
Food & drink


A reduced rate of value added tax (VAT) of 12% will be applied to fresh fruits and vegetables in Latvia next year, Prime Minister Evika Siliņa (New Unity) told the media on Monday about an agreement reached among the coalition parties.

The ruling coalition is considering applying a reduced value added tax (VAT) rate of 12% on fruits, vegetables and berries characteristic of Latvia, according to Minister for Agriculture Armends Krauze (Greens and Farmers Union, ZZS) on LTV discussion "What's happening in Latvia?".

This year, the import of grain from the aggressor state Russia has grown rapidly in Latvia, despite its staunch support of Ukraine.

On Friday, October 20, the heftiest pumpkins grown in Latvia this season competed to see which is the fattest of them all.

On Monday, October 9, the Cabinet reviewed amendments to the Excise Tax Law which foresee steadily raising excise tax rates on alcoholic drinks, and tobacco products – including vaping– from 2024 to 2026.

Entry to Latvia has been officially announced by the prestigious Michelin restaurant guide whose inspectors have already visited eateries in various places: on the coast of Kurzeme, in Jūrmala, Valmiera, Cēsis, Līgatne, and Tērvete.

Having tackled a wide range of important subjects over the years – everything from high-level corruption to oligarchic influence and reforms of the judicial system – Latvian Television's trailblazing investigative show Aizliegtais Paņēmiens (AP) took on another topical theme September 25 and asked the question on everyone's lips: can Artificial Intelligence (AI) come up with a decent recipe for spinach?

Latvia is now home to the largest cookie factory in the Baltic/Scandinavia region, reported Latvian Television September 13.

On Saturday, September 9, the small village of Zaube will see its population swell many times over with foodies and foragers descending upon it for the annual Zaube Wild Food Festival from 11:00.

If you don't know a mushroom, then it's not edible – that's how to decide on what to eat, according to mycologist Inita Dāniele, reports Latvian Television.

Growing melons and watermelons in Latvia is still an unconventional activity, but there are more and more of those not afraid to experiment. Demand for local produce is also high. Harvests of melons and watermelons are well below the planned volume for this year, Latvian Radio reported on August 25.

Next time you tuck into a delicious Latvian ice cream, you can amaze those around you by declaring that last year Latvia produced nearly 20 million liters of the stuff. 'How do you know this?' you will be asked. 'Because EU statistics agency Eurostat said so in its data release on August 14,' you can reply as you slurp ever deeper into the cooling treat.

If robots really are about to take over the world, a good way to go about it might be controlling our access to early-morning coffee. With that in mind, many might have mixed feelings about the introduction of what is claimed to be 'the first robot barista in the Baltic states' by fuel retailer Virši.

The Investment and Development Agency of Latvia (LIAA), in cooperation with the Investment and Tourism Agency of Riga, has backed a project which saw a pair of bloggers eat in dozens of Rīga restaurants and then give a brief verdict on them.

As all credible people already know, Latvian beer is the best in the world, and according to the latest Eurostat figures released to mark World Beer Day on August 3, the production of beer in Latvia appears to be booming.
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