Lithuania

A Lithuanian poppy-seed 'milk' — ground sweetened poppy seeds steeped in water — drunk on Christmas Eve.

Balandėliai are Lithuanian stuffed cabbage rolls: blanched white-cabbage leaves wrapped tightly around a filling of minced meat and partially cooked rice, then braised in tomato sauce until the cabbage is very tender and the filling is cooked through.

A broth-based Eastern European soup defined by its deep crimson color and earthy-sour balance, built on beetroot, cabbage, and root vegetables, finished with smetana.

A Lithuanian griddle cake of raw grated potato bound with egg and onion, fried in fat until deeply golden and crisp, served with cold sour cream.

Large zeppelin-shaped Lithuanian dumplings formed from a dough of raw grated and cooked riced potato, stuffed with seasoned minced pork, poached in salted water, and finished with sour cream and fried bacon.

A dense, dark sourdough bread made predominantly from whole-grain rye flour, leavened with a long-maintained rye sourdough starter through extended fermentation, yielding a firm, moist, close-crumbed loaf with a pronounced sour and earthy character.

A traditional Samogitian (Lithuanian) condiment of cultured sour cream slowly churned with butter into a thick, spreadable, tangy fat.

Deep-fried fingers of dense dark rye bread rubbed immediately with raw garlic while still hot, served as a beer snack, typically alongside a sour cream or cheese dipping sauce.

A hand-crimped Lithuanian Karaite pastry of rich dough filled with finely chopped spiced lamb (or pork/beef), baked into a plump half-moon with a rope-twisted edge.

Small boiled dumplings of thin unleavened dough enclosing a seasoned minced-meat filling, served with melted butter or sour cream.

A baked Lithuanian pudding of grated raw potatoes bound with egg, enriched with bacon and onion, baked into a dense golden-crusted block.

A tart Lithuanian spring soup of sorrel leaves simmered with potato, finished with hard-boiled egg and a swirl of sour cream.

A Lithuanian spit-roasted layered cake built up by dripping egg-rich batter onto a rotating spit so the drips harden into spiky, tree-like branches.

Šakotis is a traditional Lithuanian spit‑roasted celebratory cake made from a high‑egg, butter‑rich batter that forms irregular, branch‑like layers over an open fire, served as a festive centerpiece.

Šaltibarščiai is a chilled Lithuanian soup composed primarily of cooked beets steeped in fermented dairy (kefir) or beet kvass, seasoned with fresh herbs and vegetables, traditionally served with boiled potatoes.

A Lithuanian cold dish of pork pieces and stock set into a firm savory jelly with garlic and bay, sliced and served chilled with mustard or horseradish.

A Lithuanian cold-smoked, dry-cured pork sausage of coarsely cut meat packed into a natural stomach or large casing, aged for months and sliced thin.

Šviežia varškė su grietine is a simple Lithuanian breakfast of fresh farmer's curd cheese (varškė) served plain or sweetened, dressed with sour cream and sometimes honey.

A Lithuanian no-bake refrigerator confection of crushed biscuits bound in a chocolate-cocoa-butter mixture, set into a log and sliced — its name literally means 'lazy' for requiring no baking.

Lithuanian pan-fried patties of fresh curd cheese bound with egg and flour, browned in butter and served with sour cream.

Samogitian pancakes made from mashed potato dough wrapped around a savoury meat filling, shaped into ovals and pan-fried crisp.