But also unique and very tasty Lithuanian cuisine. So, what should a tourist try when traveling to this authentic and distinctive country?

Peculiarities of Lithuanian national cuisine

If you have visited Lithuania and have not tried the local cuisine, then your trip was in vain. Comparing Lithuanian cuisine with Estonian and Latvian cuisine, one should note its richness and simplicity. While the rest of the Baltic countries mainly use seafood, in Lithuania they prefer:

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

Potatoes can be called the real queen of Lithuanian cooking - this vegetable is boiled, fried, baked, and a wide variety of very tasty dishes are prepared from it.

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

• Aukštaitiņa people love cottage cheese dishes and pancakes.
• Samogitians are porridge.
• Dzūkijas consider the main dishes to be buckwheat porridge, potatoes and mushrooms.
• The Suvalti people have potato sausage and smoked meats.

Zeppelins (didjkukulyai)

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

The classic Zeppelin recipe always includes raw and boiled potatoes - precisely thanks to a large number starch, the dish does not boil soft. In addition to boiled zeppelins, you can also find other variations: fried, with open filling, etc.

This hearty and quite high-calorie dish can be tried in any restaurant in the country, but the chefs of restaurants in the historical part of Vilnius are considered real experts in its preparation. A portion of zeppelins costs about 11-12 litas (about 4 dollars).

Vedarai

Vedarai is the second most popular dish of national Lithuanian cuisine. In essence, it is a potato sausage: when cooked, pork intestines are stuffed with grated potatoes and lard (sometimes they add barley groats) and fry them until golden brown.

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

Shaltibarchai

This is a light and tasty first dish that is perfect for healthy food lovers. It is a cold beet soup with a kefir base and the addition of cucumbers, hard-boiled eggs and other ingredients. The highlight of the soup is the boiled potatoes with dill, which are served separately.

The dish is prepared in most restaurants in Vilnius, approximate price servings – 6-8 litas (2-2.5 dollars).

Zhemaičiu (Zemaitian pancakes)

Fried pancakes made from mashed potatoes with minced pate originating from Samogitia, a western region of Lithuania.

To try this tasty and very filling dish, you don’t have to go to the capital of the region, 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, but due to the fact that these people have long and firmly settled in the area of ​​​​the town of Trakai, these pies have turned into a Lithuanian national dish. They are prepared from unleavened dough with a 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 confectionery 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 tried in many restaurants, or bought in any supermarket, the price per kilogram is 35 litas (about 12 dollars).

Kugelis

As you can 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 classic recipe- pig ears), sometimes - cottage cheese, chicken and other ingredients, and served with a sauce of cracklings and sour cream.

A serving of kugelis in Lithuanian restaurants costs about 11 litas ($4).

Morku apkess

Morka Apkess is worth a try for those who find Lithuanian cuisine a little greasy and heavy. This is a casserole made from boiled carrots, which are ground with yolks, cinnamon and sugar until pureed, and then baked in the oven.

Price per serving – 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 various side dishes (most often with peas), and as a snack with beer.

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

The cost of a serving is 16 litas (almost 6 dollars).

Shakotis

Šakotis is no less famous Lithuanian dish than zeppelins. This is very delicious cake, which is prepared from eggs, sugar and flour on open fire using a small skewer. Thanks to this method, shakotis looks like a hedgehog or a Christmas tree.

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

Drinks

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 Švituris, which has been brewed in Klaipeda since 1784.

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

You should also definitely taste the ancient Lithuanian tincture called Suktinis, which is prepared with honey and the addition of various berries, including juniper, poplar buds, etc. However, be careful - the strength of this drink is approximately 50 degrees.

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

Until the 19th century, Lithuania had a cuisine for the wealthy class, the so-called Old Lithuanian cuisine. It was based on products of fishing and hunting. But, from the middle of the 19th century, the state disappeared, which means that the nobility for whom this kitchen was created disappeared. From that time on, “peasant” or Novolitovo cuisine began to emerge, which gradually grew into the national cuisine of Lithuania. The traditional components of the dishes were grains, vegetables, potatoes, dairy products and meat.

Due to the similarity of climatic conditions, the national cuisine of Lithuania is similar to Belarusian. Therefore, the main product for cooking is potatoes. What Lithuanian chefs don’t make from it: pancakes, sausages, puddings and, of course, the famous Lithuanian dish - “ « . Potato zeppelins are filled with meat, and they are topped with “kastinis” sauce - sour cream with butter and various spices. There is also a second name for this dish - “Didzhkukulyai” « .

A feature of the national cuisine of Lithuania is the abundance of pork and poultry dishes. If you happen to visit Lithuania, be sure to try “Siupinis” - this is a porridge made from potatoes and peas, with the addition of fried pork. “Skilandis” - smoked pork sausages, which are prepared in every restaurant and cafe, is popular. Lithuanian dumplings are very unusual, in which potatoes, cottage cheese, chopped pieces of meat are added as filling and then sprinkled with lard cracklings on top. Another meat dish worth trying is “kumpis” - pork ham stuffed with garlic, herbs and seasonings, and Lithuanian beef zrazy. A festive dish in Lithuania is goose stuffed with mushrooms, apples, cabbage and cooked in lard.

Not the least place in the national cuisine of Lithuania is occupied by fish dishes. Worth a try:

• smoked eel, which is caught in the Curonian Lagoon;
• pike with sauerkraut, or under horseradish (“ Lideka");
• carp fried on coals, or grilled;
• herring with sour cream and fried onions;
• breaded and fried smelt.

Another pride of Lithuanians is black rye bread. It tastes delicious and can be stored for a long time without losing its taste. Pieces of bread are fried, rubbed with garlic, sprinkled with grated cheese - you won’t find anything more delicious to accompany amazing Lithuanian beer.

In addition, the national cuisine of Lithuania is replete with sweets and all kinds of desserts. The most delicious Švyturis cakes in Lithuania « , muffins, cookies, jelly, curd creams, dark chocolate and candies. Ah, traditional Lithuanian cake “Šakotis” « , many tourists take it away from Lithuania as a souvenir.

Lithuanian cuisine uses products available in the cool and humid Lithuanian climate: potatoes, barley, rye, beets, greens, mushrooms, dairy products, meat. Many dishes of Lithuanian national cuisine are very similar to traditional dishes of other Eastern European nations, but it also has its own distinctive features, which highlight Lithuanian cuisine and make it one of the most distinctive cuisines in this region.

Without a doubt, the most popular Lithuanian dish is zeppelins - potato dumplings huge size with meat filling(less often with cottage cheese), which are usually served with cracklings. Many Lithuanians consider this dish to be their original dish, but this opinion is wrong - very similar dishes can be found in other national cuisines, in particular, Polish and Czech.

In general, Lithuanian traditional cuisine is very closely related to Polish; many dishes are equally popular in both countries - dumplings, dumplings, pancakes, donuts. The German influence is also noticeable: the Germans taught the Lithuanians to cook numerous dishes from pork and potatoes. Lithuanian cuisine, recipes with photos of which are presented in this section, has many common dishes with Belarusian cuisine - potato pancakes and pancakes, potato pancakes, potato sausages. Jews and even Karaite Tatars also influenced the characteristics of Lithuanian cuisine.

Like other Baltic countries, Lithuania has a very varied cold appetizer menu. The ancestors of modern Lithuanians worked a lot in the fields, and therefore it was cold snacks that they could take with them from home that formed the basis of their diet. Today these are all kinds of cheeses, dairy products, smoked meat and fish products, and sausages.

An incredibly wide range of hot dishes. Today, the most popular dishes of Lithuanian national cuisine are the aforementioned zeppelins, all kinds of potato pancakes and casseroles (in particular, Samogitian pancakes and Jewish kugel), boiled potatoes with curdled milk, dumplings, dumplings, cabbage rolls, cutlets, zrazy. Obviously, many of these dishes are not native to Lithuania, but they have taken root very well in Lithuania and acquired local flavors. It is also worth noting that Lithuanian cuisine consists mainly of fatty and hearty dishes, but this does not prevent Lithuanians from being the slimmest nation in Europe - Lithuania has the lowest percentage of obese people. It's a paradox, but it's true.

Another incredibly popular Lithuanian dish, which can compete even with zeppelins in its popularity, is the Lithuanian cold borscht Šaltibarščai. Again, many Lithuanians tend to attribute the authorship of this dish to their people, although in reality this beetroot cold soup is well known in Poland, Latvia, and Belarus. One way or another, this cold beet soup with kefir, which is always served along with separately boiled hot potatoes, is the most popular dish on the table of every Lithuanian during the warm season. During the cold season, hot soups are very popular, which are not much different from the soups common in the surrounding countries - borscht, rassolnik, cabbage soup, pea soup, etc.

An integral part of any meal is Lithuanian black bread. If you ask any Lithuanian living outside their homeland what they miss most in a foreign country, they will immediately answer – Lithuanian black bread.

When it comes to Lithuanian drinks, the undoubted leader is beer. Lithuanians are a beer nation. Lithuanians initially adopted the brewing traditions from the Germans, but subsequently developed them to such an extent that today Lithuanian beer is considered by experts to be one of the best in the world. Regular bottled beer, produced by the largest brewing companies in Lithuania and sold in supermarkets, can give a head start to many of its Czech and German colleagues, but despite this, Lithuanians prefer to buy draft beer, which is brewed by dozens of small breweries throughout Lithuania. In addition to beer, strong drinks are also popular alcoholic drinks– especially various herbal tinctures. Popular non-alcoholic drinks are unoriginal - tea, coffee, kvass and compotes.

Traditional Lithuanian desserts are not much different from Polish ones - these are donuts, pies with apples and other sweet fillings, brushwood, chocolate. The cake called Shakotis deserves special mention - large birthday cake in the form of a branched tree, also popular in Poland and Germany.

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

In Lithuania there are specialized restaurants and cafes called “Lituviškai patekalai” (Lithuanian dishes), where you can try traditional Lithuanian dishes. However, you can find these dishes not only there, but also on 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 based on 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

Don't forget to try this Lithuanian "pink miracle" - famous cold borscht. This is beetroot soup with cucumbers and herbs, made with full-fat kefir, served separately with hot boiled potatoes and eggs. Sometimes smoked meats are added. This is a favorite light and refreshing soup. It is especially pleasant on a hot summer day.

Soup in bread (Sriuba duonos kubilėlyje)

There is another delicious culinary miracle - this is a soup in a rye “pot” with wild mushrooms (usually porcini). The top of a small loaf of homemade rye bread is cut off and all the pulp is removed. Cream soup with mushrooms is poured into the resulting “pot” and covered with a rye lid on top. Bread pot soup is just 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), you will automatically receive a side dish, salad, fresh vegetables and sauce (you can choose any side dish or sauce yourself, but the price will not change).

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

Stuffed cabbage rolls in Lithuania it is served with potatoes and sour cream. Therefore, this is a fairly satisfying 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 large, aromatic potato “airships” with juicy ground meat inside (they are available with cottage cheese and mushrooms, it’s also delicious ).
They are boiled and served with sour cream sauce with crispy cracklings, onions or mushroom sauce (your choice).
There are also fried zeppelins, but whoever has a good stomach! For those who cannot boast about it, zeppelins are made from boiled potatoes (this is not an acquired taste). Please note that these 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 in half a portion to try), since they are not small, and the dishes of Lithuanian cuisine are hearty.

Vedarai

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

Kėdainių blynai

Kedainiu blinai 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 babka) - fried onions, cracklings, brisket and spices are added to grated raw potatoes. Form, place on a roasting pan and bake in the oven. Served with white sauce, bacon and mushrooms.

Žemaičių blynai

Zhemaichu blinai are made from boiled hot potatoes in their uniforms, minced through a meat grinder, stuffed with boiled ground meat with the addition of spices and sautéed onions. Then flat pies are formed and fried in a frying pan. Served with sour cream sauce or sour cream. When ordering, you can always choose the sauce and serving size.

Stuffed potatoes

These are boiled potatoes in their jackets, stuffed with mushrooms and fried onions or salted salmon. Served with castinis or sour cream sauce.
The dish is light and not greasy - for those who do not want to gain weight.

Kastinys

Be sure to try kastinis - this is an ancient Samogitian fermented milk product of special consistency, made from whipped homemade sour cream and butter, with garlic and spices. The secret of the special delicate consistency of castinis is the beating technique. The tender and aromatic mass is served in a cafe with potatoes boiled in their jackets.
Kastinis can be bought in the dairy section of any supermarket.

Lithuanian sausages (Lietuviškai dešreliai)

Onion, 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 the 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 delicate shortcrust pastry with minced meat or minced meat (pork, lamb, veal or poultry). Bake them in the oven and serve hot.
Kibinai are sold not only in cafes, but also in supermarkets that have their own confectionery baked goods. But the most delicious kibinas can only be tasted 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, which has less alcohol, and dark beer, which is thicker and more alcoholic; there is filtered and unfiltered, the so-called “live” beer.
In several Vilnius breweries you can taste this ancient traditional drink, in the production of which only natural malt, hop cones and brewer's yeast are used.

Snacks for beer

To accompany your beer, be sure to take very tasty croutons with garlic and cheese, peas with cracklings, and boiled smoked pork ears with garlic sauce. It's all very tasty!

Peas with cracklings (Žirniai su spirgučiais)

Peas with cracklings are 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 an excellent snack for beer. Lightly smoked, they have a pleasant aroma and taste. They are served garlic sauce with seasonings.

Soft drinks

In addition to beer, all kinds of cold and hot non-alcoholic drinks made from sea buckthorn, quince, cranberry and forest berries.
You will certainly enjoy the signature homemade rye kvass with raisins (not bottled), which the Lithuanians make according to a special ancient recipe, and natural teas with the addition of wild berries are very tasty and healthy!

Desserts

Šakotis

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

What tasty things to bring with you from Lithuania

Lithuania is famous for its bread (especially dark rye varieties, usually with the addition of caraway seeds, and different varieties grains), eat rye bread with dried fruits. This bread retains its aroma for a long time and does not go stale.
The most famous and popular varieties are “Vilnius” (lit. Vilniaus), Bočių (lit. Bočių) with cumin and gray “Palanga” (lit. Palanga).
Among national meat products, dried and smoked meat and sausages are deservedly popular. Skilandis - minced dried pork meat in pig stomach- you can buy it with you.
Very popular are fried brushwood cookies (Žagarėlis) and a delicious brushwood cake doused in honey - Skruzdelinas.

Among dairy products, preference is given to cheeses (hard, curd, smoked or traditional), cottage cheese, yogurt and sour cream.
Be sure to try specially whipped sour cream with garlic and seasonings with homemade butter - this is kastinis. The tender and aromatic mass is served with jacket potatoes. Kastinis can be bought in the dairy section of any supermarket.
Buy the famous hard cheese “Džiugas” and smoked curd cheeses with you. Try special apple or plum cheese with a refined taste (you can buy it at fairs and local farmers' markets).

The gift version of honey tinctures from the company “Lietuviškas midus” is very good for a souvenir, which contains 6 types of tinctures from 14 to 75 degrees.

The famous strong drink "Suktinis" is named after a 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 Lithuanian national cuisine, you will appreciate how filling, tasty and affordable they are!

The cuisine of this small Baltic state with a complex history was formed in villages and villages. Even the nobility preferred simple and satisfying dishes. Unlike other European countries, here you will not find exquisite, intricately decorated desserts ─ everything is prepared very simply, but it turns out really satisfying.

Features of national cuisine

The bulk of Lithuanian desserts are prepared on the basis of butter, eggs and cottage cheese; creams are not favored here, but numerous casseroles and pies with various fillings can be found in any cafe.

Since all dishes were originally made by villagers, they are adapted to small cost time. On average, the most complex dessert takes the housewife from 30 minutes to one hour.

Five most popular desserts

Guests of Lithuania first of all celebrate the unusual cake, which you will not find anywhere else ─ shakotis. Its name translates as “branchy tree,” which is explained by the unusual shape of the cake. According to legend, a young court cook got it by accident when he spilled dough on a spit. The queen liked the result so much that she awarded the cook, and the cake became the main delicacy.

The shakotis recipe is over three hundred years old, but it does not lose popularity, and you can find it in any store in Lithuania.

Another culinary joy is donuts with cottage cheese, which are prepared in the form of small balls. You won’t find them in the store - they are more of a homemade delicacy, but in cafes of national cuisine they are usually prepared.

It has also become a homemade dish carrot casserole, which children adore for its sweet taste and rich color, and parents adore for its usefulness and ease of preparation.

An analogue of the Russian “anthill”, only made from puff pastry, cake skruzdelinas, prepared on holidays in most Lithuanian families. Thin petals of dough, smeared with honey, are piled up, after which they are left unattended and immediately stolen by children.

Well, the simplest sweet dish is the well-known chocolate “sausage” in Russia with cookies or shortcrust pastry. It takes 15 minutes to prepare, but it lasts a long time - it’s very filling.

Shakotis recipe

To prepare you will need: ten eggs, a pack of butter, 250 grams of flour, 150 grams of sugar, 2 grams of lemon essence, one and a half glasses of cream, 20 grams of cognac.

Preparation process: grind butter and sugar until smooth, adding eggs one at a time, beat. Then add flour, cream, essence and cognac. Bake at 80°C, gradually adding dough layer by layer.

If special wooden pipe you don’t have any for baking, you can bake the cake in a mold, but then, unfortunately, you won’t get the twigs that give it a unique flavor.

Of course, Lithuanian cuisine is not as unusual as, for example, the cuisine of France, but with the right approach you can find many interesting and delicious dishes that will delight you and your loved ones.