September 14, 2006
A few of us stopped after our walking tour in Riga old town to try some hot chocolate. This was not the Hot Chocolate we know of in USA, this is HOT CHOCOLATE and I must admit, I really enjoyed it. The store was full of chocolate objects, even chocolate soccer balls.
Black Balsam
Black Balsam? It isn’t chocolate although it is black and thick. The taste is sharp and bitter and has been produced in Latvia and only Latvia since 1752. It contains bark, wormwood, and other magical herbs. The story goes that Catherine the Great fell ill during one of her visits. Her pharmacist tried a variety of things which didn’t work. In desperation, the Dr. threw everything he had into the brew and a few sips later Catherine had a miraculous recovery. Since then, Latvians have been taking this to cure everything.
Traditional food in Latvia:
The McDonald’s down the street was packed. I noticed instead of a drive through, they had a walk-up. By the looks of McDonald’s, the stock should be doing well.
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