To plunge into the cultural life and appreciate food in Lithuania, a week is not enough for someone, but one weekend is enough for someone. The main thing is to know what to try, what you will not find anywhere except in Lithuania, in order to fully appreciate its diversity and originality.

Lithuania. Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/keht/

A traveler who comes to Lithuania will first of all note the romantic look of small houses with red roofs, neatly trimmed lawns, clean streets and ... the famous Lithuanian beer.

Beer in Lithuania

Beer Svyturys, Vilniaus alus, Utenos are the most famous.

Recently, beer tourism has become widespread. There are bars on every corner, and the prices for beer are affordable: a couple of dollars per glass. Even soup is made from beer in Lithuania.

This is the famous Busi trecias (you will be the third) brewery, which is also a restaurant, located in the central district of Vilnius. It even hosts guided tours.

Beer restaurant-brewery Busi trecias in Lithuania. Photo: beer-land.ru

There are a lot of beer restaurants in Lithuania. And you can drink beer and food is sold. Isn't it Paradise? 🙂

Gastronomic history of Lithuania

Undoubtedly, Lithuanian cuisine has undergone great changes since the XIV century. Historically, until the 19th century, there was a kitchen for rich people, for the gentry and nobles - Old Lithuanian cuisine. Old Lithuanian cuisine depended on hunting and beekeeping. Meat (bear, elk, venison), honey, fish (pike) are the main components of Lithuanian cuisine. Until now, Lithuanian chefs do not forget such dishes as pike with sauerkraut and pike with horseradish.

From the middle of the 19th century, the history of Old Lithuanian cuisine was interrupted. Since, together with the state, the very estate for which this very kitchen was created disappeared. The so-called peasant cuisine or Novolitovskaya began its existence, which will develop into the national Lithuanian cuisine.

There was a confusion with the traditions of the Crimean cuisine, the Ottoman Empire. Preserved salting and smoking of game, the use of honey. But, unfortunately, the peasants could not afford much. Wealthy peasants ate rye bread, potatoes, and poultry. Smoking and cooking sausages were common. Various soups, borscht, cottage cheese, maple and birch juice, pancakes. They brewed beer from hops and barley malt. The poor peasants were content with potatoes and milk.

Food in Lithuania

Lithuania is divided into 4 culinary and ethnographic regions: the Samogitians have the main dishes - porridge, the Aukštaitians - cottage cheese and pancakes, the Dzukians - potatoes, mushrooms and buckwheat porridge, the Suvaltians - smoked meat, sausage from potatoes.

But undoubtedly the main product for everyone is potatoes, and the most famous Lithuanian potato dish is zeppelins.

Lithuanian dish - Zeppellins. Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/zesa/

Inside the zeppelin meat, on top they are usually poured with sour cream. The second name for this dish is dijkukulay.

Lithuanian borsch

Every Lithuanian will feed you with soups and borscht. The recipe for Old Lithuanian borscht, according to the Lithuanians themselves, came to us from those distant times when Old Lithuanian cuisine existed. Usually they put several meat products: smoked bacon, ham, beef.

Starolitovsky Borsch. Photo: http://abedik.ru

Meat, poultry, fish

The popular meat dish is kumpis (ham of pork). Kumpis cook a variety different ways: stuffed, boiled.

Lithuanian dish - Kumpis (pork ham). Photo: http://cocinarendez-vous.blogspot.com

And also meat zrazy, which are usually prepared from beef. This dish is originally Polish, but Lithuanians only cook it in a saucepan, not in a pan like the Poles. It comes in the form of chops or cutlets. Served with sour cream, vegetables and herbs.

Lithuanian zrazy. Photo: http://lietuvos-vireja.blogspot.com

The goose is the favorite bird of Lithuanians. The goose is stuffed with a variety of fillings: porridge with mushrooms (kimshta zhasis), apples (zhasis su oboliais), sauerkraut (zhasis su copustais). The goose usually appears on the table on holidays, and it is cooked not in its own lard, but in pork.

Lithuanian dish - Fried goose with apples (Zhasis sous obolyais). Photo: gileskromelis.lt

In the past, fish was the main product of the peasants who lived on the seaside. True, the peasants for the most part bred carp as one of the most unpretentious fish. Pike (leadka) is popular in modern Lithuanian cuisine. It is also fried, mainly in lard, and stuffed.

Lithuanian ludo - stuffed pike. Photo: supermama.lt

Milk products

Lithuanian dairy products are famous in half of Europe. It is their quality, taste and incredible variety that are appreciated. For example, curd cheese is prepared using several technologies, there is just curd cheese, and there is dried curd cheese. Sweet ingredients or a variety of spices are added to the cheese.

Lithuanian cheese. Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dalyja/

Dessert

Tourists like to take sweets with them as a souvenir. Cakes, biscuits, jellies, and, of course, the traditional Lithuanian shakotis cake (in another way it is called bankuhen or stag), which can be found in any Lithuanian pastry shop. To prepare shakotis, mix flour, eggs and sugar, and cook using a stick, rotating it and pouring the resulting mixture over it. In this form, shakotis can be stored for up to six months.

Lithuanian national cake - Shakotis (bankuchen). Photo: http://www.imones.lt

Beverages

Popular drinks include lemonades, kvass, coffee, tea, honey, beer. Drink caraway water - a decoction of caraway seeds. Kvass is prepared on the basis of rye crackers and malt with various additives (herbs, leaves, honey, raisins). Alcohol is made from natural ingredients: various balms, liqueurs, liqueurs.

Old Lithuanian honey liqueur - Krupnikas. Photo: stumbras.eu

Recently, Lithuanians have been drinking more coffee, sitting in coffee shops. And from teas they prefer herbal teas made from herbs, berries and lemon.

Lithuanians are hospitable people. When you come to visit, you will see many dishes of the national Lithuanian cuisine: zeppelins, potato pancakes, borscht, sweets, and, of course, beer.

And since the 60s, more and more restaurateurs have decorated their premises in the national style. Therefore, having arrived in Lithuania, it is not difficult to immediately plunge into the national flavor of this country.

Bon Appetit!

The small, moderately modest and simply charming Baltic country of Lithuania attracts those travelers who prefer to rest in medical resorts in an area with mild climatic conditions. In addition to historical and cultural values, humane prices and beautiful sandy beaches, tourists note the attractiveness of Lithuanian cuisine. It does not require a certain rebuilding, as is often the case when traveling to other states. The local dishes are not distinguished by extremeness and complexity of preparation, the main thing is to study the gastronomic variety in advance in order to know what is worth trying first of all, which cannot be found in other parts of the world.

History of Lithuanian cuisine

Until the middle of the 19th century, Lithuanian cooking developed according to the Old Lithuanian recipe. It was aimed at the wealthy Lithuanian estate, taking into account the preference of the gentry and nobles. At that moment, the Baltic country determined the culinary fashion of Europe, which could not but affect the peculiarities of cooking. It is interesting that Lithuania is the founder of the tradition of serving snacks.
The main feature of the Old Lithuanian cuisine was the sophistication of the food served with a complex preparation procedure. Since it was based on hunting, on the table you could always find bear meat, venison, bull stuffed with game, smoked eel with minced mushroom meat, pike with horseradish. Another basis for Lithuanian food was bee-keeping.
It was not possible to imagine a table without honey in those days. Not a single celebration was complete without honey cakes or honey mash. Many ingredients in Lithuanian cuisine came from the Ottoman Empire and the Golden Horde. Cabbage rolls, which are now familiar, were previously prepared using grape leaves, that is, as eastern dolma. Moussak became the prototype of many fish dishes.
The collapse of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth gradually supplanted the Old Lithuanian cuisine, because along with the disappearance of the state, the noble class also disappeared. Recipes have become simpler, products are simpler. Peasant traditions laid the foundation for Novolitovsk cuisine, which later became an existing national trend. Potatoes, dairy products, poultry and Rye bread.
The peasants cooked borscht, fried pancakes, cooked sausages, smoked fish. Beer was brewed from hops and malt, which later became one of the hallmarks of the national cuisine. Novolitovskaya recipe practically excludes spices from everyday life. Only caraway and marjoram remain the main spices in it. For the dishes of that time, the influence of seasonal changes is characteristic: in the summer they ate vegetables and fish, especially herring, in the winter they slaughtered livestock.
The traditional spring drinks were maple and birch sap. Gastronomy in the country also depended on zoning. In Dzukija, the main dishes of the table were potatoes, mushrooms and buckwheat, in Samogitia - cereals served with sour milk and lard, fatty potato pancakes. In Aukštaitija, preference is given to pancakes, cottage cheese and curd cheeses, and in Suvalysija smoked meat and fish food is popular.

Dishes and recipes of Lithuanian cuisine

There is more meat and fish, dairy products and confectionery on the modern Lithuanian table. Tea and coffee drinks, various fruits are now in use. Unlike other Baltic countries, which take seafood as the basis for cooking, local recipes are characterized by a greater belonging to forest gifts - berries, mushrooms, game, honey.
The national characteristics of Lithuanian cuisine, which have already become widely known outside the state, can be distinguished as follows:
- ease of cooking. Recipes are not distinguished by intricacy, a variety of food combinations. Even a novice cook can easily prepare them.
- many dishes using starch. Since, according to the historically established tradition, the main product of the country is potatoes, most of the dishes contain it. Also, the starch content is present in Lithuanian recipes due to cereals and flour products.
- meat dishes are widespread. The most favorite meat of the locals is pork. Pastes from animal and bird carcasses are also popular.
- Lithuanians use a large number of dairy dishes, among which cheese and sour cream stand out.
- a small amount of spices in traditional recipes. Thanks to this, Lithuanian cuisine is good for everyone's stomach, even for children.

First meal

A significant place in the national cuisine is given to soups, and they are the most diverse here. Every Lithuanian will feed you hot, sweet or cold soup. By the way, this is a very hospitable nation; an excellent table will always be laid for guests here. A famous dish served for lunch is cold borscht, in the local dialect it is called shaltibarschiai. In other words, this is our traditional beetroot soup, but it is prepared using kefir. Boiled beets are cut into strips and, together with green onions and a boiled egg, are mixed in slightly salted kefir. Such a simple dish is traditionally accompanied by boiled potatoes sprinkled with dill and parsley.
Of the hot soups, the most popular is borscht with "ears". He himself prepares uncomplicated - beef is boiled, to which beets, sautéed onions, bay leaves, black pepper, and sometimes mushrooms are added. The lugs recipe is much more interesting. Dough and minced meat are prepared separately for them. The dough is the simplest - wheat flour with water, salt and half a raw egg. Minced meat can be made in a variety of ways: mushrooms with eggs and herbs, beef pulp with onions and mushrooms, beef with eggs and dill. Naturally, all minced meat dishes are pre-boiled. Then they are cut into small pieces or twisted in a meat grinder. Next, squares are cut out of the dough, in the middle of which the minced meat lies. The dough is wrapped in triangles and the finished "ears" are sent to be fried in oil. When they are browned on both sides, they are added to the finished borscht. This traditional dish is very satisfying and delicious.
Tsybuline fish soup is interesting for its preparation. Its basis is the herring, which is beloved by the Lithuanians. The fish is cleaned of entrails, only milk or caviar is left, then it is baked in the oven. When ready, the fish is freed from bones, finely chopped or ground through a sieve. The minced fish is poured with boiled water and onions, herbs, lemon juice are added there. Such an unusual soup with sour cream is served.
In general, meat soups in Lithuania are usually cooked in beef broth. For example, in rice soup, although chicken meat is used, the broth is pre-cooked on beef bones. These bones are also used for soups with sorrel, lemon, and bread. Smoked meats or loin are especially honored by Lithuanian residents. The elite first dish is borscht with loin. First, smoked meat broth is cooked, to which carrots, cabbage, onions and, of course, beets are added. All vegetables, except cabbage, should be sautéed beforehand. Sauerkraut is put there. Boiled potatoes with sour cream are also traditionally served with this borscht.
Delicious dried fruit soup is also prepared in the Republic of Lithuania. Its ingredients, besides dried fruits, are also raisins and dried bread. The latter is poured with boiling water until it softens, after which the bread crumb is rubbed through a sieve. Dried fruits with raisins are boiled, then they are mixed with bread, sour cream and sugar directly in the juice that is obtained after their preparation. This unusual soup is especially loved by children.
Lithuanian skrill is a dough made of flour, eggs and water, cut and boiled into strips. It is an addition to soups, especially to the first course of veal. Cooked skrill, carrots, bay leaves and herbs, sour cream and a slice are added to the veal broth butter... All this is mixed and served on the table. The soup with scryl is very satisfying due to the pieces of dough, and the meat of a young calf gives it an exquisite taste.

Second courses

The leading place among the ingredients for Lithuanian second dishes, of course, belongs to potatoes. What is not done with this vegetable in the cuisines of the country. Pancakes, zrazy are fried from it, potato grandmothers are prepared and served as an addition to soups. But the first place is still to designate meat. Special importance is attached to it - the meat dishes here are distinguished by their variety and uniqueness.
The national meat dish is kumpis - stuffed pork ham. Outside the country, it is often called Lithuanian boiled pork. The pork is washed, wiped and stuffed with garlic, onions and herbs, after which the meat is wrapped in foil and left. It is better to do this in the evening, so that the stuffed ham is marinated until the morning. In the morning it is taken out of foil and baked in the oven or over charcoal. Kumpis is a frequent guest at festive feasts.
For many, when mentioning Lithuanian cuisine, the first association is zeppellins - this dish is so tasty that it never gets boring, and the skill of the best chefs in the country is judged by the ability to cook it. The name is also interesting - it comes from the name of Ferdinand Zepellin, who is considered the discoverer of airships. The finished zeppellins really resemble this balloon. To visit Lithuania and not try this food can be regarded as a crime against oneself. That's how unique and famous it is!
In general, this is one of the few dishes in Lithuania, which is quite difficult to prepare. Housewives even take cooking classes to learn how to do it right. You need to cook zeppellins strictly according to the recipe, which is a whole work of art. The first step is to wash the potatoes, a third of which is boiled in their uniforms, the rest is peeled. Then pork and ground beef are mixed in equal proportions. For those who do not hold pork in high esteem, it can be replaced with turkey meat. Porcini mushrooms are added to the minced meat, which were previously finely chopped and fried with onions in a pan.
The most interesting thing happens with potatoes. The part of the vegetables that has been peeled is grated and squeezed. To prevent the potatoes from turning black, they are seasoned with lemon juice. The liquid that remains after spinning is not poured out, but stands until starch comes out of it. Since only he is needed, the liquid is carefully drained so that the starch remains at the bottom of the vessel. Potatoes boiled in their skins are also grated and mixed with raw ones. The starch is added to this mixture, which is now a dough.
Small cakes are made from the dough, in which the minced meat is wrapped. Finished product you need to give a slightly elongated shape of the airship. After that, small "airships" are dipped into boiling water and boiled after floating for another 15 minutes. Zeppellins, amazing in their taste, are served everywhere - in snack bars, small cafes and restaurants. They decorate both everyday and festive tables. Usually, before serving, they are poured with a sauce of smoked brisket and sour cream.
The favorite dish of Lithuanians is cabbage rolls - meat cutlets wrapped in cabbage leaves. Minced meat for the filling is made from pork, fried mushrooms and pearl barley. It is noteworthy that the latter is first fried in lard, and only then added to the minced meat. Local residents prepare cabbage rolls in two ways. The first most common in all countries, in which the minced meat is wrapped in cabbage and stewed. The second is a little more interesting. The head of cabbage is cut into 4 pieces and each piece is blanched. As the vegetable is ready, the minced meat is spread between the cabbage leaves. It is worth noting that locals usually add marjoram to this dish.
Despite some unpresentable appearance, such a dish as potato grandma or kugelis is also widespread in Lithuania. Its recipe is very similar to the process of making a regular casserole. The main difference is that a real Lithuanian grandmother is made from a mixture of raw and boiled potatoes. And then the culinary technology is simple. Pork is cut into small pieces and fried. Then it is laid out on a baking sheet and covered with grated raw and boiled potatoes. Mushrooms can be added to the meat.
The goose is especially honored among the poultry meat among the Lithuanians. It is prepared in a wide variety of ways and is usually served at a festive feast. Kimshta jasis is a goose stuffed with porridge with mushrooms. This cooking method is the most common. In addition, the goose is stuffed with apples, cabbage, smoked brisket, liver and other fillings. It is usually seasoned with marjoram and caraway seeds. If it is made with apples, then usually 7-8 large apples are taken for the filling. Poultry is fried in pork fat. Meat and lard are an important ingredient and addition to many dishes of the country's national cuisine.
An interesting meat dish is a fake hare. Despite the name, there is no rabbit meat in it - the basis is beef and pork meat. Minced meat is prepared from it, mixing with white bread and eggs. An oblong loaf is made from the minced meat. To give the food a more juicy taste, it is covered with pork fat and sent to the oven. This "hare" is usually served with an onion sauce prepared using chopped onions, flour, butter and meat broth.
Even according to the old Lithuanian tradition, honey was included in the recipes of many dishes. V modern kitchen it is also used. For example, they cook chicken here with this sweet treat. Honey is mixed with garlic, vegetable oil and herbs, the inside of the carcass is spread with this mixture. Then they are fried until golden brown, and when done, they are cut into pieces and usually served with fruits or boiled eggs. A separate addition to the chicken can be a fresh vegetable salad.
Interesting not only for their recipe, but also for the history associated with them, cutlets "Jurate". They are prepared from minced chicken using bread, and the latter is not only mixed with meat, but small croutons from it are pressed into fashioned cutlets, which, when fried, makes them ruddy and crispy. They say that these croutons look like amber tears of the young and beautiful Jurate, according to the legend, who lived in the sea. One day she swam to the surface and fell in love with a Lithuanian boyfriend, Kastytis. But the god Parkunas found out about their romantic story and killed the young man. He chained Jurate to her castle, where she remains to this day and constantly cries. The transparent tears of a beauty freeze like amber, which is thrown ashore by a wave. But this is just a folk legend, but in reality these cutlets are a very tasty and beautiful dish.
Among the fish separate place is occupied by a pike. It is boiled, stewed and baked with sour cream, vegetables and spices. Boiled eel and fried carp are also welcome. Boiled potatoes sprinkled with dill and parsley are usually served as a garnish for fish dishes. The fish is also prepared using lard.
A whole niche has been allocated to smoked products in Lithuanian cuisine. Locals take a very responsible approach to the smoking process, pre-salting the prepared meat. They believe that salting is the basis for good smoking, and a certain temperature is required for this procedure. Salt should not be used in the heat, the meat may deteriorate, as well as in extreme cold. They try to salt meat products at a temperature of + 2 ... + 7 degrees. Some dishes can be smoked for several days, for example, skilandis - a pork stomach stuffed with meat. At first, he is kept under pressure for three days, and smoked for a week.

Snacks

Such a Lithuanian appetizer as yaknine liver pâté has become world famous. Its recipe is widespread and used in many restaurants around the world. First, the liver is scalded for him, then stewed with onions and twisted in a meat grinder. The resulting mass is mixed with grape wine, oil and salt, beat until a homogeneous fluffy consistency is obtained. After that, it is placed in a container along with lard and boiled in a water bath.
Lithuanian cuisine is famous for its sausages. They are prepared not only from pork; mutton or goat meat is often the basis. To fight back bad smell from goat meat, it can be mixed with minced pork. The meat is chopped very finely and stuffed into the small intestines of the pig. Then the resulting sausages are boiled in salted water and then overcooked. This dish is served hot with potatoes or stewed cabbage. In the cold, it is pre-cut into slices and acts as an independent snack. An old national dish is buderay - sausages, where potatoes are used instead of minced meat. It is constantly present on the everyday table of Lithuanians.
Fried cucumbers are an interesting snack. First they are boiled and then breaded in flour and salt and fried. They serve as a complement to potatoes or are poured with honey and served as a separate meal. Lithuanians make their sprats from herring. Fish fillets are cut into pieces, each piece is breaded in breadcrumbs and fried in oil with onions. On the festive table you can often find herring in tomato sauce with onions. Such a dish with black bread is an excellent appetizer for strong drinks. Many Lithuanian salads are based on mushrooms and fish. Among vegetables, the most common ingredients in salads are beans, cabbage and carrots. In local cuisines, jelly and carrot mousse are even prepared from the latter using gelatin.
A popular traditional dish in the country is the homemade Dainava cheese. In boiled milk, cottage cheese is boiled, which, after cooling, is ground through a sieve, mixed with raw eggs, sour cream and margarine, adding caraway seeds. All this mass is heated, then cooled again under pressure in a bag. The finished cheese is taken out, having previously kept the bag in whey.
From parts of a pig, except for hams, sternum and legs, even heads are used. They make such a wonderful cold snack as a roll. The whole pork head is boiled with spices, then the bones are removed and wrapped in a bag, giving the resulting meat the shape of a roll. Such culinary delight with sour cream and horseradish is falling.

Desserts and pastries

Lithuanians are very reverent and respectful of bread. Lithuanian black bread is recognized as one of the best in the world. Its shelf life reaches two months. Bread products are always present on the table; eating without them is not accepted in Lithuania. The locals' favorite dough product is gingerbread, and its recipe is different: some types are baked in the oven, others are boiled. Boiled gingerbread is made using honey. The sweetness is boiled with sugar, and then pieces of wheat flour dough are put into the resulting syrup. All this is boiled until the syrup thickens. Yellow and white ginger are used as spices for this dish.
The most famous national pastry is shakotis cake - the main decoration of wedding feasts. It is difficult to understand what it tastes like more - like a cookie, a loaf or a muffin. But in appearance, it definitely resembles a prickly spruce. Its name is translated from the local language - a branched tree. This "appearance" is due to the unusual baking procedure. The recipe for its preparation has spread far beyond the borders of the country, it is popular in Germany, Poland and even in Japan.
There is even a history of the appearance of such a cake in Lithuania. It dates back to the times of the Commonwealth, when the Lithuanian queen Barbara announced a big ball. She invited many chefs to this celebration, who were supposed to make amazing dishes. One of them was the young man Yozas, in love with the daughter of his rich nobleman. He came up with the idea of ​​baking the dough over charcoal, spinning it on a spit. During the twisting, the dough was covered with amazing growths that made it look like spruce. Jozas was recognized as the best culinary specialist, as a result, the queen made him the main chef of her kitchen. As a gift, he asked for jewelry worn by the queen for his beloved.
Despite the simplicity of the recipe, baking such a delicacy is not so easy. The cake is still being prepared on a spit, which is spinning, it is poured over with a semi-liquid dough. When frozen, it forms branches. Chefs from all over the world are vying to be the best in baking this deliciously delicious treat. It is believed that the longer the branches, the better the cook. In 2008, a record was set at all - the height of the baked cake was 2.5 m. Shakotis with its centuries-old history attracts even those who are indifferent to sweet dishes.
The traditional Lithuanian dessert is apple cheese. In fact, it is dried and then compressed apple marmalade, but it turns out to be much tastier. The apples, cut into pieces, mixed with sugar, are left in a saucepan overnight to give juice. The next day, the resulting mass is boiled and, using a blender, brought to a state of puree. The resulting applesauce is mixed with sugar and boiled again - until the mass resembles a very thick marmalade. At the end of cooking, candied fruits are added there, sometimes dried fruits and ground cloves. The boiled mass must be placed in cheesecloth and squeezed. Then cakes are formed, which are placed on top of each other, interspersed with boards as a press. Then it is dried for a week. Traditionally, this cheese is prepared in the fall - during the harvest season. The treat can be stored for several years.
Lithuanians also bake cookies - pumpernickel. Hazelnuts, cinnamon and ammonium carbonate must be placed in a dough made of flour, butter, eggs and sugar. The cookies are baked in the oven in the shape of rhombuses. Beer is a popular drink in Lithuania, therefore one of the most frequent dishes among baked goods is fingers to it. They are yeast dough sticks that are sprinkled with salt and caraway seeds before frying. Shvituris cake is also considered a favorite sweet dish in the country; it is baked with walnuts.

Beverages

Abroad, Lithuania is called the beer kingdom. The traditions of home brewing are still present here: the old peasant recipes are passed down from generation to generation by brewers. Lithuanian beer has excellent taste and good quality, it does not hit the head, perfectly quenches thirst. The alcohol content in it starts at 2.8%, so even if you drink a lot, you will definitely not have a hangover. You can buy a foamy drink on every corner in any city.
There are many breweries located on the territory of the state. Home-made beer is also appreciated here, the region of Lithuania called Birzai is famous for it. The number of beer bars is also great here, and many unusual snacks are served here with a beer drink. Fried cheeses, bread with garlic, pork ears or tails, grilled sausages, boiled peas with bacon - all this will amaze even the most avid gourmet. Visitors to the bars are treated to beer with a carcass - a pork drumstick with a side dish of cabbage or peas. Lithuanian cities are a heavenly place for beer lovers.
Various jelly, teas and delicious kvass are popular among non-alcoholic drinks. The latter has a different recipe for preparation, this process is quite easy, but the taste of the drink is excellent. It is prepared on dried black bread and yeast, adding raisins to the finished drink before infusing. Lemon juice or citric acid is also an important ingredient for it. When visiting Lithuania, you should definitely try the local kvass - its excellent taste will be remembered for a long time.

Despite the gastronomic diversity of the Lithuanian national cuisine, it can be traced that the products used in different dishes are basically the same. For a side dish, these are potatoes cooked in a variety of ways; pork is always found in meat dishes - either as the main meat or in the form of lard for frying. They like to use beets and sour cream in soups, and many desserts are prepared using apples. Lithuanian cuisine is unobtrusive and obligatory to use when traveling across the expanses of the glorious Baltic state.

But also a unique and delicious Lithuanian cuisine. So, what should a tourist who travels to this authentic and distinctive country try?

Peculiarities of Lithuanian national cuisine

If you have been to Lithuania and have not tried the local cuisine, then the trip was wasted. Comparing Lithuanian cuisine with Estonian and Latvian, one should note its satiety and simplicity. If in the rest of the Baltic countries seafood is mainly used, in Lithuania they prefer:

• Flour and meat dishes.
• Dishes made from milk, cottage cheese and cheese.
• The minimum amount of spices.

Potatoes can be called the real queen of Lithuanian cuisine - this vegetable is boiled, fried, baked, and prepared from it in a variety of delicious dishes.

The country can be roughly divided into four regions with their own culinary characteristics:

• The people of Aukstaitinai love curd dishes and pancakes.
• Samogitians - porridge.
• Among the Dzukiyans, the main dishes are buckwheat porridge, potatoes and mushrooms.
• The Suvaltians have potato sausage and smoked meats.

Zeppelins (didjkukuliai)

Zeppelins are real business card Lithuanian cuisine. They are something like large potato dumplings with different fillings: cottage cheese, meat, mushrooms, etc. The name of this dish comes from the German Zeppelin (airship), as in its shape it really resembles this aircraft.

The classic recipe for zeppelin necessarily includes raw and boiled potatoes - it is thanks to the large amount of starch that the dish does not boil over. In addition to boiled zeppelin, you can also find their other variants: fried, with an open filling, etc.

This hearty and rather high-calorie food can be tasted in any restaurant in the country, but the real experts in its preparation are the chefs of restaurants in the historical part of Vilnius. A portion of zeppelin costs about 11-12 litas (about $ 4).

Vedaray

Vedarai is the second most popular dish of the national Lithuanian cuisine. In fact, it is a potato sausage: when cooking, pork intestines are stuffed with grated potatoes and bacon (sometimes barley is added to the recipe) and fried until golden brown.

You can try vedarai in almost any restaurant across the country, or even buy this sausage in a supermarket. The cost is about 10 litas (more than 3 dollars).

Shalltibarshai

This light and tasty first course is perfect for healthy food lovers. It is a cold beetroot soup with a kefir base and cucumbers, hard eggs and other ingredients. The "highlight" of the soup is boiled potatoes with dill, which is served separately.

The dish is prepared in most restaurants in Vilnius, the approximate price of a portion is 6-8 litas (2-2.5 dollars).

Zemaiciu (Zemait pancakes)

Fried mashed potato pancakes with minced pate from Samogitia, western region of Lithuania.

To try this tasty and very satisfying dish, you don't have to go to the regional capital Telšiai, because it is served in many establishments in other cities, in particular, in Vilnius and Kaunas. approximate cost- 15 litas (15.5 dollars).

Kibinai

In fact, kibinai are a dish of the Karaite Tatars, however, due to the fact that this people has long and firmly settled in the area of ​​the town of Trakai, these pies have become a Lithuanian national dish. They are made from unleavened dough with a wide variety of fillings:

• Meat.
• Cottage cheese.
• Mushrooms.
• Vegetables, etc.

The best kibinai in Lithuania can be tasted in Trakai, where there are several Karaite restaurants.

In addition, this dish is served in Vilnius - for example, in a pastry shop called PinavijaCafé & Bakery. The cost of one pie is 6 litas (a little more than 2 dollars).

Skilandis

Skilandis is not just a dish, but a part of Lithuanian culture. This is something like a cold smoked sausage made from a pork stomach, which is stuffed with chopped or ground pork.

In Lithuania, this product is consumed on its own or added to borscht, soups, salads, etc. Skilandis can be tasted in many restaurants, or bought in any supermarket, the price per kilogram is 35 litas (about 12 dollars).

Kugelis

As you could already understand, potatoes are the real queen of Lithuanian cuisine. Kugelis is a casserole, which is also prepared on the basis of this vegetable with the addition of lard (in the classic recipe - pork ears), sometimes - cottage cheese, chicken and other ingredients, and served with cracklings and sour cream sauce.

A portion of kugelis in Lithuanian restaurants costs about 11 litas (4 dollars).

Morku Apkess

Morku Apkess is worth trying for those who find Lithuanian cuisine a little oily and heavy. This is a casserole made from boiled carrots, which is ground with yolks, cinnamon and sugar until puree, and then baked in the oven.

The price per serving is 6-8 litas (2-3 dollars).

Pig ears

Pig ears also play a very important role in the cuisine of this country. They are boiled, fried, smoked and served both as an independent dish with different side dishes (most often with peas), and as a snack for beer.

For example, one of the most famous appetizers in Lithuanian restaurants is Klausuču - boiled-smoked pork ears with peas and garlic sauce.

Serving price - 16 litas (almost 6 dollars).

Shakotis

Shakotis is no less famous Lithuanian dish than zeppellins. This is a delicious cake made with eggs, sugar and flour over an open fire using a small skewer. Thanks to this method, the shakotis resembles a hedgehog or a Christmas tree in its appearance.

Most often, this dessert is prepared for a wedding, but tourists consider it to be something like a souvenir - by the way, it can be stored for about six months, and it does not contain any preservatives! You can buy shakotis in any pastry shop, the price is 32 litas (11.5 dollars).

Beverages

The most popular drink in Lithuania is beer, which is said to be absolutely not inferior in taste and quality to Czech or German beer.

The most famous Lithuanian beer is Švyturis, which has been brewed in Klaipeda since 1784.

Half a liter of the drink will cost a tourist about 6 litas (2 dollars).

You should also definitely taste the old Lithuanian liqueur called Suktinis, which is prepared with honey with the addition of different berries, including juniper, poplar buds, etc. However, be careful - the strength of this drink leaves about 50 o.

Well, those who do not drink alcoholic beverages will surely like rye kvass and various herbal teas, for which Lithuanians are also considered great masters.

If you come to Lithuania to relax and gain new pleasant impressions, you should try and appreciate the delicious and, at the same time, inexpensive dishes of the Lithuanian national cuisine. In their national cuisine, Lithuanians mainly use potatoes, pork, raw dairy products and seasonal vegetables. The dishes are distinguished by a simple recipe, satisfying and affordable prices.

In Lithuania, there are specialized restaurants and cafes called “Lituviškai patekalai” (Lithuanian dishes), where you can taste traditional Lithuanian food. However, you can find these dishes not only there, but also in the menu of almost every restaurant or cafe. And we will help you figure out what and how they are made so that you can choose the recipe you like by the name of the dish in Russian and Lithuanian.

Where to stay if you plan to relax and enjoy Lithuanian cuisine:

Lithuanian first courses

Šaltibarščiai

Do not forget to try this Lithuanian "pink miracle" - the famous cold borscht... This is a beetroot soup with cucumbers and herbs, made on fatty kefir with hot boiled potatoes and eggs served separately. Smoked meats are sometimes added. This is the most favorite light and a refreshing soup. It is especially pleasant on a hot summer day.

Soup in bread (Sriuba duonos kubilėlyje)

There is another delicious culinary miracle - a soup in a rye "pot" with wild mushrooms (usually white). Cut the top off a small loaf of homemade rye bread and remove all the flesh. Cream soup with mushrooms is poured into the resulting "pot" and covered with a rye lid on top. Soup Bread Pot is as delicious as mushroom soup.

Main dishes of Lithuanian cuisine

In Lithuanian dishes, meat, side dish and salad are never served separately, as in Russian restaurants. If you order meat (fish), then a side dish, salad, fresh vegetables and sauce will automatically be brought to them (you can choose any side dish, sauce yourself, but this will not change the price).

For sauces traditionally use Forest mushrooms(white and chanterelles), as well as spinach, cheeses (and its derivatives), herbal spices.

Cabbage rolls in Lithuania served with potatoes and sour cream. Therefore, this is a fairly hearty and inexpensive dish.

Zeppelins (Didžkukuliai)

The main culinary "attraction" of Lithuania, which every tourist should try and appreciate is the famous zeppelins, or they are also called Didžkukuliai - these are big fragrant potato "airships" with juicy ground meat inside (they are also with cottage cheese, and with mushrooms it is also delicious ).
They are boiled and served with sour cream gravy with crispy bacon, onions or mushroom sauce (your choice).
There are also fried zeppelins, but who has a good stomach! For those who cannot boast of them, zeppelins are made from boiled potatoes (this is not for everybody). Please note that such zeppelins are not served everywhere!
Each serving contains two fairly large zeppelins. However, if you wish, you can order half a portion (we advise you to order everything for half a portion for testing), since they are not small, but the dishes of Lithuanian cuisine are hearty.

Vedarai

Vedarai is another hearty Lithuanian dish. Fried onions, cracklings, brisket, herbs and spices are added to grated raw potatoes. Pork intestines are stuffed with this mass and baked in the oven or on the grill until crispy. Served with bacon and sour cream.

Kėdainių blynai

Kėdainu pancakes are fried pancakes made from grated raw potatoes with minced meat inside. Pancakes are served with sour cream sauce or sour cream.

Kugelis (Bulvių plokštainis)

Kugelis (potato grandma) - fried onions, cracklings, brisket and spices are added to grated raw potatoes. Shaped, put on a brazier and baked in the oven. Served with white sauce, bacon and mushrooms.

Žemaičių blynai

Zemaichiu pancakes are made from hot potatoes boiled in uniforms, passed through a meat grinder, stuffed with boiled ground meat with the addition of spices, and sautéed onions. Then flat cakes are formed and fried in a pan. Served with sour cream sauce or sour cream. When ordering, you can always make a choice of sauce and portion size.

Stuffed potatoes

This is a boiled potato in a jacket, stuffed with mushrooms, fried onions or salted salmon. Served with castinis or sour cream sauce.
The dish is light and not greasy - for those who do not wish to gain weight.

Kastinys

Be sure to try kastinis - an old Samogitian fermented milk product of a special consistency, made from whipped homemade sour cream and butter, garlic and spices. The secret of the special delicate consistency of kastinis using the whipping technique. Delicate and fragrant mass is served in a cafe with potatoes boiled in "uniform".
Kastinis can be bought in the dairy section of any supermarket.

Lithuanian sausages (Lietuviškai dešreliai)

Onions, garlic, spices are added to the pork minced through a meat grinder, and the small pork intestines are stuffed with minced meat. The sausages are boiled, then grilled and served with stewed sauerkraut or mashed potatoes.

Kibinai

Kibinai is a national dish of the indigenous Karaite Tatars who have long lived in Lithuania (mainly in Trakai). These are very tasty and satisfying hot pies made from tender shortcrust pastry with minced meat or minced meat (pork, lamb, veal or poultry). They are baked in the oven and served hot.
Kibinai are sold not only in cafes, but also in supermarkets, which have their own pastry baked goods. But the most delicious kibinas can be tasted only in Trakai, the homeland of the Lithuanian Karaites.

Drinks and snacks

One of the best in the world! There is a lot of beer in Lithuania - tasty and different! There is light beer, there is less alcohol in it, and dark - it is more "thick" and alcoholic, there is filtered and unfiltered, the so-called "live" beer.
In several breweries in Vilnius you can taste this old traditional drink in the production of which only natural malt, hop cones and brewer's yeast are used.

Beer snacks

Be sure to take delicious crackers with garlic and cheese, peas with cracklings, boiled-smoked pork ears with garlic sauce with your beer. It's all very tasty!

Peas with cracklings (Žirniai su spirgučiais)

Peas with cracklings is a beer snack that consists of boiled peas and well-fried cracklings, placed on top (everything is mixed before eating).

Pig ears (Rūkytų ausų)

Boiled-smoked pork ears are a great snack for beer. Lightly smoked, they have a pleasant aroma and taste. Garlic sauce with spices is served with them.

Soft drinks

In addition to beer in Lithuanian cuisine, all kinds of cold and hot soft drinks from sea buckthorn, quince, cranberry and forest berries.
You will surely like the branded homemade rye kvass with raisins (not bottled), which the Lithuanians make according to a special old recipe, and natural teas with the addition of wild berries are very tasty and healthy!

desserts

Shakotis

Shakotis is a very tasty and popular Lithuanian cake, shaped like a Christmas tree. It is made from egg dough and baked by rotating on a spit, over a fire or in a special oven.
Traditionally, it is served at weddings, and it is stored for up to six months. You can buy "Shakotis" at the market or supermarkets in Lithuania, but you will find the freshest and tastiest in the company stores that make these particular cakes.
Such a gift from Lithuania will be pleasant to your loved ones and will delight everyone as a delicious Lithuanian souvenir.

What delicious to bring with you from Lithuania

Lithuania is famous for its bread (especially dark rye varieties, as a rule - with the addition of caraway seeds and various types of grains), there is rye bread with dried fruits. This bread retains its aroma for a long time and does not stale.
The most famous and popular varieties are “Vilnius” (lit. Vilniaus), Bočiu (lit. Bočių) with caraway seeds and gray “Palanga” (lit. Palanga).
Among the national meat products, jerky and smoked meat and sausages are deservedly popular. Skilandis - minced pork jerky in a pork stomach - can be bought to go.
Fried “brushwood” biscuits (Žagarėlis) and a delicious “brushwood” cake doused with honey - “Skruzdelinas” are very popular.

From dairy products, preference is given to cheeses (hard, curd, smoked or traditional), cottage cheese, yogurt and sour cream.
Be sure to try the sour cream specially whipped with garlic and spices with homemade butter - this is kastinis. Delicate and fragrant mass is served with "jacket" potatoes. Kastinis can be bought in the dairy section of any supermarket.
Buy the famous Džiugas hard cheese, smoked curd cheeses. Try a specialty apple or plum cheese with a sophisticated flavor (available at fairs and local farmers' markets).

The gift variant of honey liqueurs of the Lietuviškas midus company, which contain 6 types of liqueurs from 14 to 75 degrees, is very good for a souvenir.

The famous strong drink "Suktinis" is named after the popular Lithuanian folk dance. It contains bee honey, carnation flowers, poplar buds, oak acorns, juniper berries and many other valuable plants. The strength of the drink is 50%.

Having tasted the products and dishes of the Lithuanian national cuisine, you will appreciate their satiety, deliciousness and budget!

The sight of juicy roasted meat, the aroma of fresh baked goods, and the anticipation of dinner after a long walk in fresh air drive me crazy because I'm a foodie. I would even call myself a fan of delicious food. Like most women, I love and know how to cook deliciously, but the real pleasure I get is food prepared by the hands of another skilled chef. Fortunately, when I come to, all the conditions for getting gastronomic pleasure are respected: Lithuania is very rich in culinary merits, and it is not at all necessary to cook on your own to be convinced of this. With your permission, today I will be your waiter in the best restaurant of Lithuanian national cuisine, so make yourself comfortable and in no case limit your imagination, we will have a delicious pastime. :)

Beverages

Perhaps your throat is a little dry with anticipation, so "for an aperitif" I will suggest you try Midus. From the name it is not difficult to guess what lies at the heart of this sweetish and slightly tart drink - honey. The strength of this nectar depends on what exactly you want to drink. For example, if you are a gambling person and decide to go for broke, as they say, then you can try the honey-herbal balm “Zalgiris”, with a powerful 75% alcohol charge. The taste of the balm is quite sharp and it is advisable to drink it in small portions, or dilute it. I, here, a person not very risky in terms of drinking and alcohol, so I choose a drink with the same name of the city in which I was born - "Vilnius". Strawberry juice and a relatively low alcoholic strength - 25% give this nectar a pleasant taste. For those who are a little bolder, there is also a golden mean - having tried Suktinis, you will enjoy its rich taste and aromas. This tincture contains 14 ingredients - various berry juices and natural herbs. Despite its 50% strength, the drink is very easy to drink, therefore it is very insidious - be careful!

A sweet honey story is certainly good, but for the male half of the tourist population, I'd rather offer a drink that Lithuania can rightfully be famous for: beer here for every taste. As a seasoned tourist, I guess you will want to visit this country in warm time year, so a glass of foamy and refreshing will come in handy. The most popular varieties from Lithuanian breweries are Švituris, Kalnapilnes and Utenos.

There is also something for modest people, people behind the wheel and simply not drinking, but wanting to get acquainted with a piece of Lithuanian culture. Do you like jelly? And what to do, you need to get acquainted with Lithuania! But this is about those who, like me, do not particularly like this viscous drink. Although here it is really tasty. Cranberry, apple, pear, and even oatmeal - these are far from all the options for jelly. Lithuanian kvass with ginger can also be a good alternative. Perfectly quenches thirst and leaves a pleasant aftertaste.

Snacks

I associate Lithuanian cuisine with country food. The recipes are very simple, but tasty, and it seems that for their preparation, products must be grown in their own garden, plucked in the forest, or bought from a familiar farmer, but not in a supermarket. Despite the "naturalness", some combinations seem strange. You can verify this by trying pickled mushrooms with sour cream and onions. Not surprised? Then I will offer a salad of boiled mushrooms with soaked herring, fresh or pickled cucumbers and, again, sour cream. It seems to me that the one of you who chose kvass and jelly, before trying such a salad, will change his choice in favor of strong drinks. Or, at least, replace sour cream with ordinary sunflower oil.

Most Lithuanian recipes contain herbs and roots. One of the most popular ingredients is horseradish. And it goes flawlessly with the favorite Lithuanian appetizer - cold beef tongue, regardless of whether it is served on its own or as a base for a sauce.

Those who do not like delicacies and pungency will definitely like emaichu pancakes. Outwardly, these pancakes look more like pies, but they taste like potato zrazy. This is because the dough is based on potatoes, and they are stuffed with fried minced meat. The highlight of this dish is sour cream and ghee sauce.
Getting acquainted with this or that Lithuanian dish, you, like me, can catch yourself thinking that you have already seen something similar somewhere, tasted and know, only under a different name. It is not surprising, because historically, many peoples, before settling on another piece of land, wandered in search of better conditions life, leaving behind a piece of your life. This is exactly what happened with the Karaites. Karaites are Lithuanian Tatars who settled in Trakai at the end of the 14th century. But to this day, this cozy town is filled with small cafes with Kibinine signs.

"Kibinai" (as it is called in Russian) - incredibly juicy and tasty "Tatar" pies with chopped lamb or beef. Undoubtedly, you can find other fillings, I just mentioned the traditional ones.

There is also an appetizer for fish lovers. Smoked eel is the most delicious Lithuanian delicacy. It can be found both as an independent dish and as part of salads or other culinary creations. If you want something more satisfying, then try the pike fried in lard, stuffed with vegetables.

Borsch

As expected, after the appetizers, I can safely serve you a delicious story about Lithuanian borscht. "Shaltibarschay" - cold borscht made from boiled beets, eggs and greens, seasoned with kefir. Served with hot boiled potatoes. The incredible fresh taste, ease of preparation and healthiness of this dish are enough reasons to try it. Having lived for over 10 years on the Black Sea coast, where a favorite summer kitchen is okroshka (also a cold version of the first course), I can say with confidence: "Shaltibarshai" is incomparable!

Realizing perfectly well that cold borscht may not be to everyone's taste, I will offer a more traditional version. Those who have not dared to try mushroom snacks before will be delighted with this dish - borsch with mushrooms is not so popular, but it also has a place to be among the national dishes of Lithuania.

Hot meals

The further you go, the more pleasant the acquaintance with Lithuanian cuisine becomes. Coming almost every year to, I started one very tasty tradition: the next day after arrival, I will definitely pay a visit to my aunt, who, in turn, cooks amazing zeppelins. I don’t want to hear anything about Belarusians who consider any potato dishes “historically theirs”! Such a delicious dish can only be prepared in Lithuania. At first glance, this "boiled cutlet" made of potatoes stuffed with meat does not look particularly remarkable. But after you pour it with sour cream sauce made from fried cracklings (meat pieces of bacon) and onions, everything changes. Put your phone on silent mode and do not be distracted by extraneous matters - plunge into the world of beautiful zeppelin!

I agree, I embellished a little - this dish may not make such a vivid impression on someone. In this case, I think, juicy Vedarai sausages, fried until golden brown, can compensate for everything. Vedarai is translated as stomach. The filling is mashed potatoes with cracklings. Did you notice that too? Now I mean that the cunning Lithuanians, using the same products in the base, manage to create completely different culinary masterpieces.

I will not ask you if you like to eat with bread, but I will simply recommend you to try the Lithuanian "Palanga": it will be a great addition to any of the above dishes.

Speaking about Lithuanian bread, you can get distracted and accidentally write a whole article: there are many varieties, but the taste is excellent. It is dark bread with the addition of caraway that is very popular. Such baked goods have a pleasant persistent aroma and retain their softness for a long time without staleness.

Dessert

I don’t know about you, but after a good dinner I always have a strong desire to eat something sweet. Of course, I will not leave you without dessert either. My favorite of unobtrusive sweets is Dainava curd cheese with jelly. It is very popular and is sold in almost all supermarkets. Plus, it's not hard to make it at home. This cheese boasts a very pleasant, delicate taste and, against the background of sweet creamy desserts, wins with its harmlessness to the figure.

I will not ignore everyone's beloved in Lithuania "Shakotis". An egg-based crunchy cake on its own may not seem sweet enough, but when combined with chocolate, it will surely make the sweet tooth plunge into a pleasant gastronomic bliss. Many tourists, planning to return to their homeland, choose this culinary masterpiece as a presentation to their loved ones, which I mentioned earlier in my article about.

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Lithuania, like many other countries, has many culinary treasures. But in order for you to appreciate any of the dishes that I told you about, I will give you one small recommendation: you must definitely try food in a good mood and with good thoughts!