Lithuania + Vilnius MERGED TOPICS

[Adam Balic]

You (and others) may be interested in this book on Lithuanian food. I bought a copy while there and it looks quite imteresting.

[Hodad]

Did you ever see any bison on the menu?

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No Bison on the menus that I saw. There are only about 1000 wild European Bison (Bison bonasus) or "Wisent" left in the wild, not sure how many are being bred in captivity or if there is commercial production of the meat? If I had seen it on the menu I most likely would not have picked it as my first thought would be that it was imported American Bison (Bison bison), but I could be wrong.

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In Simon Schama's book "Landscape and Memory" he reports having mixed emotions on dining on "wisent" in Lithuania. He says it's a wonderful meat but feels guilty given the dwindling population. I've heard that rigorous conservation measures are underway. I was curious on how successful the efforts; maybe the wisent will be re-established and find a place in the cuisine. I suspect it used to figure in Lithuanian cooking.

Thanks again for the wonderful photos. I think I'll have to visit the Baltic States in 2006.

[Adam Balic]

From a culinary point of view it would be intersting to compare the taste of the American and European species of Bison as while the former is a plains grazer, the latter lives in forests and feeds on deciduous trees. I have seen both species side by side in Barcelona, the Wisent lacks the hump of the American species and looks a little more fine boned. The Spanish weren't passing out free samples though.

The species has actually increased in numbers, as there were only 54 bison alive in parks and zoos after the last wild animals were shot in the early 20th century. There are now a few thousand. I'm pretty sure they didn't shoot one for Schama's pleasure alone.

There a few famous pieces of Lithuanian literature that have the Bison in a star role. Hence the lack of Bison I guess.

[Hodad]

From a culinary point of view it would be intersting to compare the taste of the American and European species of Bison as while the former is a plains grazer, the latter lives in forests and feeds on deciduous trees. I have seen both species side by side in Barcelona, the Wisent lacks the hump of the American species and looks a little more fine boned. The Spanish weren't passing out free samples though.

The species has actually increased in numbers, as there were only 54 bison alive in parks and zoos after the last wild animals were shot in the early 20th century. There are now a few thousand. I'm pretty sure they didn't shoot one for Schama's pleasure alone.

There a few famous pieces of Lithuanian literature that have the Bison in a star role. Hence the lack of Bison  I guess.

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From Simon Schama "Landscape and Memory"

“It tasted like nothing I’ve ever eaten before: a strange sweetness lurking beneath its cheesy pungency.”

This was written in 1995 and he states that "there was a modest cull from the wild herd"

[Adam Balic]

He should really grouse then.

From what I can gather there is about 1000 wild animals spread around several countries, so I imagine Lithuania's re-introduced wild population must be in the dozen to hundreds range. A "modest cull" would be a couple of steaks in this case. Damn I really want to eat this endangered species now.

[Hector]

In Poland, some "wisents" are being shot every year, so then people can buy the meat totaly legaly. Some eastern european bisons are even shot by farmers when they go across fences and interfere with the crops. So that meat is sold too. Wonder if it hard to diffrentiate between legal and illegal bison-meat.

Edited October 16, 2005 by Hector (log)

[Corinna Dunne]

Adam, just getting to this thread now... it's wonderful. Thanks.

Finally, I am always nervous with dealing with people in these situations (early morning walks through unknown cities to get to markets, communicating with out a shared language) and I was quite surprised and delighted by how friendly and generous the people at the market were. There are few images of peolpe in these shots as most indicated that they were too shy to have their photographs taken, but really these images of good food are really all down to them.

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It's interesting that you comment on this. I just read "The Alchemist" in which the writer talks about the "language of the world", which people use when there is no shared language, and even to communicate with animals. (My husband left the book on the place, so I can't quote!)

[Kevin72]

Great thread, very insightful. Hard to believe that that was only four days' worth of food and eating. Much as I like where I work, I get insanely jealous when I see where they've sent you next and that on top of all that you get to take off a week here and there!

I'm shocked at the amount of cepes/porcini/boletus mushrooms were there. How seasonal!

[Adam Balic]

Great thread, very insightful.  Hard to believe that that was only four days' worth of food and eating.  Much as I like where I work, I get insanely jealous when I see where they've sent you next and that on top of all that you get to take off a week here and there!

I'm shocked at the amount of cepes/porcini/boletus mushrooms were there.  How seasonal!

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Come and spend a winter in Edinburgh, then you may not be so jealous. But 6 weeks annual holiday isn't bad at all. One reason for not moving to the USA.

Seasonal is very good description of the food I saw in Lithuania. The food was great, I really wish I could spend much more time there and really document much more of the food, especially in other regions and cities.

Lithuania is particularly rich in mushrooms, with over 400 harvested. The Dzukija region in the SE is very famous for the mushrooms, it is 70% forest with a sandy soil, so perfect for many mushroom types. I was told it was a very bad year for mushrooms (in other words an excellent summer), but one walk in a forest and I saw more mushrroms then the enire rest of my life put together - and I come from a family that would go out hunting for them.

I bought several kilos while I wa there, they are now cooked down and in the freezer. These are a varied group of boletes, which cost ~ 40 p.

[Kevin72]

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*weeps*

But hey, our local market got them in this past weekend too! And only $54 a pound!

[Adam Balic]

Apart from the large one in the middle, these are all Slippery Jacks Suillus luteus (in Italian Pinarello, Pinarolo or Pinuzzo), so not amazing eating. So you win. But I have my memories.

[Corinna Dunne]

I too have been drooling over those mushrooms. I went on an organised mushroom hunt in the Wicklow Hills over here and managed to get plenty of suspect looking mushrooms (although none of them deadly I was told) and just two insignificant field mushrooms. And I didn't learn enough to have the confidence to go out hunting without experts.

Is there a mushroom thread like your fish one Adam?

[Adam Balic]

I don't htink so and I would be wary of an open thread, due to the toxic nature of some mushrooms etc.

Of all the mushrooms I saw on sale, I was happy with buying chanterelle and the Boletes, as these are the unlikely to cause problems. I would love to try some of the others I saw, but I am really wussy about death.

[Ore]

Wow Adam, nice posts and outstanding photos! Keep it up!!

[Dan Ryan]

Of all the  mushrooms I saw on sale, I was happy with buying chanterelle and the Boletes, as these are the unlikely to cause problems. I would love to try some of the others I saw, but I am really wussy about death.

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Did the Vilnius markets not have a certification system? In Ljubljana all wild mushroom sellers must have their wares identified and certified at the market. How was the season there, anyway? I know in Slovenia the bolete (penny bun, cep, porcini, jurcki) harvest has been declining for a few years. Over-picking and the evil practice of not using a straw basket for your bounty (to scatter spores) have been blamed. Apparently Montenegro is the place for them now, as the locals don't eat them (too lazy to pick them would be the Yugoslav joke).

As for the black radish (correctly identified): it's not particularly good.

But a great thread, cheers mate.

[Adam Balic]

There may have been have been in some cases, but I saw no evidence of it and considering some 'stalls' were simply old men/women selling a handfull from a basket on the side of the street doubt it would be universal.

It was a very walrm and dry summer and they had had no rain for a few weeks so it was seen as a bad harvest, but there was no indication of a decline over all.

[Tepee]

Having only just read this thread, I'm convinced that I should, in future, click on ALL threads in case I miss jewels like this.

[AzianBrewer]

Fabulous pics!!! The portions are kinda small though.

[Adam Balic]

The pigs ear was plenty big enough.

[takomabaker]

My grandmother used to make me saltanosiai with blueberries and she put sour cream on top. That picture made me tear up... I lost her almost 3 years ago!

I noticed that the menus that you were kind enough to post are in English. Is this typical, or do they have menus in both Lithuanian and English? Did people predominately speak English or Lithuanian?

Thanks again for the vicarious thrill!

[Adam Balic]

Takomabaker - I'm glad that I was able to recall some happy days for you. Most people spoke Lithuanian, the older people also spoke Russian (I could if the chose to). Many people speak English, especially the younger people.

Menus are mostly in both English and Lithuanian, although there were some which were Lithuanian only.

[Pille]

Adam - followed your link from another thread - sorry to be few months late

Your Lithuanian thread has made me very-very homesick now. Although Lithuanian and Estonian cuisine are quite different, we do use lots of similar ingredients to start with. Estonian supermarkets look pretty much like the one you describe in the beginning, Maxima. I badly miss the cakes and pastries from home (sometimes it seems that every single cafe in Edinburgh only serves muffins and/or Danish pastries!). I also miss the huge variety of fermented and fresh milk produce - buttermilk, kefir, curd cheese creams, yogurts - all either plain or flavoured (with sea buckthorn or cloudberries, for instance). I would like to have a chance to choose between 20 different rye breads when doing my daily shopping, instead of just one German pre-sliced brand that claims to have no preservatives, yet lasts for weeks! The wild berries and mushrooms – all sound so familiar and yet unachievable here in Scotland. Same with pickled cucumbers and cabbage – thank god for the Polish shops!

My mum chops flowering quince finely and layers it with sugar. We use it to sweeten tea or just add hot water to it during winter.

I was amazed to read that Lithuanias use oak branches in sauna!? We definitely prefer birch in Estonia for beating ourselves up in sauna (I've written about it here)

Great thread!

[Adam Balic]

Although it has has improved greatly in the last five years or so, sometime Edinburgh can be frustrating from a food point of view.

I've actually seen cloudberries growing in Scotland a few times, so you could pick your own.

Thanks for the info about the flowering quince, I have wanted to know how they are used for a while.

[Abra]

Pille, thanks for bumping this up.

Adam, I missed this last Fall, but it's a truly beautiful and educational thread. Russia and Finland are as close as I've come to Lithuania, and that's not very close. I'm astounded by the bounty you show - I had no idea. Just beautiful!

[Adam Balic]

Thanks. It was a very interesting week. I regret that I was actually there for work and had very little time to examine the food more closely, especially food in other towns/regions.

But the main issue is that if you see yet another article/program on "Country X, worst food in the world", be wary of it.