Wondering how I discovered Lithuanian Food ?!
Buckle up! The story as to how I ended up there is rather dark and full of terrors, um I mean errors!
So, a little over two years ago, I made my first ever trip to Poland. Although Poland welcomed me with a snowstorm, I fell in love with it all the same. I mean how could I not?! Polish grandmas make the best Pierogis, Polish soups are to die for and food is the way to my heart! However, during my last trip to Poland, I decided to visit yet another country fringing in the ‘Eastern European’ zone, a.k.a., Lithuania.
Although I had absolutely no idea what to expect from Lithuania, what I didn’t anticipate was kickstarting my Lithuanian journey by alighting the wrong bus. The bus that I boarded was headed to Belarus. You see, I don’t speak Polish and the bus driver in question didn’t speak English. Although he tried his very best to convince me to disembark, I refused to move from my seat. Luckily, minutes of frantic sign language cues and heaps of facial expressions rescued me! I finally boarded the right bus to Lithuania and spent the night dreaming of all the things I thought Lithuanian food would be like.
…ten hours of disturbed sleep later, I reached Vilnius and discovered that Lithuanian food was even better than all my dreams put together!
5 Lithuanian Food That you Must Try
It is no secret that I love food. Trying and testing new cuisines is one of my favorite things to do while traveling. Similar to Germany, the food in Vilnius revolves around root vegetables (i.e., potato and beetroots), lots of meat and bread! Despite the similarity in ingredients, the excessive use of dairy to enrich their cuisine infuses a delicious flavor to Lithuanian food.
In no particular order, here are my top five ‘Must Eats’ from Vilnius,
Cepelinai (Stuffed Potato Dumplings)
Named after their resemblance to Zeppelin airships, this is Lithuania’s National dish. Having lived in Germany for three years, this dish instantly reminded me of ‘Kartoffel-Knödel’ (a.k.a., potato dumplings) that Germans love and adore. However, these little monsters are not just plain dumplings like their German counterpart but rather stuffed with spiced ground meat and served with a huge, (un)healthy portion of sour cream and pork rinds.
Šaltibarščiai (Cold Beetroot Soup)
Growing up, beetroot was one of my least favorite vegetables. As a kid, the only exciting thing about it was that it made my rice turn pink. But, traveling around Eastern Europe has definitely made me view this vegetable in a new light! One of the reasons for my change of heart is Šaltibarščiai (yeah, I can’t pronounce it too), a traditional Lithuanian soup made with pickled beetroots and tangy buttermilk, served with grated cucumber and seasoned with lots of dill!
I must say, this combination was un-beet-able.
I had mine from a tiny store by the train station but I believe you get it everywhere in Lithuania!
Kibinai
Ethnic minorities have always piqued my interest! One such minority group is the tiny community of ‘Turkic Karaites’ living in the Trakai region of Lithuania. Although, Trakai is an hour from Vilnius, I highly recommend taking the train and rejoicing their culture with a piece of their beloved Kibinai.
Prepared with a dough enriched with butter, eggs and sour cream and stuffed with flavored minced mutton, these crescent shaped puff pastries will perfectly accompany your Lithuanian snack breaks!
I had mine at a café by the Trakai Castle! Once you are in Trakai, every café prepares them and thus, they are really not hard to find!
Šakoti (Tree Cake)
Šakoti is a very elaborate, traditional Lithuanian cake that is usually prepared for weddings and festivals. The preparation is quite unique as baking this delicacy involves rotating the dough over open fire!
I had mine at a café in Užupis and I can confirm, it was every bit as delicious as it looks!
Gira (Kvass)
Gira is a traditional, nonalcoholic, fermented Lithuanian drink made from dark rye bread. Much like beer, this one is an acquired taste. The first time I had it, it tasted like over-roasted bread mixed with sweet beer. Doesn’t sound like a good combination? Trust me, your palette will get accustomed to it sooner than you think!
Gira is available everywhere in Lithuania! But, while ordering Gira, it is always better to opt for the draught version rather than the bottled one!
Strangely enough, I am craving a nice, tall glass of Gira now. Looks like I have to brew some for myself 😉
After a weekend of indulging in potatoes, beetroot and platterfuls of sour cream, my Lithuania trip ended with a food coma that lasted for way longer than it should have. At least as a tribute to my food coma, I am going to also mention two bonus items, aka., Kepta Duona (fried bread) and Grybukai (cookies shaped like mushrooms). I gobbled these down with zero guilt! So, make sure to try those too for a complete Baltic food storm!
Hope you enjoyed diving into Lithuanian cuisine. If you are looking for another trip down the food blog lane, feel free to check out my must eat dishes from Sicily!
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Have any other questions about Lithuanian food? Leave them in the comments below!
