Rye bread holds a deep meaning for Latvians - simple, daily, yet deeply symbolic of the culture. This one type of loaf has been called by many names - "pelavmaize", "melnā maize", "klona maize". Similarly, our cultural heritage appears in many forms, yet it springs from the same source - people. It also consists of many parts or "loaf slices". For us, heritage is our streets, our crafts and our games.

The first "slice" of our cultural loaf is Jelgava’s Old Town Street. Latvian heritage lives in the wooden facades and cobblestones. This street is not only a reminder of Jelgava’s past as a cultural and educational center, but also a living testimony to resilience. War has reshaped the city, however, Old Town Street remains. It is a bridge between centuries, where past and present meet in everyday life.

White works or "baltie darbi", is another slice. Across Europe, embroidery has flourished in many forms - Madeira’s floral stitches, Assisi’s geometric patterns, Ireland’s delicate lace. In Latvia, white work embroidery skills became a treasure passed from mother to daughter, decorating dowry chests and household linens. Like bread, whitework is simple in color, being white thread on white cloth, yet rich in meaning, in its stitches, craftsmanship. It's heritage that lives in our hands, reminding us that anything can be created from the simplest of thread.

The third slice is novuss, a wooden board game often called “Latvian billiards”. It may seem meaningless but it carries heritage in its design and tradition. Families, friends and neighbors gather around the board to compete. Novuss is part of our local heritage that has traveled beyond Latvia becoming known in other countries as well. For us, novuss is not about winning or losing, it is about sharing time, culture, and smiles.

Heritage is not only about the past, it is about continuity. To be part of Europe means to recognize that Latvian heritage is also European heritage. And to be young means to take these “slices”, taste them, and carry them forward. For us, the "slices" of Latvian cultural loaf - old town streets, whitework embroidery, and novuss - are just parts of the whole culture. It is the passed down recipe of rye loaf we get to taste and learn how to make to pass onwards.