LITHUANIAN TRADITIONAL CUISINE

Lithuanians like to eat a lot and enjoy good food Lithuanians like to eat a lot and enjoy good food. Our traditional cuisine is pretty simple but has a variety of interesting dishes. Rye, wheat, barley, potatoes, various kinds of meat, vegetables and fruit, mushrooms and diary products are often used when preparing Lithuanian food.

Lithuanian cuisine features the products suited to its cool and moist northern climate. Since it shares its climate and agricultural practices with Eastern Europe, Lithuanian cuisine has much in common with the Eastern European (Polish, Ukrainian) cuisine, and shares some similarities to the Scandinavian cuisine, too .

German traditions also influenced Lithuanian cuisine, introducing pork and potato dishes, such as potato pudding (kugelis or kugel) and potato or blood sausages (vėdarai), as well as the branchy tree cake known as Šakotis (Baumkuchen). Nevertheless, Lithuanian cuisine has its own distinguishing features, which were formed by a variety of influences during the country's long and difficult history.

Juoda duona – Black (Rye) Bread

Juoda duona – Black (Rye) Bread Duona (bread) is probably the oldest traditional Lithuanian food that has been the center of the Lithuanian cuisine for hundreds of years. It played a role in various agrarian rituals and still is sometimes used in wedding ceremonies. Bread was shown great respect and viewed as holy. Lithuanian dark rye bread is delicious, heavy, fragrant and can remain fresh for a long time. It can be eaten during breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Bulvės - Potatoes The most commonly used vegetable in Lithuanian recipes is the potato; in its simplest forms, it is boiled, baked, or fried, often garnished with dill, but a huge variety of potato recipes exist. Potatoes were introduced into Lithuania in the late 18th century, were found to prosper in its climate, and soon became indispensable.

Didžkukuliai or Cepelinai: Zeppelins - the National Dish

Didžkukuliai or Cepelinai: Zeppelins - the National Dish Didžkukuliai, more often known as cepelinai is the most popular Lithuanian dish .Cepelinai are big, Zeppelin-shaped (that's where they got their name from) dumplings made from potatoes stuffed with meat, cottage cheese, smoked ham or mushrooms. They are usually served with sour cream, melted butter, small fried bacon pieces or mushrooms.

Bulviniai blynai – Potato Pancakes

Bulviniai blynai – Potato Pancakes Bulviniai blynai, or potato pancakes are one of many Lithuanian dishes made from potatoes. They are usually served with sour cream, sometimes with mushrooms. They are oh-so-very tasty, so you should never mind the extra calories.

Kugelis (bulvių plokštainis) – Potato pudding

Kugelis (bulvių plokštainis) – Potato pudding Kugelis (also bulvių plokštainis), literally "flat potatato dish” is a baked potato pudding that is a Lithuanian national dish. The main ingredients are potatoes, bacon, milk, onions, and eggs. It may be spiced with salt, black pepper, and bay leaves. It is usually eaten with sour cream, crumbled fried fat or pork. Similar dishes are the German kugel and Belarusian potato babka.

Šaltibarščiai – Cold Borscht (Beetroot Soup)

Šaltibarščiai – Cold Borscht (Beetroot Soup) Beets are grown in Lithuania widely , and are often used for making borscht and other side dishes. Šaltibarščiai (Beetroot soup) is a popular summer soup. It's made from cooked shredded beets, cucumber, dill and green onions. All the vegetables are put into a pot and cold soured milk or kefir is added. Šaltibarščiai are usually served with hot boiled or fried potatoes on the side. Sometimes a sliced hard-boiled egg is added into the plate as well. It's a great meal on a hot summer day.

Balandėliai – “Little Doves”

Balandėliai – “Little Doves” Cabbage is another popular vegetable, used as a basis for soups, or wrapped around fillings. Balandėliai ("little doves") are made from cabbage leaves stuffed with a minced meat, rice and onion filling. They can be served with sour cream or tomato sauce. Note: since rice is not grown in Lithuania, pearl barley had been used instead in the traditional recipes.

Mėsa - Meat The most frequently used meat is pork, followed by beef, veal, lamb, chicken, rabbit, duck and goose.The meat preparation includes frying or roasting, brining, salting and drying, or smoking. There are many kinds of smoked pork products, including ham and sausage with a large-grained filling; these are served as a main course or thinly sliced as sandwich fillings.

Skilandis - Stuffed Pig Stomach or Bladder

Skilandis – Stuffed Pig Stomach or Bladder Skilandis - pig stomach or bladder stuffed with minced meat mixed with garlic, cold-smoked and matured for a long time. It’s a traditional Lithuanian cuisine meal, sweet smelling and quite expensive. It is not used every day and it is considered as delicacy. It can be preserved for a long time. It is one of the many smoked meat products that are popular in Lithuania, such as smoked and dried ham or smoked sausage.

Lašiniai – Smoked fat bacon

Lašiniai – Smoked fat bacon Lašiniai are slabs of pork underskin fat with skin, often eaten as an appetizer with bread and/or onions. Lithuanian lašiniai are a smoked product while the Russian and Ukrainian version salo is usually salted.

Vėdarai - Roasted stuffed pig guts

Vėdarai – Roasted stuffed pig guts Vėdarai is a traditional Lithuanian dish. It is made by roasting the pig guts stuffed with a filling. The most popular are two types of the filling – one made from grated potatoes or another one made from grated potatoes mixed with pig blood. The dish is served with small fried bacon bits or with sour cream. It is usually eaten for dinner.

Kastinys – ‘Spicy Butter’

Kastinis – ‘Spicy Butter’ Kastinis – is an old traditional Lithuanian diary dish of the Lowlands region made from sour cream, sour milk, butter and spices. The taste reminds of spicy butter or very fat sour cream. The dish is prepared in a similar way like butter, however, it is necessary to prepare it in the ceramic bowl mixing the components with a wooden spoon. The preparation lasts up to 4 hours. Caraway seeds, garlic, salt, pepper is used for seasoning the dish. It is served with hot jacket potatoes, bread, boiled eggs or porridge.

Šakotis – ‘Branchy’ Tree Cake

Šakotis – ‘Branchy Tree’ Cake Šakotis is a popular Lithuanian traditional cake, similar to German Baumkuchen. It has been known in Lithuania long time ago. Its name means "branched", and that describes its distinctive shape. It is baked by painting layers of batter onto a rotating spit in a special oven. It is not the same as German Baumkuchen, although often confused with it. It can be decorated with chocolate and flower ornaments, but it is often served plain. Šakotis is one of the most important desserts in Lithuanian celebrations, especially at wedding or birthday parties.

Rūkytas karšis – Smoked bream

Rūkytas karšis – Smoked bream Rūkytas karšis – the smoked bream is one of the most famous and delicious smoked fish in Lithuania. It is the traditional meal of our Silute region. It is prepared with different kinds of pepper, salt and garlic and served cold, usually with beer.

Stinta – Smelt fish

Stinta – Smelt fish Stinta – the smelt fish is also one of the traditional and favourite fish in our Silute region. The smelt is a sea fish that lives in the coastal waters of Europe from the Baltic Sea to the Bay of Biscay and migrates in early spring to our coasts for spawning.This fish smells like fresh cucumbers and is very tasty just simply fried in a pan or salted and dried. It’s some kind of the celebration when the smelt fish come to our region as everyone waits for the start of its fishing every spring.

YOU ARE ALWAYS WELCOME TO LITHUANIA - TO TASTE OUR TRADITIONAL TO MEET OUR PEOPLE, AND OUR CULTURE, AND TO TASTE OUR TRADITIONAL LITHUANIAN CUISINE!!!

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