2024-05-17 02:45:14
We go to Pilsen with the photographer Jakub and speak within the automobile on the best way. We’re heading to Geula, who opened a Latvian cafe there a 12 months in the past. We each admit that we do not actually know a lot about Latvia. Pankuka cafe is, in a means, a small Latvian embassy.
“Czechs are stated to be withdrawn and do not smile, however Latvians are much more so. After I moved right here, I used to be stunned that the cashier needs you a pleasant day,” says Geula Procházka, who opened the household cafe Pankuka, which implies “pancake” in Latvian when her son was two months previous.
“It is like our second youngster,” admits the black-haired cafe proprietor, including that it would not be doable with out her husband, with whom she alternates parenting duties. He works within the morning, she works within the afternoon, that is why the cafe is open on weekdays from two o’clock within the afternoon, on Saturdays from morning for brunch, and they’re closed on Sundays.
How did Geula really get to Pilsen? Easy reply. She fell in love and later moved to the Czech Republic. “I miss the ocean,” she admits once we ask how she lives right here. So not less than the chilly Baltic hangs in a photograph on one of many partitions of a comfy cafe with wood furnishings and flowers. There are additionally indicators in Latvian on the bogs.
What bread tastes like in a dessert
We got here to style Latvia, so we have an interest within the sweets within the showcase. “Numerous desserts in Latvia are influenced by Russian tradition. In my hometown Daugavpils, individuals communicate Russian, however every little thing is written in Latvian,” says Geula, providing us puff pastry with yolk cream. This dessert known as Napoleon.
Nonetheless, a historically Latvian dessert is trifle with Rupjmaize bread. Numerous fruit, crumbled bread and cream are layered within the glass. On this mixture, all of the flavors are related, and if Geula hadn’t stated that one in every of them is Latvian bread, you would not comprehend it. Do not think about Czech Šumava, extra like crumbled health bread, however even Latvian bread approaches this style by about half.
A success in Pankuka is the Latvian traditional Sieriņš, i.e. a cheese bar in chocolate. “I had a whole lot of concepts for desserts, however we needed to discover a compromise and hit the Czech style,” says Geula, who stated she additionally needed to supply a dessert known as Chlebová souple, i.e. bread pudding with dried fruit and whipped cream on high, but it surely was not met with enthusiasm. It’s stated that Czechs principally go for snails and cookies.
Chocolate brownies are additionally fashionable. “My husband discovered the recipe for them in Latvian,” admits Geula. Earlier than the couple moved to Pilsen, they lived for half a 12 months in her native nation, the place Geula studied programming. She and her husband share this discipline.
Latvian espresso with cream
After all, the espresso itself can also be essential in each cafe. Pankuka depends on Father’s Espresso Roastery, a selective roaster from Ostrava, which I already met throughout a report in Kobliza, Brno.
We style RAF Latvian espresso. It’s made out of espresso that’s whipped with a superb quantity of heavy cream. By itself, it is a thick consistency that may’t be doubted to energise an individual immediately. My colleague Jakub has caramel syrup added to it, after which rolls his eyes slightly on the quantity of energy he’ll devour right this moment. Particularly when he additionally tastes Latvian honey. However RAF espresso is one thing actually particular, which you most likely will not discover anyplace else within the Czech Republic.
Brunches are actually held within the cafe on Saturdays. Clients can have savory Latvian pancakes full of ham, cheese and served with bitter cream and Parmesan cheese. Or they’ll strive the candy model of pancakes with baked apples, cinnamon and cane sugar. And thirdly, in addition they have the already talked about Latvian Rupjmaize bread with scrambled eggs and farm ham on the Saturday menu.
Latvian pop rock band Prāta Vētra, internationally often known as Brainstorm, performs within the cafe. Pankuka is really a small glimpse into the Latvian world with out having to journey to the Baltics. You possibly can have a pleasant chat about Latvia with the stunning Geula, who realized fluent Czech in six years and has now additionally obtained Czech citizenship.