Engines on, Riga-Gauja region (Latvia) is on the starting line, ready to launch its year as 2017 European Region of Gastronomy. The first Riga Street Food Festival – Winter Edition is the unique and unprecedented gourmet event chosen for the grand opening, inaugurating a series of exciting initiatives organized by the region throughout the year.

On 14 January, Riga’s top chefs will surprise and delight the attending audience with their own versions of Latvian gastronomic masterpieces, meals created using Riga-Gauja region’s rich winter produce, encompassing both the primeval and the contemporary.

Dzintars Kristovskis, chef of Valmiermuiža embassy in Riga and Riga-Gauja region ambassador, excellently summarises the philosophy underpinning the European Region of Gastronomy project: “European Region of Gastronomy is about returning to the roots – back to the produce and raw materials that we’ve hailed, respected and consumed for centuries, that have grown right here, behind the city walls – in our bountiful forests, meadows, fields, rivers and lakes.”

Riga-Gauja region, including the municipalities of Riga, Sigulda, Cesis and Valmiera. will share 2017 title with Aarhus – Central Denmark region (Denmark) and East Lombardy (Italy).

The European Region of Gastronomy Platform and Award aim to contribute to better quality of life in European regions, by highlighting distinctive food cultures, educating for better health and sustainability, and stimulating gastronomic innovation. Candidate regions are invited to join a knowledge-exchange platform of European regions in order to further cross-border collaborations and develop shared initiatives. IGCAT (International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Arts, and Tourism) organises the award with the support of European institutions. It is an international network of experts that aim to guide, facilitate and support leaders in cities, regions, and cultural projects to understand the potential of their distinct food, culture, arts, and sustainable tourism assets.

Further information about Riga-Gauja – European Region of Gastronomy 2017 and the Riga Street Food Festival – Winter Edition can be found at www.rigagauja.lv and on Facebook.