Dzūkija. The food

One thing is for sure – the people of Dzūkija know how to put the gifts of nature on the table. And there is definitely a chance that you will be served what you don’t usually eat. Like maybe mushroom cheese! Don’t turn it down – the locals really do know how to prepare mushrooms and are not trying to kill you. They use them to make soup and stew, they fill pastries and dumplings with them, and they dry, cure, pickle, and marinate them in preparation for winter. In Dzūkija, be sure to try a banda – a traditional savoury cake made from potatoes or buckwheat and baked on a cabbage leaf. Look for a place where they are served straight out of a wood-burning oven. If you like it, ask for a piece of buckwheat babka to go with your forest tea – this is a sweet cake flavoured with honey.