Photo of the Week: Yummy Penny Bun Mushrooms in Latvia

Inese Lazdovska (photo), Anda Cīrule (text)
9 May 2010

IN NOVEMBER 2010, THIS IMAGE EARNED SPECIAL MENTION FROM OUR JUDGES WHEN SELECTING THE WHL GROUP PHOTO OF THE YEAR.

The photo was taken in my mother’s yard in Jelgava, Latvia, in early September (2006), which is peak time for picking mushrooms. We had just returned from the woods.

Latvians are passionate mushroom-pickers. For some its sport; for others it’s a matter of survival. For yet others, it’s the way to spend quality time with family and finish with handpicked food to prepare for dinner. Many people get up as early as 6am to be the first in the woods and to get the best mushrooms.

Nothing tastes better than homemade mushroom sauce. Our local Latvian versions use various kinds of mushrooms found in the forests, but the most popular, of course, are penny buns, or ‘bennies’, the ones pictured above. There are many recipes for a penny bun mushroom sauce – each cook has his or her own secrets – but mostly it’s cooked mushrooms (bake them in melted butter to bring out the flavour) mixed with sour cream, onions and spices like salt, pepper, garlic, dill and more.

When you’re visiting Latvia, if you decide to join the mushrooming fun, be careful. There are some dangerous one too. For example, mushmires, which have red caps with white spots. Eating one could result in serious health problems!

Too learn more about typical Latvian food and get answers to all your questions about mushrooms, when in Riga, take a local cuisine tour.