Jāņu siers is the traditional caraway cheese prepared for Latvia’s Jāņi midsummer celebration.
Its name means “Jāņi cheese,” and it is usually a round, yellow cheese made from curd and milk. Caraway seeds give it a distinctive flavor, while its round form is often associated with the sun, an important symbol in midsummer customs.
Jāņi takes place around the summer solstice and combines Christian Saint John traditions with older Latvian seasonal practices. Families commonly serve the cheese with beer, rye bread and other festive foods. Jāņu siers should not be confused with sklandrausis, a Latvian rye pastry, or with generic farmer’s cheese, which may be eaten year-round but is not the named Jāņi specialty.