Latvia · Dish
Pelēkie zirņi ar speķi: grey peas with bacon
Large grey peas served with fried bacon or smoked pork and onions form one of Latvia’s clearest cold-weather food traditions. The dish is especially associated with Christmas, but it may appear on traditional menus at other times.
- Dish type
- Pea and pork main or side
- Key ingredients
- Grey peas, bacon or smoked pork, onion
- Strongest association
- Christmas and winter
- Latvian name
- Pelēkie zirņi ar speķi
This guide is independently written and checked against official Latvian government and food-quality information.
Pelēkie zirņi ar speķi
Latvian grey peas with smoked pork and onion
A representative Latvian home-style recipe for tender grey peas served with fried fatty smoked pork and onion.
- Preparation
- 15 min
- Cooking
- 1 hr
- Total
- 9 hrs 15 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Soaking time
- 8 hrs
- Energy / serving
- Approx. 510 kcal
Estimated energy is calculated from the listed quantities and stated yield. Actual values vary with brands, optional ingredients, serving size and absorbed frying fat.
Ingredients
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- 250 g dried large grey peas
- 200 g fatty smoked pork belly, smoked bacon or smoked pork cheek
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 20 g butter or rendered pork fat, only if needed
- Salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Sour cream, for serving (optional)
Method
-
Soak the peas
Rinse the grey peas, cover them generously with cold water and leave them to soak for about 8 hours or overnight.
-
Simmer until tender
Drain and rinse the peas, cover them with fresh water and simmer gently for 40 to 60 minutes, until tender but still holding their shape. Add salt near the end of cooking.
-
Fry the pork
Dice the smoked pork and fry it slowly in a wide pan until some of its fat renders and the edges begin to brown.
-
Cook the onion
Add the chopped onion to the pork and cook until soft and lightly golden. Add a little butter or pork fat only if the pan is too dry.
-
Drain and serve
Drain the peas thoroughly and serve them hot with the fried smoked pork, onion and rendered fat spooned over the top. Season with black pepper and offer sour cream separately if desired.
Storage
Refrigerate cooled peas and pork separately or together in covered containers for up to 3 days. Reheat thoroughly before serving.
Allergens
Milk may be present if butter or sour cream is used
For eating out in Latvia, see Restaurant and allergy phrases.
What pelēkie zirņi ar speķi are
Dried grey peas are soaked, boiled until tender and combined with fried bacon or smoked pork and onion. The result is earthy, smoky and filling, with the peas retaining more shape and bite than a smooth pea purée.
The familiar English description is “grey peas with bacon”. Speķis can refer to fatty or smoked pork products rather than one universally standard bacon cut, so the meat and richness vary by cook.
Why the dish is linked with Christmas
Latvia’s national tourism authority describes grey peas with bacon as a traditional Christmas-table dish and connects peas with prosperity and vitality in Latvian folklore. That festive association is strong, although the dish is not limited to one day of the year.
Winter menus are the most natural place to look. Outside the colder months, availability depends on the restaurant and its decision to keep traditional dishes on the menu.
The peas and the protected product
Latvia also has an EU-registered protected product called Latvijas lielie pelēkie zirņi, or Latvian large grey peas. A plate described simply as grey peas does not automatically establish that a protected product was used; ask the producer or restaurant if that distinction matters.
Modern cooks also use grey peas in salads, spreads and other dishes. Those versions show the ingredient’s range but are different from the bacon-and-onion preparation featured here.
Where to look for it
Traditional Latvian restaurants, country inns and winter food events are the most likely settings. Riga gives the widest choice, while regional events may offer a more seasonal or household-style version.
Menus may translate the dish as grey peas with bacon, grey peas with pork or peas with speck. The Latvian name is the most reliable phrase to recognise.
Ordering and dietary notes
The standard version is not vegetarian because the pork and its rendered fat are central to the dish. A meat-free modern version may exist, but it should be treated as a variation rather than assumed from the name.
Ask about dairy and other additions if these matter. Portion size also varies: some menus serve grey peas as a substantial main dish, while others offer a smaller side or tasting portion.
Questions cooks often ask
What are Latvian grey peas?
They are dried whole peas with a grey-brown skin, not fresh green peas or split peas. Look for Latvian grey peas at Baltic or Eastern European food shops, and check that the packet is intended for soaking and simmering.
Do grey peas really need to soak overnight?
An 8-hour or overnight soak gives the most even and predictable result. Drain the soaking water, rinse the peas, and cook them in fresh water. Unsoaked peas can take much longer and may cook unevenly.
How do I know when the peas are cooked?
Taste several peas. They should be tender through the centre but still hold their shape when drained. Add salt near the end because the smoked pork will contribute additional salt at serving time.
Can I make grey peas without smoked pork?
Yes. Brown the onion slowly in butter or neutral oil and serve it over the drained peas. This is a meat-free variation, so confirm that no meat stock or rendered pork fat is used elsewhere.
Can I cook grey peas ahead of time?
Yes. Refrigerate the cooled peas and pork together or separately for up to 3 days. Reheat thoroughly and add a spoonful of water if the peas seem dry.
Check the primary information
Sources and editorial checking
This guide was last reviewed on 5 August 2026. The sources below provide official background on grey peas with bacon, winter food traditions and Latvia’s food-quality schemes.
Ministry of Agriculture: Food quality schemes
Official Latvian explanation of protected traditional foods including sklandrausis and rye bread.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Latvian cuisine
Official cultural overview of Latvian staples, celebrations, smoked-pork pastries and dairy traditions.
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