Beatos virtuvė

Spring explosion: a culinary travel guide

Running low on vitamins is a real bummer, but in Lithuania, you don’t need to wait till summer! And everything you need is right on your doorstep. In a country, where forests and meadows are never more than thirty minutes from your door, a walk in the woods will deliver an ample harvest of such vitamin rich treats as sorrel (spinach’s distant cousin), and nettle (yes, you can eat it and yes, it’s tasty). And if all that foraging in the crisp spring air has built up a thirst, all you need to do is tap a birch tree to get a cupful of sweet birch sap nectar. Explore what tasty natural delights Lithuania has to offer from March to June every year in this article.

TOP 3 SPRING FLAVOURS

Birch sap - vitamin cocktail straight from the tree

In the early months of spring if you hear a tap-tap-tapping in a Lithuanian forest, it’s not a sign of a particularly early woodpecker. No. It’ll be an eager local out to get their yearly dose of birch tree sap. This delicious nectar can be collected straight into a bottle and drunk fresh from the tree. Alternately, it can be mixed with different fruits and herbs to produce a truly sumptuous brew. Rich in vitamins and minerals, birch tree sap is fast becoming a favourite in the artisanal food industry, and once you’ve experienced that burst of life on your tongue, you’ll understand why.

Rad, not trad. The little salad buddy that’s big on taste

Spring sees gardens across Lithuania burst into colour with the arrival of this bright red salad treat. Sweet, but with a little bite of spice, radish is a Lithuanian staple. Mixed with greens and a tablespoon of grietinė (Lithuania’s answer to sour cream), it makes a great accompaniment to any meal.

Lithuanians (even the kids) looove greeens

Imagine going three months without chocolate. Wouldn’t you want to go on a binge when it finally arrived at the store? Well, that’s how Lithuanians are with their greens come spring! Restaurants experience a 10x increase in salad sales each spring, with chefs putting every leaf they find on the plate.
Exploding with colour and natural goodness, sorrel and nettle are essential ingredients for any Lithuanian spring soup or salad. But you don’t need to wait in line at the supermarket to get them. Just open your door, take a walk to any forest or meadow, and you’ll find them growing in abundance. Foraging is such a thing here that, come spring, gathering greens is just as natural as a trip to the store.

TOP 4 SPRING EXPERIENCES

Enjoy the crunch of fresh veggies everywhere

For vegans or the vegan-curious, there’s a truly fresh green gourmet experience waiting each spring. The country’s restaurants are suddenly bursting with green salads stacked with flavour and vitamins. Fresh produce makes its way to the chefs directly from the farmers, making the dishes have a rich palette without any artificial additives. Once the weather gets even warmer, you can find luxurious vegetarian and vegan goodies in street food markets as well!

Take a shot of wheatgrass at a herbalist stall

In virtually every mall and food market you’ll find these neat stalls where they sell herbal teas, spices, flaxseed oil, dried gooseberries and other exotic goods. They also serve the only kind of shot you won’t be ashamed of downing at 11 AM in the morning - freshly pressed wheatgrass. Green and, let’s face it, a bit yucky, this vitamin cocktail will fire you up for the day.

Get your fingers green

Take a step back in time and source your food the way our ancestors did, via your fingers. With ample forest and meadow space, much of it located in easy reach of even the most populated urban centres, foraging can quite literally be a walk in the park. You’ll find wild nettle, sorrel and other vitamin rich greens growing wild all over, all you need to do is get your hands a little dirty. Have a go at making your own nettle soup or brew, and you don’t need to worry about the sting; if you pick them early enough they are safe and very, very tasty.

Lithuanian farmers’ market (turgus) is the place to be

If you’re short on time for a wander to the forest, you can just as easily forage at one of the many lively Lithuanian farmers’ markets. Here, you’ll find locals in abundance that have already done the work for you. And they’ll be happy to sell you lovingly tied bunches of nettle, sorrel, chives and countless other greens for a very reasonable price. You could say that this is a truly cottage industry.

Birch sap - vitamin cocktail straight from the tree

In the early months of Spring if you hear a tap-tap-tapping in the forest In Lithuania, it’s not the sign of a particularly early woodpecker. No. It’ll be an eager local out to get their yearly dose of Birch Tree Sap. This delicious nectar can be collected straight into a bottle and drunk fresh from the tree. Alternately, it can be mixed with different fruits and herbs to produce a truly sumptuous brew. Rich in vitamins and minerals, Birch Tree Sap is fast becoming a favourite in the artisanal food industry, and once you’ve experienced that burst of life on your tongue, you’ll understand why.

Rad, not trad. The little salad buddy that’s big on taste

Spring sees gardens across Lithuania burst into colour with the arrival of this bright red salad treat. Sweet, but with a little bite of spice, radish is a Lithuanian staple. Mixed with greens and a tablespoon of grietinė (Lithuania’s answer to sour cream), it makes a great accompaniment to any meal.

Lithuanians (even the kids) looove greeens

Imagine going three months without chocolate. Wouldn’t you want to go on a binge when it finally arrived at the store? Well, that’s how Lithuanians are with their greens come spring! Restaurants experience a 10x increase in salad sales each spring, with chefs putting every leaf they find on the plate.
Exploding with colour and natural goodness, sorrel and nettle are essential ingredients for any Lithuanian Spring soup or salad. But you don’t need to wait in line at the supermarket to get them. Just open your door, take a walk to any forest or meadow, and you’ll find them growing in abundance. Foraging is such a thing here that, come Spring, gathering greens is just as natural as a trip to the store.

TOP 4 SPRING EXPERIENCES

Enjoy the crunch of fresh veggies everywhere

For vegans or the vegan-curious, there’s a truly fresh green gourmet experience waiting each spring. The country’s restaurants are suddenly bursting with green salads stacked with flavour and vitamins. Fresh produce makes its way to the chefs directly from the farmers, making the dishes have a rich palette without any artificial additives. Once the weather gets even warmer, you can find luxurious vegetarian and vegan goodies in street food markets as well!

Take a shot of wheatgrass at a herbalist stall

In virtually every mall and food market you’ll find these neat stalls where they sell herbal teas, spices, flaxseed oil, dried gooseberries and other exotic goods. They also serve the only kind of shot you won’t be ashamed of downing at 11 AM in the morning - freshly pressed wheatgrass. Green and, let’s face it, a bit yucky, this vitamin cocktail will fire you up for the day.

Get your fingers green

Take a step back in time and source your food the way our ancestors did, via your fingers. With ample forest and meadow space, much of it located in easy reach of even the most populated urban centres, foraging can quite literally be a walk in the park. You’ll find wild nettle, sorrel and other vitamin rich greens growing wild all over, all you need to do is get your hands a little dirty. Have a go at making your own nettle soup or brew, and you don’t need to worry about the sting; if you pick them early enough they are safe and very, very tasty.

Lithuanian farmers’ market (turgus) is the place to be

If you’re short on time for a wander to the forest, you can just as easily forage at one of the many lively Lithuanian farmers’ markets. Here, you’ll find locals in abundance that have already done the work for you. And they’ll be happy to sell you lovingly tied bunches of nettle, sorrel, chives and countless other greens for a very reasonable price. You could say that this is a truly cottage industry.

DIVING DEEP INTO SAP

Move over, kombucha, there’s a new cool drink in town… Tree sap! Packed with vitamins and amino acids, this refreshing beverage is like spring in a bottle. Lithuania Travel talked to Gintarė Didžiokaitė, Brand Manager of Straikas, a company that aims to bring this cherished drink to the masses.

Gintarė Didžiokaitė
THE THREE FACES OF LITHUANIAN SPRING

Seasonality is a principle many Lithuanian chefs, home cooks and foodies abide by. Renata Ničajienė, the author of the wildly popular Seasonal Kitchen blog and multiple cookbooks, told us all about the different flavours that can be experienced in Lithuania in springtime. Her main advice - don’t miss out on the more exotic-sounding ingredients, as they can make your culinary experience of the country genuinely unforgettable.

Renata Ničajienė

We hope you enjoyed this gastronomic journey through the outlandish, but absolutely delightful spring cuisine in Lithuania. As summer is just around the corner, more deliciousness is coming soon. Stay tuned by following us on Instagram and Facebook.

Photo credits: Eglė Juzumas, Renata Ničajienė, Gintarė Didžiokaitė, Kamilė Šerėnaitė, Beatos Virtuvė.