Today we’re heading to Lithuania—the heart of the Baltics, where culinary traditions have been passed down from generation to generation for centuries. We’re making two iconic dishes the whole country takes pride in.
🥔 Cepelinai (Potato Zeppelins)
Massive potato "airships" stuffed with meat, named after Count Zeppelin’s dirigibles. A crisp golden crust on the outside, a tender potato shell, and a juicy meat filling inside—all generously drizzled with a sour cream sauce studded with cracklings.
Ingredients:
For the filling:
• Ground pork — 300 g
• Yellow onion — 1 medium bulb
• Salt — to taste
• Black pepper — to taste
• Butter — 20 g
For the shell:
• Potatoes — 1.5 kg
• Potato starch — 3 tbsp
• Salt — 1 tsp
• Egg — 1
For the sauce:
• Sour cream (20% fat) — 200 g
• Bacon or pork belly — 100 g
• Yellow onion — 1 small bulb
• Salt — a pinch
Instructions:
Step 1. Prepare the filling
Dice the onion into small cubes (3–4 mm per side). Heat a skillet over medium heat, add the butter. Sauté the onion until translucent and lightly golden (4–5 minutes). Mix the ground pork with the sautéed onion, add salt (½ tsp) and pepper. Knead thoroughly until the mixture becomes sticky and dense. Shape into 6–8 elongated patties, 5–6 cm long and 2 cm thick. Refrigerate.
Step 2. Make the potato dough
Peel all the potatoes. Grate half on a fine grater into a bowl lined with cheesecloth or a clean towel. Squeeze out as much liquid as possible—the cheesecloth should be nearly dry. Drain the liquid, leaving the white starch at the bottom. Grate the other half on a coarse grater, also squeeze dry. Combine both types of grated potato, add the settled starch, potato starch, egg, and salt. The dough should be pliable, hold its shape, but not crumble.
Step 3. Shape the cepelinai
Wet your hands with cold water. Take a handful of potato dough (about 150 g), shape into a 1 cm-thick flatbread on your palm. Place a meat patty in the center. Carefully wrap the potato dough around it, pinching the edges. Shape into an elongated oval, like a dirigible—10–12 cm long, 5–6 cm thick. The surface should be smooth, without cracks. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
Step 4. Boil the cepelinai
Bring 3–4 liters of water to a boil in a large pot, add salt (1 tbsp). Gently lower the cepelinai into the boiling water. Reduce heat to medium—the water should simmer gently. Cook for 35–40 minutes. The cepelinai will float after 5–7 minutes, but this doesn’t mean they’re done. To check doneness: pierce the thickest cepelinas with a knife—the blade should slide in easily, without resistance, and the potato dough should turn translucent, not white.
Step 5. Make the crackling sauce
Dice the bacon into small cubes (5×5 mm). Thinly slice the onion into half-rings. Fry the bacon in a dry skillet over medium heat until golden and crispy (7–8 minutes). Add the onion and sauté together for another 3–4 minutes until the onion softens. Remove from heat, stir in the sour cream. The sauce should be warm, thick, with visible crackling pieces.
Step 6. Final touch
Carefully remove the cooked cepelinai with a slotted spoon, let the water drain. Arrange on a platter. Optionally, you can pan-fry the cepelinai in melted butter (30 g) for 2–3 minutes per side until a golden crust forms—this adds texture. The crust should be golden and slightly crispy.
Step 7. Serve
Place the cepelinai on individual plates (2 per serving). Generously drizzle with the sour cream sauce with cracklings and onion. Serve extra sour cream in a gravy boat on the side. Traditionally, cepelinai are eaten by cutting them lengthwise and dipping each piece into the sauce.
💡 Fact: Cepelinai got their name in the early 20th century thanks to their distinctive shape, resembling German dirigibles. In different regions of Lithuania, they’re called didžkukuliai (big dumplings), but the name cepelinai stuck nationwide and became a culinary calling card.
🥣 Šaltibarščiai (Cold Beet Soup)
A refreshing cold beet soup with a vibrant pink hue, made with kefir—Lithuania’s summer staple. Sweet-and-sour, with crisp vegetables, boiled eggs, and fragrant dill, served with hot boiled potatoes.
Ingredients:
• Medium beets — 3 (about 400 g)
• Kefir (2.5–3.5% fat) — 1 liter
• Fresh cucumbers — 3 medium
• Chicken eggs — 4
• Green onions — 1 bunch (50 g)
• Fresh dill — 1 large bunch (40 g)
• Radishes — 6–8
• Lemon juice — 2 tbsp
• Salt — to taste
• Sugar — 1 tsp
• Black pepper — to taste
• Sparkling mineral water (optional) — 200 ml
• Potatoes for serving — 4–5
Instructions:
Step 1. Boil the beets
Scrub the beets thoroughly with a brush, leaving the skin on. Place in a pot, cover with cold water by 3–4 cm. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer covered for 50–70 minutes, depending on size. Check doneness with a fork or knife—they should slide into the center easily, and the flesh should be soft. Drain, then cover with cold water to cool quickly. After 10 minutes, peel—the skin should come off easily, almost on its own.
Step 2. Prepare the beet base
Grate the cooled beets on a coarse grater. Transfer half of the grated beets to a large bowl or pot (2–2.5 liters). Place the other half in a blender, add 200 ml of kefir, and blend until smooth, creating a bright raspberry-colored purée (1–2 minutes). Pour the purée into the bowl with the grated beets. Add the remaining kefir, lemon juice, salt (start with 1 tsp), sugar, and pepper. Mix thoroughly—the consistency should be like thin sour cream, the color a rich fuchsia.
Step 3. Boil the eggs and potatoes
Place the eggs in a pot, cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, cook for 9 minutes for a firm yolk. Immediately transfer to ice water for 5 minutes—this makes the shells easy to peel. Peel, then quarter. Peel the potatoes, cut into halves or quarters (if large). Boil in salted water for 15–20 minutes until tender—a knife should slide in without resistance. Drain, keep warm under a lid.
Step 4. Chop the vegetables
Dice the cucumbers into small cubes (4–5 mm per side)—the cut should be neat and uniform. Thinly slice the radishes (2 mm thick), then cut each slice into matchsticks. Thinly slice the green onions, including the light green parts. Finely chop the dill—you should end up with about 4 tablespoons. All vegetables should be cold.
Step 5. Assemble the soup
Add the cucumbers, radishes, most of the green onions (reserve some for garnish), and half the dill to the beet-kefir base. Stir. Taste and adjust seasoning: add more salt for depth, lemon juice for tang, or sugar for balance. The soup should be sweet-and-sour with a refreshing kick. For a lighter texture, add sparkling mineral water—it adds extra freshness and fizz.
Step 6. Chill
Cover the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably 4–6. During this time, the flavors will meld, the soup will become more intense, and the temperature will drop to 4–6°C. Before serving, stir—the vegetables may have settled.
Step 7. Serve
Ladle the šaltibarščiai into deep bowls. Add 2–3 egg quarters to each serving. Sprinkle with the remaining dill and green onions. Serve the hot boiled potatoes on a separate plate. Traditional way to eat: break a potato with a fork right in the soup, so the starch slightly thickens the liquid and creates a hot-cold contrast.
💡 Fact: Šaltibarščiai is Lithuania’s take on an ancient Slavic cold borscht, but Lithuanians perfected the recipe, making it a point of national pride. On hot summer days, this soup is even sold in street kiosks, and Lithuanian grandmothers pass down the secrets of perfect proportions from generation to generation.