In Latvia, the traditional caraway-seed cheese eaten at Jāņi is Jāņu siers.
Jāņu siers is a soft Latvian sour-milk cheese strongly associated with Jāņi, the Latvian summer-solstice festival. Its distinctive flavor comes from caraway seeds, which are mixed with curds along with salt and usually eggs, butter or cream. The curds are heated until they separate from the whey, then shaped, drained and often pressed in cheesecloth before being served.
The cheese is more than a seasonal dish: it has become one of the symbols of Latvian cultural identity. Jāņi celebrations also feature singing, wreaths made from flowers or oak leaves, bonfires and beer. The cheese’s name literally means “Jāņi cheese,” while ķimeņu siers is another Latvian expression connected with caraway cheese. A common mix-up is to treat Jāņu siers as an imported blue or hard cheese; it is instead a fresh, compact traditional cheese with a mildly tangy taste. In 2015, the product was entered in the European Union’s Traditional Speciality Guaranteed register under the name Jāņu siers.