The tradition of baking spiced gingerbread cookies in Latvia goes back hundreds of years. In medieval times, spices like ginger and cinnamon were expensive and exotic — only wealthy families could afford to use them in baking. Over time the spices became more affordable and the tradition spread to everyone, eventually becoming one of the most beloved parts of a Latvian Christmas.
Latvian piparkūkas dough is made with rye flour, honey, butter, eggs and a blend of spices that each baker adjusts to their own taste. The dough is rolled thin and cut into shapes using special cutters. After baking, the cookies are hard and crisp — they last for weeks without going soft, which made them perfect for giving as gifts that could be carried long distances.
Decorating piparkūkas is a big part of the tradition. Families often gather together — grandparents, parents and children all at once — to ice the cooled cookies with white royal icing, making patterns, faces, flowers and words. Latvian mothers and grandmothers often have their own secret spice recipe that they pass on to their children.
While piparkūkas are most closely associated with Christmas, you can buy them in Latvian shops all year round. Some bakeries make giant versions — the size of a plate — as special gifts. At the Riga Christmas Market, the smell of freshly baked piparkūkas drifts through the whole Old Town.