Residents had submitted queries in significant number regarding what to properly call the English-language yummies in our official state language. Among the terms questioned were mafins, braunijs, kukijs, makarons, kapkeiks and smūtijs.
Timuška explained that the commission of Latvian language specialists charged with developing officially approved terms for new concepts yet unencountered by our linguistically-challenged mindsets decided that muffins may be called mafini or kēksiņi.
However, “there are other options to precisely characterize this particular pastry, and braunijs as a foreign term wouldn’t be as well-suited for (the commission to) support,” he said.
“Henceforth a cookie will be called biskvīts. A macaroon can no longer be the confusing choice between makarons or makarūns, but now will be known as makarona biskvīts or mandeļu bezē, which is its precise technological characterization. And cupcakes shall now be called glazūrkēksiņi."
