What a wonderful experience! I am American-Lithuanian and I have so many fond memories of my Mother preparing these delicious recipes. Lithuanian food is so comforting.

Some of my favorites: dark rye bread ("juoda duona"), dumplings ("koldūnai"), cabbage rolls ("balandėliai"), pancakes ("blyneliai" without fillings or "lietiniai" with fillings), flat potato dish ("kugelis") if you are not sick of potatoes yet. From sweets, any buns with poppy seeds, Lithuanian doughnuts with fillings ("spurgos", if you go back to Kaunas, try at the oldest place, Spurgine on the main promenade, Laisvės al. 84), similar to German Baumkuchen and found at every wedding ("šakotis"), you can get a small one to try from any bakery. In summer Lithuanian beer is excellent or kvass ("gira") if non alcoholic. Skanaus!

@laura-bronner

2 жыл бұрын

oo thanks for more tips and foods to try! I tried to go to Spurgine, but they were closed! I'll definitely be back though so hopefully I can try them soon!

@juvi999

2 жыл бұрын

@@laura-bronner If you get brave, try salo (lašiniai) with rye bread, pickle and a shot of (Lithuanian) vodka :) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salo_(food)

@skarota

2 жыл бұрын

@@laura-bronner Spurginė in Laisvės Alėja is legendary :) If you order varškės spurgos (curd doughnuts) don't expect it to be regular doughnut filled with curd. The curd is actually in the dough, so it gives it completely different texture and they usually have no filling inside. I love them :) Wishing many happy discoveries to you!

@MrOnelone

2 жыл бұрын

@@laura-bronner Spurgine usually closes down for the whole month, because the whole staff takes vacation.

@austejakelyte7689

11 ай бұрын

Tu Lietuvis?????

Lithuanians traveling the world or living and working abroad say that they miss Lithuanian black bread the most. Indeed, black rye bread is one of the best Lithuanian products and many types can be discovered. Some bakers bake tastier, others less, but worth a taste. And now in Lithuania, the tradition of baking black rye bread at home is revived. Delicious when baked in a clay oven. And if there is still a homemade GIRA on the table, then hhmm ...

@S3l3ct1ve

2 жыл бұрын

Kiek buvau europoje, niekur nemačiau tiek duonos prekybos centruose, kiek pas mus yra :D Galėtume vadintis duonos sostine...

@_Marius_Strolys

2 жыл бұрын

@@S3l3ct1ve tiksliai pastebėta :)

That was an experience! I am looking forward to watch another one of your videos.

Surprisingly kepta duona or fried bread as you called it is something that foreigners either absolutely love or absolutely hate, really no in between

@laura-bronner

2 жыл бұрын

I can't imagine not liking fried bread with cheese, what's not to like?

@Tm_Martishius

2 жыл бұрын

@@laura-bronner My foreign friends usually say that they dislike the acidity of the bread but it's just a matter of taste I guess

@negotiummeum9643

2 жыл бұрын

@@Tm_Martishius perhaps they are used to garlic baguette ... and they meet totally different flavor LOL

You should try our Cabbage Rolls. Or potato pancakes :)

@laura-bronner

2 жыл бұрын

That sounds delicious, I'll definitely keep an eye out for them!

@vytautassulcas6494

2 жыл бұрын

@@laura-bronner especially Kedainiu blynai potato pancakes filled with meat, and compare them with Zhemaichiu blynai, almost the same but very different

I love your videos! I love how well put they are and your perspective on Lithuania is super interesting to see. Kudos!

@laura-bronner

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much, glad you are enjoying the videos!

I’m curious about the bread scene. I remember a Lithuanian bakery in New England that had an amazing light rye without a lot of seeds. Ive never found anything like it. Really enjoying your videos.

@laura-bronner

2 жыл бұрын

The bread is DELICIOUS. The ones I've tried are darker rye breads. They're dense and rich in flavor, almost malty. I've really enjoyed it so far!

@negotiummeum9643

2 жыл бұрын

@@laura-bronner to be fair even that fried bread (with salt, cheese, garlic etc) traditionally always used to be only the black (the darker one) bread. Not that light one ("Palanga" style bread) - it is a bad trend from 2000s which I do not like TBH. It always used to be the number 1 snack to along with beer in any Lithuanian pub :) BTW that "gira" (or malt soda as you call it) traditionally made of the black bread. Hence the malty taste

As you like curd cheese so much, you gotta try traditional old school Lithuanian cake "Draugystė" (Friendship Cake) - it's fantastic, you're gonna LOVE IT! It's a curd cheese cake. As for everything, you wanna find a good quality bakery to buy it, but you'll love the cake! Cheers!

@negotiummeum9643

2 жыл бұрын

I can attest to that! I also like "Kuršėnų vyniotinis" ...

I’m moving to Mexico September. I’ve watched your videos. Wish you were still there.

Hope you get a chance to take some guided food or non-food tours. Really enjoyed the ones you shared from Baja.

@laura-bronner

2 жыл бұрын

I will definitely be taking some different tours while I'm here!

You need to try the beer. You were in Biržų Duona. Try Biržų alus (or Rinkuskiai)

I l9ve that you love our food

Watching from Australia. I miss lithuanian food, my favourite is potato pancakes. You should try it.

@laura-bronner

2 жыл бұрын

I just tried the pancakes a few days ago! It came with this rich creamy cottage cheese that was also SO delicious! Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment :)

Doesn’t look like diet food but it does look yummy. Seems like filled pastry dough is popular…and who doesn’t like pastry? Although it’s one of the most fattening things on the planet! It’s also looking like Lithuania is even less expensive than Mexico. Let me know when you start craving Mexican food and if you find any places that serve it. I’d be surprised if you find anything even vaguely authentic, but you never know! Enjoyed the video. Thank you for taking one for the team LOL!

@laura-bronner

2 жыл бұрын

It was really delicious! I have heard of a few Mexican spots around Vilnius, but so far I'm enjoying discovering lots of new-to-me foods!

You are amazing i like your videos very much :) thanks

Try sweet cake called ''Šimtalapis'' (100 leafs).

I couldn't eat like that....well, maybe a day of it, but that's it! Looks so delicious!

Have you become a fan of buckwheat? As far as I know, buckwheat is eaten in LT as much as it is eaten in Russia or Ukraine. A nice breakfast: buckwheat smothered in butter.

@laura-bronner

2 жыл бұрын

I love buckwheat! I'd never had it before coming here and I love it now :)

@boink800

2 жыл бұрын

@@laura-bronner I hope you smother it in lots of butter. Do you prefer roasted or non- roasted?

By any chance have you tried Cheese Džiugas House (Sūrio Džiugas Namai)? It's just down the street from the Gates of Dawn. It's really good. They make baked goods with a cheese that tastes a little like parmesan. It's very interesting.

@laura-bronner

2 жыл бұрын

I haven’t been there but I really like their cheese, I had no idea they had a little bakery, sounds delicious!

I grew up on a lot of this food in Chicago. Most of it to me is winter food and can be a bit heavy in the summer. We call it our "soul food".

Fun.... doing the gracing. Enjoy!

@laura-bronner

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks!

We are meat eaters. Try kotketai & soup barkščiai, I myself like Chinese cuisine more then our national. If you eat only in modern restaurants, you'll get new stuff,not national dishes. All those small caffes gives already foreign stuff to eat. I don't like it. We usually make our own food at home, not walk to a restaurant. Expensive. Try sweet dish varškėčiai if you like curd & berries. Try šašlykas - a meat roasted on a bond fire. Then koldūnai, kukuliai, šaltiena, pasukos - milk drink, kastinys, vėdarai is really good. Try onions with bread & lašiniai and drink like vodka, wiskey or beer, or just without alcohol. Try silkė, a fish. Try fried cepelinai. Try sweet obuolių pyragas cake. Try guliašas. *nice Lithuania cuisine is near Palanga called *HBH Juozo alus* . You should visit this place. See online their site. Great food & place to see, good beer, food.

Awwww i hope i get to go this year ❤❤❤

That cheese curd is called "varškė" in Lithuanian. It's traditionally popular here. It's a pillar of Lithuanian nutrition. It's like Lithuanian version of ricotta, only made from naturally fermented milk aka Sour Milk ("rūgpienis" in Lithuanian). It is also healthier for the gut than ricotta. Evdn some lactose intolerant people can eat it. (Ricotta is made from fresh unfermented milk; we call it sweet milk (saldus pienas) aka just regular milk. Varškė is also more similar to traditional Indian paneer. In Canada they call it pressed cottage cheese, others call it farm cheese, and, of course, curd cheese. It's the same "varškė". The fatter - the better 🤤🤤🤤👍 P. S. Those curd dumplings you ate the other day (wonderful name for them, btw, - I could never come up with a name in English for it) are super easy to make. You can boil or pan fry them. Depending on what you add to the base pastry - you may get any flavor sweet or savory dish. With different sauces you may come up with even more interesting things😉👌

@negotiummeum9643

2 жыл бұрын

I can agree on almost everything you said apart form the part "The fatter - the better" :) It's traditional and common misconception in my opinion. As much as I like fat curd I just loooove the lean curd! One of the best sources of high quality protein - proper lean curd can have 20-21% of protein!!! Yeah, people will say it's too dry and gaggy (if there's such word) but trust me it certainly has it's place in some people's diet. Even as a simple pre/post work out meal: put some lean curd into bowl, add some honey, pour some kefir over it, mix it up - enjoy! Good with tea or coffee :) But please be careful: if you find a so called "lean curd" with only like 15-16% of protein in it then it's not real lean curd but just diluted version of fattier curd (it's common for Polish made that widely sells in UK - beware!)

Šaltibarščiai is the best! Probably the only food that i eat too much when its in the fridge, i just eat and eat and eat till im totaly full and cant eat no more :D

2:30 Kibinas (masculine singular form). So, you are right.

@laura-bronner

2 жыл бұрын

Cool thanks!

Good looks so good. Thanks for doing this video. Would love to hear Lithuanian spoken…..is there a way for us to hear that in your videos? Glad you’re having fun!

@laura-bronner

2 жыл бұрын

I'll be sharing a bit of my experience learning the language very soon. I'll do my best to try to chat to some Lithuanians in some future videos if they feel comfortable on camera so you can hear more of the language :)

@_Marius_Strolys

2 жыл бұрын

@@laura-bronner One of the easiest ways to get to know the language better is to listen to songs, so here's a hit for you this summer in Lithuania: Sisters On Wire - Mėlyna, mėlyna (eng. Blue, blue) kzread.info/dash/bejne/i5l4waqOZNmnYNI.html

@vytautassulcas6494

2 жыл бұрын

@@_Marius_Strolys kas per ? aš Lietuvis vos suprantu kas ten per tekstas - artikuliacijos jokios, kirčiavimas it pasityčiojimas iš kalbos

since you like potatoes and also liked that curd cheese (varškė) I'd recommend you to try "bulviniai blynai su varškės padažu" - potato pancakes with curd cheese sauce/dip (I personally like it thicker so its texture is more of a dip than sauce). Of course as most Lithuanian potato dishes those pancakes also go very well with traditional bacon sauce or soured cream or with both at once (my preference cause soured cream nicely balances the pork fat) ... but my favorite combination is those pancakes with plenty of curd cheese dip. Besides that way your meal not only consists of plenty of carbs and fat but also contains a good amount of protein :) Another very popular combination - potato pancakes with curd cheese sauce and salmon

Have you tried "sūrelis"? It's a candy / dessert... Basically cheese curds wrapped in chocolate and may come with some sort of filling in the middle like jam, poppy seeds, condensed milk, jelly... "Magija" is the best brand in my opinion

@laura-bronner

2 жыл бұрын

No I haven’t tried it, sounds delicious! I’ll look for it next time I’m at the shop!

@BrokenBackMountains

2 жыл бұрын

Oh yes. Sūrelis. So nice.

@irmaslap1607

2 жыл бұрын

@@laura-bronner look for them in grocery store

@negotiummeum9643

2 жыл бұрын

unfortunately these days most types of "sūrelis" became inedible ... usually it's not enough curd in them and contain lot's of cheap fats (like margarine, pal oil etc). I've tried nowadays most of them including "Magija" and "Karums" (Latvian ones that according to people are the best) but wasn't impressed by any, sorry. I'm old enough to remember how good were the real ones :)

You know, Laura, I thought I might lose interest because you were no longer in Mexico, where we have wintered for the past 12-15 years, but I have become intrigued in your new travels. Best wishes and still watching!

@laura-bronner

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks so much, I'm glad you're still enjoying the videos!

Kugelis!

You should drink “kevyra “ maybe you’ll like it

Hi Laura i think you was looking for "spurga" thats lithuanian name ;)

Love you

I understand they make excellent Pigs Ear...

I am Norwegian and English may I ask yours how do you like Lithuania over Mexico

Iš you žant to try real Kibinai (Kibinlar in original Karaim/Tatar) you should go to Trakai and try it at Kiubete Kibinai restaurant. The real ones are with lamb meet and must have some broth inside.

@laura-bronner

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the tips! That sounds delicious!

Try Vedarai :D

Get Kibinai in Kaunas ''Prezo'' kepyklele 101 - the best

You're eating good! I must admit, I don't really know what cheese curd is?

@juvi999

2 жыл бұрын

These two articles might help: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quark_(dairy_product) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curd

@TheHumanLT

2 жыл бұрын

Basically put, it's loose, un-pressed cottage cheese.

👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍❤❤❤❤

🙏🏽🌹🥂

Would be worth watching if you told us the prices

Hello, can you please help me with how to get a tourist visa to Lithuania if you don’t mind

try honey using a slice of fresh cucumber

Confession: I like to pause on some of your facial expressions they’re silly 🙃 but great video on the food there...looks d’lish! 😋

@laura-bronner

2 жыл бұрын

haha glad I can entertain 🥴

varskes suris ,varskes surelis , obuoliu suris , kastinys , ceburekas

u prefer Lithuania over MX?

@paleface953

2 жыл бұрын

it seems she just followed her partner who got a job here. And trying to make the best of it while she's here. Every country has it ups and downs. Mexico, obviously, has better weather, different landscape and rich culture of food. Lithuania is more green, forestry, lots of nature sights, parks, it's a calm country with an easy way of life. Not to mention the size and population is drastically different.

@negotiummeum9643

2 жыл бұрын

@@paleface953 The Winters here might be depressing esp coming form Mexico ... on the other hand in Lithuania you are less likely to be kidnapped by a cartel LOL

@paleface953

2 жыл бұрын

@@negotiummeum9643 heh, yeah, cold winter seems like a slightly better option :D

moment of silence for those who never tasted "Cepelinai"

Hi haw r you the best food

+5 kG ;-)

Christ....you are still cute as hell

Hi guys! You came to 100% pure no chemical shit country, why .. all natural in front of you, please,

I am a fan of your channel, I dont know why you left Mexico for a European country.

You need to come back because you have not tasted the best dishes in Lithuania

She butchered kepta duona so hard xD

Tacos.

I wouldn't eat any of that meat filled crap GIMME FISH TACOS !

@crabLT

2 жыл бұрын

Jesus, mate, what is it with you with Mexico and taco's all the time. It's like you're obsessed or something. If you love Mexico that much, why don't ya move there?

@ltdodgen

2 жыл бұрын

Just because you don’t like the sound of it doesn’t make it crap. Just makes you sound negative and ignorant.

@Kund1s

2 жыл бұрын

only idiots describes things , not even tasted :)

@juvi999

2 жыл бұрын

@@crabLT I don't blame him. The Mexico cuisine is one of the widest and the best in the world. The Lithuanian one is very very meager in comparison. But our country is tiny and the climate is not favorable to grow a variety of ingredients so one ends up eating a lot of pork and potatoes that are not that exciting. How often can one come across a Lithuanian restaurant outside of Lithuania? Exactly.

@Tm_Martishius

2 жыл бұрын

Have some respect man, you should never dissrespect another type of cuisine especially if you have never tried it.