Students at Ventspils Technical College are learning about wild meadow produce and how to use it in cooking

The Latvian Nature Fund, in collaboration with the association “Young Chefs” Movement”, is continuing to run masterclasses for aspiring chefs on wild meadow produce and its use in cooking. On 18 February, students from the catering programme at Ventspils Technical College took part in the masterclass.

To kick off the masterclasses, the Latvian Nature Fund gave the audience an insight, via a presentation, into what natural meadows are, why they are important to us, and what people can gain from meadows, concluding with a short competition and prizes. Representatives of the Young Chefs’ Movement then spoke about themselves, their involvement in various collaborative projects and events, and encouraged aspiring chefs to be bold, join in and get involved.

This was followed by the practical part of the masterclass in the kitchen – the laboratory. Budding chefs from all groups took part – both first-year students and more experienced ones who had already competed in culinary competitions. The masterclass was led by experienced head chefs – Žanis-Raivo Behmanis from the restaurant “Kopa” and Kristaps Lieldaudzietis from the restaurant “Goldingen Room”.

The young people had the opportunity to prepare various dishes themselves using natural meadow produce. On the menu: fried meadow cheese with herbs and pieces of freeze-dried lamb, lamb’s liver pâté, beef tartare, and caramelised butter ice cream.

The dishes were prepared using produce from natural meadows on farms in Kurzeme: beef from cattle reared on natural meadows by SIA “Rukši”, lamb products from the “Kliņģeri” farm, and meadow dairy products from ZS “Bišudārzi”. These producers manage natural meadows, and the products they produce are labelled with the “Natural Meadow Product” mark.

Natural grasslands are the most endangered habitats in the European Union and Latvia, and their survival depends on human economic activity. Over the last hundred years, the area of natural grasslands has declined rapidly, and currently they cover only 0.9% of Latvia’s territory (by way of comparison, around 100 years ago natural grasslands covered more than 30% of the territory). Natural meadows provide us, as a society, with a wide range of benefits, which, in a nutshell, can be described as ecosystem services that are vital to ensuring the well-being of society. 

Masterclasses for aspiring chefs are organised As part of the EU LIFE-IP LatViaNature project, with the aim of supporting entrepreneurship in the sustainable management of natural grasslands.