I’m French and I went to Latvia this summer in order to visit Riga and the Latvian culture. During my trip, I bought a piece of a cake, in the market of Riga, whose color (black) had attracted my glance. Its taste was very original and memorable as it was very crumbly like coal, quite brittle, and its tatse was a bit like caramel or burnt honey, and there were some plums inside and sesame or rye seeds on the top of it. Overall, the cake was very compact and heavy, but delightful. Here is a photo for more accuracy.
That’s why I want now to try to reproduce it and cook one at home, in France, to make my family and friends discover it. However, I have forgotten the name of the cake and don’t find it on the internet, same thing for the recipe.
==> So, help me find it ! If you may have any clue about the name or recipe of this cake, please, let me now, it would be very helpful !! (even if you think it’s just a possibility)
If you bought it in the market, it might be something not widely known. Might be some obscure family recipe etc.
I asked around, but nobody seems to recognize this.
Good luck.
Vilkate on
This cake certainly isn’t a traditional recipe or a popular, well known product. It’s very likely that you’d only be able to find it at the vendor where you bought it originally, so you’d need to get someone to search the Central Market for you.
kreyul504 on
Probably halva with activated charcoal added for color.
thomno on
salut,
hope you’ve had a great time in Latvia! i found a picture on Google maps, it’s peanut halva – likely with some activated charcoal for the black colour! as i guess, it’s from a Lithuanian vendor of Eastern sweets, or maybe there are two Eastern sweets vendors in the market by now. I’ll check the little card with its ingredients next time I’m in the market (or someone else is welcome to contribute) – only the edge is visible in this picture 🙂
also, when looking for recipes, do not confuse this with South Asian/Indian halwa. the non-Indian one is way denser in texture. the recipe posted in this thread should be good, found some recipes in French too, and you can ask an Eastern sweets vendor in your town for any secret tips & tricks when making it 🙂
12 Comments
Hi,
I’m French and I went to Latvia this summer in order to visit Riga and the Latvian culture. During my trip, I bought a piece of a cake, in the market of Riga, whose color (black) had attracted my glance. Its taste was very original and memorable as it was very crumbly like coal, quite brittle, and its tatse was a bit like caramel or burnt honey, and there were some plums inside and sesame or rye seeds on the top of it. Overall, the cake was very compact and heavy, but delightful. Here is a photo for more accuracy.
That’s why I want now to try to reproduce it and cook one at home, in France, to make my family and friends discover it. However, I have forgotten the name of the cake and don’t find it on the internet, same thing for the recipe.
==> So, help me find it ! If you may have any clue about the name or recipe of this cake, please, let me now, it would be very helpful !! (even if you think it’s just a possibility)
Have a great day in Latvia !
That looks like a piece of forest mud.
Someone left the oven on for too long
kinda reminds me of halva
[https://jauns.lv/raksts/maja-un-darzs/238047-2-receptes-ka-pagatavot-loti-garsigu-halvu](https://jauns.lv/raksts/maja-un-darzs/238047-2-receptes-ka-pagatavot-loti-garsigu-halvu)
If you bought it in the market, it might be something not widely known. Might be some obscure family recipe etc.
I asked around, but nobody seems to recognize this.
Good luck.
This cake certainly isn’t a traditional recipe or a popular, well known product. It’s very likely that you’d only be able to find it at the vendor where you bought it originally, so you’d need to get someone to search the Central Market for you.
Probably halva with activated charcoal added for color.
salut,
hope you’ve had a great time in Latvia! i found a picture on Google maps, it’s peanut halva – likely with some activated charcoal for the black colour! as i guess, it’s from a Lithuanian vendor of Eastern sweets, or maybe there are two Eastern sweets vendors in the market by now. I’ll check the little card with its ingredients next time I’m in the market (or someone else is welcome to contribute) – only the edge is visible in this picture 🙂
also, when looking for recipes, do not confuse this with South Asian/Indian halwa. the non-Indian one is way denser in texture. the recipe posted in this thread should be good, found some recipes in French too, and you can ask an Eastern sweets vendor in your town for any secret tips & tricks when making it 🙂
https://preview.redd.it/7z76rm06dskd1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2d29ab4ec6273419f62615fc14a473cad10bd2a4
[https://maps.app.goo.gl/s3XejgMkJzf3d3P58?g_st=ac](https://maps.app.goo.gl/s3XejgMkJzf3d3P58?g_st=ac)
That doesn’t look healthy, you should probably go see a doctor.
Looks like black halva.
It looks like constipated shit.
Ogle cause thats straight up a piece of coal😭