At a Greek-owned grocery store (Village Market, 4034 Dempster, next to Scandinavian Design) in Skokie, IL (predominantly Jewish suburb of Chicago), where the deli personnel are Russian, Polish and Bulgarian, this week’s cheese special is Holandes, from Latvia (Limbaži).  $4 something a pound.

I tried Limbažu semi-soft Kostromas cheese a few weeks ago from this store.  It was great.  But Holandes has always been one of my favorites when visiting LV - fantastic that it’s now available in the U.S. midwest. . . siermaizītes here we come! 

http://www.rpk.lv/index.php/article/archive/274/

“But Holandes has always been one of my favorites when visiting LV - ....”

My favorite cheeses when in Latvia are “Latvijas siers” and Backsteins.

Visu labu,

My favorite is Janu siers and/or any kind with caraway; I’d probably like the Skabpiena kimenu siers.  You lucky midwesterners out there.  Here the type of products are more limited (everything seems to be predominantly Italian and more Italian…); however, I haven’t checked out the Russian delis lately, something I should do now that the summer is over.

Irena

I also like Holandes & Janu siers. I wish I could find them here in Boston (maybe someone here can point me in the right direction). I also like Dzintars cheese spread and can find it here in Boston at the Russian store Bazaar. It’s great on toast, sublime on rupjmaize!

Pierre

Greetings from RIX, everyone! I’m here for a short 3 days, but ran to the grocery store this morning to stock up on my favorite Latvian dairy products: Karums biezpiensierini, Krievijas siers, European jogurt of any kind, and majas siers.  Yummm.
Vanda, I’m so jealous that you can get LV cheese at your (practically) local store. And at a pretty reasonable price.  I’ll have to take a better look at some of the Russian stores in the DC area. The only one I’ve been to is quite small and expensive.

>I also like Holandes & Janu siers.
>I wish I could find them here in Boston
>(maybe someone here can point me in the
>right direction). I also like Dzintars
>cheese spread and can find it here in
>Boston at the Russian store Bazaar. It’s
>great on toast, sublime on rupjmaize!
>
>Pierre

Sveiki Pierre!

Don’t know if I can point you in the right direction,since my trips into Boston are rather infrequent.  You’re obviously familiar with Bazar foods on 1432 Beacon St., Brookline (another location on 424 Cambridge St. Allston).  I think the one on Beacon Street used to be called by another name and since then, there have been alot of renovations.  When my aunt came from Latvia my mother and I took her there to look around and her words were: ‘nu nekas jau seviskis nav’, which loosely translates into, ‘nothing special’.  For us it was/is a treat and of course since she has access to so much more of a variety of foodstuff in Latvia, I guess her reaction was understandable.

There’s also the Russian Village on 1627 Beacon St Brookline and Moscow International, 133 Harvard Ave, Allston.  I found that there are some things at one place where you might not find at another and vice versa.  One of my favorite items is halva, not the sunflower seed type which looks like mud (though, I know, it’s supposed to be very healthy), but the one made from sesame seeds; I especially like pistachio halva.

Another place that has a Russian/Ukranian restaurant and store on the premises is in a little shopping mall in Sharon, MA.  They had imported butter from Latvia and some other items.  I know how to get there, it’s not far from Rt 27, but alas, I’ve become one of those typical people from MA (living here too long), who know how to get to a place, but don’t remember any of the names of streets—I just get in the car and drive, head out in that direction.

Maybe this will be of some help.  In my opinion, there’s really not a heck of alot of variety here as far as foodstuffs.  Can’t even find a nearby German deli, where once upon a time long ago, when I was growing up, that was no problem.

Good luck un laba apetite!

Irena

>

Paldies Irena!

I haven’t been to the Russian Village yet.  My wife is desparately looking for good sausages, something hard to find in the hotdog jungle we have here. I told her we should look in the european delis, but we haven’t had much luck so far. While we were living in Germany, we were in sausage heaven.  :-)

Pierre

Back in the days here in the good ol’ Bean Town area, there were decent sausages,bread(Lithuanian dark or light rye) to be found.  Well, I guess the Lithuanian bakers, stores have died out as well as many of the German delis.  My father, too was a sausage aficionado, favoring the imported German, Polish brands.  One of his favorite snacks was a sandwich (rupmaize of course), with a thick slab of butter, thick slice of Polish sausage (not Kilbasa, but I think it was some kind of Krakow sausage, which I thought was pretty tasty as well), topped off by a generous slice of tilziter cheese.  The latter he was particularly partial to and wow was that cheese something—I just couldn’t get behind it and beyond that odor, worse than Limburger.  I still remember the every Friday night shopping; my parents stopping in at Braun’s Deli in Jamaica Plain and then on to the regular supermarket.  How embarrased I was as the grocery boy (I was always hoping it wasn’t someone I knew or who recognized me) bringing our bags over to the car—that deadly assault of tilsiter as he opened up the car door.

Brauns’ of course, is long gone.  But there were other German delis in the area for a while.  Lately, however, I can’t think of one that’s here in the general area.  Sadly, I guess there just isn’t a great demand for this type of European food any more in this locale. 

Irena

I think i know why Limbažu siers is
zooooo goooooot, they get the milk
from Lielpupu pagasta….....

pete

More on cheese.

I bought caraway cheese here in U.S.A.
It is very close to latvian Janu siers and is made by Amish in Ohio, U.S.A.

Bunker Hill Cheese
6005 County Road 77
Millersburg, Ohio, 44654
Phone toll free in U.S.A.  1-(800) 253-6636

Caraway seed cheese 3 pound wheel—$14.95(code 0083) Plus shiping.

I like it and beats slaving over the hot stove to make it at home.

More info on http://www.heinis.com

Janis

Paldies Jani!

Seems to me I’ve been there before, this very same place called Heinis in Ohio.  My husband’s family drove us to an Amish place, a little enclave with stores exhibiting crafts, handiwork and of course, there was the cheese.  Aisles upon aisles, as well as viewing the process of cheese making.

I really do like caraway and/or Janu siers; sometimes in the local supermarket I can pick up harvarti with caraway,but that’s less often than not.  So, I’m glad to have access to a place where I can purchase the caraway and will definitely place an order.

Visu labu,

Irena

Irena,

That’s the place and their cheese is tops.

Janis

Nav Limbazu siers, but…today my caraway wheel arrived from Heinis in Ohio.  Loti labs, un esmu loti apmierinata.

Irena

Irena,

I can smell it from here… smaržigs!  :-)

Pierre

Irena,

How did you order it—-via toll free 800 phone number?
How much was the UPS shiping?
I assume that you live in Mass.

Janis

Irena,

How did you order it—-via toll free 800 phone number?
How much was the UPS shiping?
I assume that you live in Mass.

Janis