World Flavors Cookbook

Lithuania Recipes

Lithuanian cuisine is shaped by its forest-and-lake landscape: wild mushrooms, rye bread, dairy, and smoked meats are staples. The iconic cepelinai (zeppelin-shaped potato dumplings stuffed with meat) and cold beet soup (šaltibarščiai) are national symbols.

Recipes from Lithuania

• Cepelinai (Zeppelins)

  Lithuania's national dish; massive potato dumplings stuffed with spiced meat, served with a rich bacon and sour cream sauce.

• Šaltibarščiai (Cold Beet Soup)

  A vibrant, bright pink cold beet soup made with kefir, fresh cucumbers, and dill. A legendary summer refresher.

• Kepta Duona (Fried Rye Bread)

  Dark rye bread sticks fried until crispy and rubbed with fresh garlic. The ultimate Lithuanian beer snack.

• Varškėčiai (Curd Pancakes)

  Sweet and savory pan-fried pancakes made from traditional Lithuanian curd cheese (quark).

• Kugelis (Potato Pudding)

  A rich and heavy baked potato pudding made with grated potatoes, eggs, milk, and plenty of bacon.

• Bulviniai Blynai (Potato Pancakes)

  Classic Lithuanian potato pancakes, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.

• Tinginys (Lazy Cake)

  A beloved no-bake dessert made with crushed cookies, cocoa, butter, and condensed milk.

• Kibinai (Karaite Pasties)

  Flaky, crescent-shaped pastries filled with hand-chopped meat and onions, a specialty of the Lithuanian Karaite minority.

• Balandėliai (Cabbage Rolls)

  Tender cabbage leaves stuffed with a mixture of ground meat, rice, and vegetables, simmered in a creamy tomato sauce.

• Žemaičių Blynai (Samogitian Pancakes)

  Thick pancakes made from boiled mashed potatoes, stuffed with seasoned meat, and fried until crispy.

• Šakotis (Spit Cake)

  A spectacular, tree-like spit-roasted cake made from dozens of eggs, sugar, and flour.

• Vėdarai (Potato Sausages)

  Natural pig intestines stuffed with a mixture of grated raw potatoes and bacon, then baked until golden.

• Kraujinė Dešra (Blood Sausage)

  A traditional winter sausage made with blood, barley groats, and fat, seasoned with marjoram.

• Grybai (Mushroom Cookies)

  Spiced honey cookies shaped and glazed to look exactly like forest mushrooms.

• Spurgos (Lithuanian Donuts)

  Small, airy donuts often made with curd cheese in the dough, resulting in a unique moist texture.

• Silkė su Grybais (Herring with Mushrooms)

  Salted herring fillets topped with a rich mixture of sautéed wild mushrooms and onions.

• Karbonadas (Pork Schnitzel)

  The standard Lithuanian main dish: a thin, breaded pork cutlet fried to perfection.

• Troškinti Kopūstai (Stewed Cabbage)

  Slow-cooked sauerkraut or fresh cabbage with carrots and onions, often served as a side to heavy meat dishes.

• Medaus Tortas (Honey Cake)

  A multi-layered cake made with honey-infused layers and a tangy sour cream frosting.

• Grybų Sriuba (Mushroom Soup)

  A rich and earthy soup made from foraged forest mushrooms, typically thickened with pearl barley.

• Agurkinė Sriuba (Pickle Soup)

  A savory and tangy soup made with salted pickles, pearl barley, and potatoes.

• Raugintų Kopūstų Sriuba (Sauerkraut Soup)

  A hearty and sour winter soup made with sauerkraut and smoked meat.

• Švilpikai (Potato Whistlers)

  Baked and then simmered potato dough dumplings, traditionally served with a creamy mushroom sauce.

• Virtinukai (Lithuanian Dumplings)

  Handmade dumplings filled with curd cheese, berries, or meat, similar to pierogi.

• Lapienė (Leafy Green Soup)

  A light, spring soup made with fresh sorrel, spinach, or nettle leaves.

• Silkė po kailiniu (Herring under a Fur Coat)

  A layered salad of salted herring, boiled potatoes, carrots, onions, and beets, covered in mayonnaise.

• Skilandis (Smoked Meat)

  The most traditional Lithuanian smoked meat product, made of high-quality pork hand-chopped and stuffed into a pig's stomach.

• Varškės Sūris (Curd Cheese)

  A fresh, wedge-shaped cheese made from curd, often pressed in a cheesecloth and seasoned with caraway seeds.

• Kūčiukai (Christmas Eve Biscuits)

  Tiny, poppy seed-infused leavened dough biscuits, traditionally served with poppy seed milk.

• Žuvies Kotletai (Fish Patties)

  Delicate patties made from freshwater fish like pike or zander, popular in the lake regions.