For starters: Kepta Duona su Suriu (Fried Bread with Cheese)
Any one of you who have ever visited us here have certainly had this, as it's essential tourist fare, and, quite honestly, essential fare period. Thankfully, we don't eat out a ton these days, otherwise we'd be dying of clogged arteries from it. The trick is in the bread. It has to be a thick, dark rye - the denser the better. This is cut in strips & deep fried until nearly (but not quite!) crispy. Then each piece is rubbed with fresh garlic and then it's smothered (or drizzled, depending on the restaurant) with a glorious mixture of mayonnaise & melted cheese. Heart attack on a plate? For sure. The tastiest thing on the planet? Most definitely!
Next to come: Šaltibarščiai (Cold beet soup)
This one took me a few years to get used to, but now I'm addicted. Americans like to call it 'Pepto Bismal Soup' because of it's bright pink color. Thankfully, they taste nothing alike! You do have to appreciate the taste of beets for this one as well as be okay with the concept of cold soup (which is what took me a while, I think). This is strictly a summer-time soup, which unfortunately means it's only available in most restaurants during the warmer months (which we have about 4 of per year here). I have figured out which places serve it year-round, however, and go to those as often as possible!
It's essentially made of buttermilk, and then has thinly sliced beets, cucumbers, dill & usually a piece of hard-boiled egg in it with a dollop of sour cream on top. It is ALWAYS served with boiled potatoes...and in my opinion, the two cannot be eaten separately (although I was told once that dipping your potato into the soup before eating was perceived as a rather low-brow thing to do...good thing I don't care about how people perceive me)! :)
The main dish: Graikiškos salotos (Greek Salad)
I know you can find Greek Salads in the States, but I'm not confident they compare. The one I got last weekend at the mall was one of the best restaurant salads I've had here. The caramelized onions on top were glorious! But in all honesty, one of my favorite addictions is our local grocer's version that you get at the deli. "Salatos su Feta" (salad with feta - clever name, huh?) used to be called Graikiškos salatos & for some reason, the name was changed (even though the salad didn't appear to). The deli version is simply huge chunks of tomatoes, yellow & red peppers, feta, slivers of red onion & black olives, but the kicker is the vinaigrette! I literally can't stop myself from drinking what's left from the bottom of the container when the salad's done. I make my own version of this salad at home, but can't seem to replicate the vinaigrette they use...it's simply amazing!
And finally...the grand finale...DESSERT! The hands-down single best dark chocolate in the universe: Karuna.
After our dinner at the mall, I came home and promptly took out my usual 1-2 squares of Karuna from it's usual place in the door of the fridge. In my opinion, it's much better when cold. There is an alarm that goes off in our fridge if there is ever a time when there is a lack of Karuna there. Okay, maybe not quite...but I always keep a close eye on my supply & when we get low, it always gets replaced. I seriously have nightmares about how I'll be able to live in the States one day without Karuna. There is nothing America produces that is as good. Hershey's, Ghirardelli & Fannie May don't hold a candle. Karuna is where it's at. And no, I'm not biased! ;)
What I've learned is that if I want to continue enjoying these scrumptious treats after we leave Lithuania, I'll have to learn to make them all (or in the case of the Karuna, ship myself cases of it). I have actually made versions of each myself, but they need a lot of practice before they'll come close to making up for the originals!
And each of these dishes (with the exception of the Greek Salad, obviously) is strictly Lithuanian. I've never heard of or seen Šaltibarščiai or Kepta Duona in any country outside of here, and Karuna is locally produced.
Lithuania - you have created some AMAZING food...and have got me hooked!
