Exploring Home Cafes in Selonia!

This year, from September 7 to 8, the “Home Cafe Days” will take place in the Selonian Islands. 28 improvised home cafes across the historical land of Selonia, including 11 in the Aizkraukle region, will welcome guests with delicious food and a rich cultural program.

The Selonian Islands, as a unified destination for the “Home Cafe Days,” will kick off for the fourth year. Anticipating the ripening of crops in Selonian fields and small towns, hosts will prepare dishes and drinks from their own grown products, with recipes based on ancient traditions and new flavor experiments. In the Aizkraukle region, the “Home Cafe Days” will take place in Jaunjelgava, Nereta, Daudzeva, Mazzalve, Pilskalne, Sece, Staburags, and Sunakste parish.

This year, in several cafes, visitors will have the opportunity to taste shama in various variations. At the Sece cafe “Delights in Gundegas,” one can enjoy fire-cooked shama, while at the Staburags cafe “By the manor ponds,” baked shama will be served, and at the Pilskalne cafe “Imelins,” guests will be treated to shama in fur. Visitors will have the chance to taste unusual dishes such as hot ice cream in Erberge, oak leaf coffee in Sunakste, or venison goulash soup in Daudzeva.

Hosts have also arranged entertainment and culture. In Sunakste, visitors can go horseback riding, listen to the band “Lucky Happening,” or participate in a neurography workshop. In Daudzeva, one can learn about the cider-making process. Meanwhile, in Nereta, guests can listen to the music of the famous singer Ara Ziemelis' family or play music on a wide player and even go for a ride in a vintage car.

Remember:

when planning your route, visits must be booked in advance;

in Selonia, “Home Cafes” only accept cash payments;

some cafes operate for 1 day, while others for 2 days;

all participants have attended a lecture by the Food and Veterinary Service on hygiene standards in food circulation;

these are not “traditional” cafes, and hosts may not have prior experience in guest service. The essence of home cafes is hospitality and enjoying homemade food.