Well in the Competition. Why?
Elīna Ozola says that the idea for the competition was inspired by an experience-sharing visit to Sweden, while Evita Straumīte adds that similar traditions in Germany date back more than 100 years. “There, quality is specifically assessed and medals are awarded, which producers can then put on their products. Sometimes a paradoxical situation arises: a product sells very well on the market but does not perform as well in a quality competition. For example, if the side crust of a loaf of bread has cracked and the loaf is ‘smiling’, someone may consider that part the tastiest, but from a quality assessment perspective, it may indicate that something went wrong in the production process, meaning the product no longer qualifies for a gold medal. This year, ‘Sklandrausis’ was also entered. There are very strict requirements for what it should be like, including the type and proportions of the bread, potato and carrot components. In previous years, ‘Jāņu siers’ has also been entered, and it too has specific traditional requirements.”
It may seem somewhat unusual, but fresh fish and meat are also assessed. As Elīna Ozola explains, fish may be gutted, cleaned or otherwise prepared, but experts assess whether it is genuinely fresh by looking at the clarity of the eyes, the condition of the gills and other indicators. The fish is then prepared by a chef using a very minimal amount of seasoning, so that the overall impression can be assessed. “This is not a demonstration of the chef’s skills; the aim is to taste the product itself and determine whether there are any pronounced muddy flavours or other atypical flavours that would indicate inadequate quality.” Fresh meat products are likewise assessed for freshness and conformity with the relevant product type and are then cooked to ensure that the meat is tender and easy to chew.
An Opportunity for Producers to Learn
Applications to participate in the competition are submitted by the farmers, processors and producers themselves. They also choose which products to enter and which product category to compete in. However, as Elīna Ozola explains, there have been cases where experts have assessed a product and concluded that it would be more appropriate for another category. “It is not a competition only for innovative or highly processed products. It can be something as ordinary as kefir, milk thistle oil or honey – this is an opportunity to find out whether the product is genuinely high-quality and whether it meets the requirements for a particular product type and name. For example, there have been products labelled as ‘jam’ even though there are specific requirements distinguishing jam from other types of preserves.”
“Producers learn from this,” says Evita Straumīte. “We see that in the first year there may be no medal, while in the second year there is one. After the assessment, there is an opportunity to discuss the results, because every participant receives feedback on each product submitted. The experts also change somewhat from year to year and may sometimes look at a product from a different perspective, but fundamentally they follow specific assessment criteria.”
Diplomas and medals are valuable recognition of the quality of participants’ products, but the expert assessment sent to every participant is equally important. It helps producers understand what they have done particularly well and where their product has fallen short. As Evita Straumīte explains: “For each category, we try to involve an expert who understands the production process of that particular product. A honey expert will not assess fish or meat, because they would not be able to professionally evaluate the quality of the product and provide appropriate feedback in the form of comments. The comments provided to product entrants are very important. Scientists from our LBTU Institute of Food also participate, as do industry experts. This year, there were representatives from the Latvian Bakers’ Association, the Latvian Beekeepers’ Association and companies, as well as chefs. We change the experts slightly every year, although Latvia is a small country and the pool of experts is not unlimited. The most work is usually involved in the berry, fruit, plant and vegetable products category, which has been the most popular category over the years.”
Importantly, the experts do not know who produced a particular product, as all samples are coded and presented without labels. “We cannot always organise separate training sessions, but we always encourage producers to get in touch when they receive their feedback. If they want to explore something in greater depth, LBTU is very open and can help them look more closely at the technology,” says Elīna Ozola. Evita Straumīte recalls cases when, after the competition, participants asked to be put in touch with an expert who had taken part in the assessment. “If there is a problem with a particular technology and the producer cannot resolve it, we try to help.”
Both women say they are pleased by the impressive number of medals awarded across all categories, because a decline in the number of medals would indicate that product quality was deteriorating. “We should be happy that so many producers receive medals – it means that Latvia has many excellent products that are worth buying for everyday use.”
About Honey Cake, Shiitake Mushrooms and Cheese
Every competition participant deserves a separate story about their farm and products. This time, we will tell three noteworthy stories.
Honey Cake – a World Traveller
Four people run “Ozolu bites” – head beekeeper Intars, his wife and “right-hand woman” Marta, as well as the family’s biggest product enthusiasts – six-year-old Elza and four-year-old Lauris. The family tends their apiary in the countryside of Vidzeme and creates delicious treats from honey and freeze-dried products. This year, as in previous years, the star of the show is honey cake.
“It is a homemade honey cake with all 12 layers. As a honey cake should be, it is made with sour cream,” says Marta Ozola, who bakes the cakes herself. The finished cake is cut into small pieces and placed in a freeze-drying machine. Over two days, the moisture is removed, significantly extending the product’s shelf life. The product does not need to be rehydrated with water – it can be eaten immediately as a snack.
“It is a treat to offer to foreigners, take to relatives abroad or simply snack on yourself on a plane. The incredible thing is that it is still a real honey cake, only now you can put it in a suitcase,” says Marta.
Pieces of the honey cake have already reached all six inhabited continents, with only Antarctica missing from the list. Asked where the family will put its ever-growing collection of medals, the answer is just as cheerful: “We’ll turn an extra room into a medal room.”
From Caraway Cheese to the Legendary “Čiekuriņš”
Home producer Jānis Lapsa began making fresh cheese in 2013, while the business was officially established in 2018. Sabīne Lapsa has been working with cheese since 2020. “As we joke, Jānis makes the cheese, while I ‘boil’ publicly. We have divided our roles,” she laughs. The whole family is involved in the work – even the label for their Jāņi cheese was designed by Jānis’ niece, who was studying at an art school at the time.
“Lapsu Mājas siers” has been participating in the competition since 2020. With this year’s bronze and silver awards, the company now has 12 medals, while the total number of awarded products has reached 14, as two cheeses received the same medal in two different years.
Sabīne Lapsa says the family’s range has grown to almost 30 cheese flavours. It includes two types of caraway cheese, four types of garlic cheese, cheeses with vegetables and seeds, as well as sweet and seasonal varieties. Alongside plain cheese, there are combinations with green olives, pickled cucumbers, dried porcini mushrooms and even pine cone buds.
The creation of the legendary “Čiekuriņš” cheese shows just how much experimentation can lie behind an unusual product. The idea emerged in 2023, when Ogre Municipality was looking for a product representing the flavours of the municipality. The three pine trees depicted on the coat of arms inspired the idea of using pine cone buds.
“At first, we used whole ones, then we cut them in half. The cheese was terrible – how much cough medicine can you eat? Then one of our relatives suggested chopping the pine cone buds up,” recalls Sabīne.
Today, a small amount of syrup and chopped buds are added to the cheese. The syrup gives the salty cheese a subtle sweetness, while the pine flavour can only be detected when you come across one of the darker pieces. “It doesn’t feel like you’re eating a forest,” Sabīne laughs.
The cheese won first place in the Ogre Municipality competition. This year, two very different cheeses received medals in “Novada Garša” – sweet cheese with strawberries and cheese with chilli.
The Third Generation and a Second Start
Gustavs Riekstiņš from the farm “Garīkas” took part in the competition for the first time and immediately received both a silver and a gold medal. Gustavs’ grandfather began growing shiitake mushrooms in the early 1990s and even travelled to Canada at the time to learn about mushrooms and their cultivation. Now, 35 years later, the business has passed into Gustavs’ hands.
“We have been growing shiitake mushrooms for three generations. Right now, this is something of a second start,” says Gustavs.
Growing shiitake mushrooms in Latvia requires moisture, sufficient warmth and a great deal of physical work – planting the mushrooms, soaking the logs and harvesting the crop. Dried mushrooms are used in cooking, while mushroom powder is used as a seasoning and flavour enhancer.
The decision to take over the family business was both unexpected and inevitable. “In a way, I have grown up with these mushrooms. Since I was a child, I have been cutting and picking them and helping my grandparents process them,” says Gustavs.
There was also a point when it seemed that mushroom growing might come to an end because there was no successor who believed in the idea and the product. During his studies, Gustavs began taking part in exhibitions and became involved in distributing and selling the products. The positive response from customers strengthened his conviction that the work should continue.
This year, he graduated from the Forest Engineering programme at Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies. Although his field of study is not exactly the same as mushroom cultivation, the knowledge is useful because the farm’s main resource is wood – both when preparing logs for a new season and when looking for new cultivation methods.
“Garīkas” offers not only mushroom products but also tastings, tours of the more than 200-year-old Garīki Manor in Kuldīga Municipality and accommodation with mushroom breakfasts.
“People can come and relax in nature in the heart of Kurzeme, enjoy Latvia’s landscapes and not only taste mushrooms, but also mentally step away from their everyday routine,” says Gustavs.
Helping Children Too
The range of products offered by the producers across all categories is truly impressive. Before the awards ceremony, walking through the stalls set up in the Hanzas Perons hall, the sheer variety of products could almost make your head spin. It is impossible to describe every product or every category, but one activity deserves special attention – the auction of treats provided by home producers and small producers in support of the initiative “Lielas rūpes par mazajiem” (“Great Care for the Little Ones”).
It was heartening to see how open-hearted and generous people can be. One of the product bags was bought at auction for EUR 70 by Riga resident Guna Lūre. She was attending the event for the second time but was taking part in the auction for the first time.
“There is excitement, of course, but the main thing is the purpose of the auction – helping children.” More important to Guna than winning the products was her belief in mutual support: “I think that’s how it always works – if you have something and you share it, there is hope that others will share with you when you are going through a difficult time. It is something like a law of the world – the more you share, the more you receive.”
The importance of knowing that the money would go towards a good cause was also emphasised by the man who bid EUR 180 for a bag full of products – the highest amount paid at the auction.
In conclusion, the competition gave producers an assessment of their work, consumers a way to identify high-quality Latvian products, while the auction transformed the producers’ contributions into practical support for those who need it most.
The competition was organised as part of the National Common Agricultural Policy Network activity “Support Programme for Local Agricultural Producers and Processors”.
Informational campaign on the LA.lv news portal aimed at promoting the CAP Strategic Plan (CAP SP) and the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) Programme.
