LITHUANIAN FOOD: DISCOVER TRADITIONAL CUISINE

RUGINĖ DUONA – is the iconic dark rye bread, central to Lithuanian cuisine and culture, traditionally made through a sourdough fermentation process.

MILTINIAI BLYNAI – wheat flour crepes, either pan-size thin or small, round and fluffy, served with butter, sour cream or fruit preserves. A weekend breakfast staple at most homes.

KEPTA DUONA SU SŪRIO PADAŽU – fried bread strips rubbed with garlic and served with a melted mayo-cheese sauce, an must try Lithuanian appetizer!

GRIKIŲ KOŠĖ – buckwheat porridge, a true breakfast staple, served only with butter or shallow-fried onions and bacon.

PERLINĖ KRUOPŲ SRIUBA – pearl barley soup made of meat stock, potatoes, carrots, onions, and pickled cucumbers, a hearty, warming dish.

KOLDŪNAI / VIRTINIAI – boiled wheat dough dumplings with various fillings of meat (usually pork), wild mushrooms, curd, or blueberries, served with sour cream and butter.

KIBINAI – crescent-shaped pastries with a flaky, buttery crust, filled with aromatic meat filling of chopped mutton, pork or chicken and onions or other curd/veggie fillings. While originating from the Karaim (a Turkic-speaking ethnic and religious minority), they’re now considered part of Lithuanian cuisine and can be found in the majority of bakeries and food stores.

ŠVIEŽI AGURKAI SU MEDUMI – a fresh summer appetizer – small cucumbers with drizzled fresh honey – an unexpectedly interesting combo!

BULVINIAI BLYNAI – potato pancakes, grated potatoes mixed with eggs, flour, and seasoning, then fried into thin, crispy pancakes. Often served with sour cream, sour cream and curd, or cottage cheese and dill sauce.

ŽEMAIČIŲ BLYNAI – Samogitian (one of four regional identities in Lithuania) pancakes are thick, pre-cooked potato pancakes stuffed with seasoned pork filling, served with sour cream and dill.

CEPELINAI / DIDŽKUKULIAI – large potato dumplings, shaped like zeppelins, made from fresh grated and cooked mashed potatoes, stuffed with pork and served with sour cream and bacon or mushroom sauce. Curd cheese filling is also a popular option.

VĖDARAI – a baked potato sausage, made from well-grated potatoes, stuffed into natural pork casings, and baked. Served with sour cream, bacon, or mushroom sauce as a hearty, rustic dish.

ŠALTIBARŠČIAI – a vibrant cold soup of a fascinating pink color made of fermented milk drink kefir, marinated beets, cucumbers, dills, scallions, and boiled eggs. Served with hot boiled potatoes, usually in summer.

BARŠČIAI – a hot beet soup, made with meat or vegetable stock, potatoes, sometimes cabbage or dried porcini mushrooms. Served with sour cream and dark rye bread.

RAUGINTŲ KOPŪSTŲ SRIUBA – a tangy soup made from fermented cabbage, often with pork or some other smoked meat, onions, and potatoes. Usually eaten during colder months.

BALANDĖLIAI – cabbage leaves stuffed with a mixture of minced meat, onions, and rice and simmered in a tomato-based sauce. Served with sour cream and potatoes.

RAUGINTOS DARŽOVĖS – a traditional method of preserving vegetables like cabbage and cucumbers. Served as a side dish or condiment, especially in winter.

MIŠKO GRYBAI SU BULVĖMIS – wild forest mushrooms (porcini, chanterelle) shallow-fried with onions and sour cream and served with boiled or roasted potatoes and dill.

OBUOLIŲ SŪRIS – a firm, jelly-like dessert made from boiled apples and sugar, pressed into molds to resemble cheese. It’s not actually cheese, despite the name. Sliced and enjoyed as a sweet treat.

UOGIENĖS – homemade fruits and berry preserves made from strawberries, raspberries, or blueberries, often eaten with bread, pancakes, and curd cheese. They’re less sweet than typical jams.

SKILANDIS – A PGI-protected traditional smoked charcuterie product. It’s made with the highest-quality pork and fat, garlic, salt, black pepper, and natural casings (pig’s stomach) which is later smoked for 3-7 days using specific hardwoods, and aged for at least 30 days.

ŠALTIENA – a savory jelly made from boiled pig’s feet and other meat parts. It’s served cold, often with pickled horseradish or mustard sauce or fermented cucumbers.

KIAULIENOS VYNIOTINIS is a meat roll, filled with vegetables or eggs, sliced and served cold as an appetizer.

RŪKYTI LAŠINIAI – cold-smoked pork belly (fatback) cured with salt and spices. It’s sliced thinly and often eaten on bread with onions and scallions or used for cooking.

JAUČIO LIEŽUVIS – boiled beef tongue served cold, sliced thinly and often accompanied by horseradish or mayonnaise.

KARBONADAS – breaded pork cutlet, served with potatoes in various forms (mashed, boiled), fresh tomatoes, cucumbers or fermented vegetables.

KOTLETAI – minced meat patties, usually made from pork and often served with mashed potatoes.

ŠAŠLYKAI – (pronounced “shash-li-kai”) is the Lithuanian version of shashlik or shish kebab. Marinated meat skewers are cooked over char coal grill. While they have origins in Caucasian and Central Asian cuisine, they’ve become a part of Lithuanian outdoor culture at countryside homes, lakesides, or forests. Traditional Lithuanian marinades include lots of onions, vinegar,
and simple seasonings like salt, pepper, bay leaves.

ŽUVIS TEŠLOJE – a traditional preparation of pike or carp fillet coated in a specific beer and flour batter and then fried until golden. It’s often served during Christmas Eve.

MARINUOTA SILKĖ SU SVOGŪNAIS – a simple staple appetizer, pickled herring, fresh onions, black pepper, vinegar and cinnamon.

FARŠIRUOTA LYDEKA – a festive dish of whole stuffed pike. The stuffing contains fish flesh mixed with sautéed carrots, onions, eggs, salt, and pepper, and then baked whole, served extensively decorated.

KEPTAS KARPIS – oven baked carp, traditionally prepared for Christmas Eve (Kūčios). The fish is usually baked whole together with carrots, potatoes and onions.

RŪKYTA ŽUVIS – cold and hot-smoked fish, specifically eel, bream, and mackerel – summer staples at Baltic coastline.

ŽUVIENĖ – a clear fish soup made with freshwater perch, pike, or carp, with potatoes, carrots, parsley, dill and sour cream.

ŽEMAITIŠKAS KASTINYS – a butter-based spread from the Samogitia region, made by continuously mixing butter, sour cream, and sour milk with garlic and salt until it becomes light and fluffy. Served with dark rye bread or hot boiled potatoes.

VARŠKĖS SŪRIS SU MEDUMI – Fresh curd cheese is frequently served with honey or fruits preserves. The cheese must be made from natural curds and is often shaped into a triangle or rectangle.

VARŠKĖČIAI – a breakfast staple, either boiled or pan-fried pancakes made of curd, wheat flour and eggs. Served with sour cream and fruit preserves.

VARŠKĖS APKEPAS – curd pudding made of eggs, curd, semolina, flour, sugar, vanilla, and sometimes raisins. The result is a light fluffy dish that’s often served as a breakfast food or dessert. It can be eaten either warm or cold, typically with berry sauce, jam, or sour cream on top.

ŠAKOTIS – a hollow, tree-shaped cake made on a rotating spit, with layers forming “branches.” It’s made from a batter of eggs, flour, sugar, and butter, cooked by slowly dripping the mixture onto a rotating spit in front of a heat source. This creates its distinctive spiked appearance and is served at special occasions, particularly weddings.

ŽAGARĖLIAI – thin, crispy pastries made from a dough that’s twisted into bow shapes, deep-fried, and dusted with powdered sugar.

SKRUZDĖLYNAS – anthill cake, a tower of small fried dough pieces held together with honey or poppy seed syrup, shaped to resemble an anthill. It’s often served at celebrations.

MEDUTIS – a honey cake that consists of multiple layers of soft honey-based cake sheets stacked with a flavored sour cream filling. Often, the cake is decorated with cake crumbs on the sides and may be topped with nuts or honey.

ŠIMTALAPIS – meaning “hundred leaves” or “hundred layers” a layered pastry made by rolling numerous very thin layers of dough, each brushed with melted butter. These layers are then stacked together, with a filling of poppy seeds or curd cheese and baked. It’s rich, sweet, caramelized on the bottom, often served on special occasions.

GRYBUKAI – mushroom cookies. These aren’t actual mushrooms but cookies shaped and decorated to look like mushrooms. They’re made with a honey-based dough and typically have chocolate-covered “caps” and vanilla-flavored “stems.”

TINGINYS – literally meaning “lazy cake,” a no-bake dessert made from crushed cookies, cocoa powder, butter, and condensed sweetened milk. The mixture is formed into a log shape and chilled until firm.

OBUOLIŲ PYRAGAS – a rustic simple apple cake made with fresh apples, spiced with cinnamon and powdered sugar.

KŪČIUKAI – small, slightly sweet biscuits made with poppy seeds, traditionally served on Christmas Eve, eaten with poppy seed milk.