Type Dessert | Place of origin Latvia | |
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Alternative names Sweet Rye Trifle, Latvian Ambrosia Main ingredients Jam or preserves, whipped cream, dark rye bread crumbs Similar Rupjmaize, Pīrādziņi, Sklandrausis, Jāņi cheese, Riga Black Balsam | ||
Rupjmaizes kartojums is a traditional Latvian dessert based on the country's famous traditional dark rye bread. Rupjmaizes kartojums is similar in appearance and construction to the trifle of the British Isles, and is often called Sweet Rye Trifle, or Latvian Ambrosia among English speakers. It uses Rupjmaize dark rye bread rather than sponge cake. Rupjmaizes kartojums is an iconic Latvian food, and is considered a treasure of the national cuisine. It was the sweet chosen to represent Latvia in the Café Europe initiative of the Austrian presidency of the European Union, on Europe Day 2006.
Contents
Latvian dark rye
Latvian Dark Rye, the base of the dessert, is not the same as other types of rye bread popular in Western Europe and North America. These are typically mixed with a large proportion of wheat, and flavored with caraway and/or other spices and flavorings whereas Latvian Dark Rye is all rye and unspiced.
Recipe
Rupjmaizes kartojums is prepared in a clear glass trifle dish, or parfait glasses, by first spreading a thin layer of jam or preserves on the bottom of the dish, then adding a thick layer of lightly sweetened vanilla-flavoured whipped cream, which is then in turn sprinkled with a layer of dark rye bread crumb mixture. These layers are repeated up to the top of the dish, when a final dollop of cream and sprinkling of the rye crumbs are added to enhance the dessert's appearance.
Rupjmaizes kartojums is made authentically with traditional Latvian dark rye bread, giving the finished dish a uniquely Baltic/Scandinavian flavor profile. The bread is finely grated and may be pan toasted. It is then flavored with cinnamon and sugar. Swedish or Russian dark rye breads, and failing this, a dark pumpernickel, are sometimes used in preparing the dessert by expats where Latvian breads are not available.
Raspberry, strawberry and apricot are each favorite preserves for preparing Rupjmaizes kartojums among Latvians, as are the more peculiarly Latvian aronia, sea buckthorn, lingonberry, rose hip and red currant varieties.
When the dessert is prepared, it is chilled thoroughly, as over the course of several hours the flavor of the individual ingredients meld, the rye crumbs soften and absorb fruit and cream liquids, and the dessert gains a more cohesive texture. Often just before serving, fresh fruit, to match or compliment the variety of jam used is added to the top of the dessert as a festive garnish.
