Rasols - most certainly unites all Latvian festive tables. This book is written in Latvian.
Convinced of this, the two authors of the book – photographer and social anthropologist Elīna Kursīte and journalist Sarmīte Kolāte – decided to embark on a research adventure and go on a rasols expedition to find out what the “correct” rasols actually is – and whether such a thing even exists. While creating the book, the authors visited 20 storytellers and recipe sharers, tasting all kinds of variations of the so-called “correct” rasols. Some delved deep into historical research in search of the very first rasols recipe in Latvia. Others were certain that the only true rasols was the one their grandmother made. Still others defied the more traditional versions by experimenting and trying to give rasols a more exotic flavour. It cannot be said that this expedition has closed the loop and that no further versions of rasols are possible – but this collection of stories and recipes is a solid starting point for conversation. If only because true rasolists are still debating the proper name – rasols or rosols. "R*SOLS" is not a scientific monograph about the history of Latvian cuisine. Rather, it's an opus about the Latvian spirit – there is no correct rasols, and yet there is. Listening to rasolists’ personal stories and preparing the most diverse versions of rasols together, there’s no doubt – rasols is embedded in the Latvian gastronomic DNA.
“Making rasols is Latvian meditation – Latvian women’s ritual and grounding. All those potatoes, the right size, and the making of the dressing. What is the search for the perfect dressing, if not magic? You are like a creator. Rasols is the centre of the universe, and you are creating it!” – Ieva Raiskuma, journalist
“What is the taste of the correct rasols? I can’t say. The real taste either is, or it isn’t. It’s like entering a stranger’s home and smelling it. Either it has the right scent – the smell of your home – or it doesn’t.” – Klāvs Sedlenieks, social anthropologist
“For me too, rasols was a festive dish in childhood. Back then, I didn’t pay attention to the ingredients. But after I got married, things changed, because in my wife’s family, making rasols was a serious ritual. For example, her grandmother, who used pickles in her rasols, insisted they must be peeled. That little detail stuck with me. I realised that when you bring all the ingredients together, it becomes a slightly more refined salad.” – Ingmārs Ladigs, chef
143 pages.
Published in Latvia
