Malkalnu Cheeses / Bludzi Farm

Latvian Heritage

The sign is awarded for keeping the tradition of Latvian caraway cheese alive.
Blūdži is a traditional Latvian farmstead where many of the skills and practices once found on every rural farm are still part of everyday life. Farmer Ināra Mālkalne, together with her family, makes cheese and bakes bread, while also preserving home-grown vegetables to make preserves, salads and other traditional farm produce.
Blūdži is one of the few places where visitors can come and learn how to make traditional Latvian caraway cheese. The farm’s products can be purchased on site and at farmers’ markets and other markets throughout Latvia.

Cheese Route

The Blūdži farm is run by farmer and cheesemaker Ināra Mālkalne producing ~30 varieties of cheese. Cheeses: Baltais (White) Cheese, Cheese with Seeds, Cheese with Caraway, Cheese with Fenugreek, Cheese with Dill and Garlic, Special Cheese, flavoured with a blend of herbs, mustard seeds and garlic, Spanish Cheese with sun-dried tomatoes, “Ukri taste” cheese (with red and green peppers and garlic), “Champion” cheese (in honour of the family’s sons, who are rugby champions in Latvia; with dried dill, parsley, chives and garlic), two types of marinated cheese (simple and in a chili and honey sauce). All of the cheeses except for “Ukri taste,” “Champion” and the marinated cheeses are smoked.

The Blūdži farm was established in 1993 and is run by farmer and cheesemaker Ināra Mālkalne. The farm’s cheeses are therefore widely known as Mālkalnu cheeses. Alongside cheesemaking, Blūdži also bakes bread and makes preserves from organically grown vegetables. Its homemade tomato juice, made from tomatoes grown in the farm’s own greenhouses, is particularly popular.

Cheeses
Blūdži produces around 30 varieties of cheese, with the selection changing and expanding with the seasons and the rhythm of farm life. The range includes:

Baltais siers – White Cheese
Siers ar sēklām – Cheese with Seeds
Siers ar ķimenēm – Cheese with Caraway
Siers ar sierāboliņu – Cheese with Fenugreek
Siers ar dillēm un ķiplokiem – Cheese with Dill and Garlic
Siers īpašais – Special Cheese, flavoured with a blend of herbs, mustard seeds and garlic
Spāņu siers – Spanish Cheese with sun-dried tomatoes
Ukru garša – “Ukru Flavour”, with green and red peppers and garlic
Čempions – “Champion”, with dried dill, parsley, dried spring onions and garlic

The range also includes two marinated cheeses: Marinated Cheese and Homemade Cheese in Chilli and Honey Sauce, among others. Most of the cheeses are also available smoked.

How the Cheese is Made
Every cheese is handmade using traditional methods and natural ingredients.

For Visitors
Blūdži is an open farm welcoming visitors and groups. Visitors can learn about the cheesemaking process and take part in cheese tastings.

Where to Buy
Cheeses can be purchased directly from the farm and at Vidzemes Market in Riga.