Smoked Sprats from Riga

Riga Smoked Sprats are one of the most authentic specialties of the Baltic states, a culinary tradition that Riga—the capital of Latvia—has cultivated for centuries on the shores of the Baltic Sea. The sprat is a small fish of the Clupeidae family, closely related to herring and anchovies, but with a delicacy and mildness that give it a special place in Nordic cuisine.

These Kaspia sprats—made from sprats marinated in sunflower oil after being slowly smoked over wood—offer an incomparable flavor: slightly smoky, delicate, and mild, with a melt-in-your-mouth texture that breaks apart easily yet retains its shape. They are uniformly small in size, with thin, smooth skin, and are neatly presented in the can.

According to Baltic tradition, they are served as an appetizer on slices of buttered black rye bread—Borodino or Riga bread, which is dense and slightly sweet—topped with a few slices of hard-boiled egg, thick sour cream, and chopped chives. They pair perfectly with Kaspia malossol pickles and a Latvian or Russian vodka served very cold, for an impeccable Baltic zakouski.

Net weight: 160 g. Store in a cool, dry place, away from light.