There are many different beliefs about which dish we should call the national dish of Lithuania - some believe that it should be big dumplings, others say that Lithuanians are best known for šaltiborščiai, vedars or potato plate. However, a survey of Lithuanian residents showed that the national dish of the country should be called didžkukulia.
Lithuanian dishes commemorating the twentieth anniversary restaurant A study initiated by "Etno dvaras" revealed that more than half (51 percent) of Lithuanian residents believe that the national dish of Lithuania should be considered giant dumplings, or zeppelins. Only 2 out of 10 respondents believed that the national food of the country could be cold cuts and only 7 percent. advocated for potato wedges.
"There are no reliable historical sources regarding the origin of big potatoes, but it is known that potatoes came to Lithuania from the West. It is very possible that this dish could have been prepared for the first time in Žemaitia or Suvalkija, and it spread to these regions from German Little Lithuania. In the past, in Žemaitia, various types of stews were extremely popular, for the production of which flour was used. When potatoes appeared, there were experiments with recipes where potatoes were used instead of flour - that's how big dumplings, sometimes called klecks by the people of Zemaits, appeared," says Birutė Imbrasienė, director of the Lithuanian Culinary Heritage Foundation.
Even 42 percent of respondents said that didžkukulia is their favorite national dish - the residents of Šiauliai (54%) and Klaipėda (50%) like them the most. Meanwhile, 21 percent the respondents consider šliboršči as their favorite dish. They gained the most popularity in Panevėžys (26%), Šiauliai (26%), Vilnius (25%) and Beautiful (23 percent).
"Such pink frostings that we are used to seeing now, to be honest, appeared already in the interwar period, in the canteens of the country. This soup used to be white in color because only beet stalks were used in its production. Again, it is difficult to name its exact origin, but it is believed that "white stilbarščiai" were already common in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania," says the head of the Culinary Heritage Foundation.
According to Kęstutis Markevičius, marketing manager of "Etno dvaras", the fact that the people of Lithuania are very fond of big cakes can be seen in the statistics of their orders.
"In our restaurants, over 20 years of operation, we have already produced more than 9,3 million dizhkukulii, or a little more than 3 pcs. big money for every resident of Lithuania. "Every fourth guest who comes to our restaurant orders exactly dižkukuli", emphasizes K. Markevičius.
Bigwigs and zeppelins - are they different?
The study also showed that more than half (56%) of the survey participants said that they believe that didzkukuls and zeppelins are one and the same dish, but even 3 out of 10 respondents disagreed with this - they think that zeppelins are made from grated potatoes, and Boiled potatoes are used in the production of dizhkukuli.
"Many ambiguities can arise from the fact that in certain regions this dish is called differently, for example, in the past, both zeppelins and didžkukuls were called potato strings, and in Žemaitia they are still called klecki in some places. In fact, zeppelins and dizhkukulii are no different - dizhkukulii is a more beautiful, literary name for this dish. The specifics of their production already depend on the region itself, and not on the name, for example, in Eastern Lithuania it is accepted to make didžkukulis from boiled potatoes, while in Suvalkija and Žemaitia grated potatoes are used for their production", says B. Imbrasienė, director of the Lithuanian Culinary Heritage Foundation.
The Culinary Heritage Foundation acquaints the public with the Lithuanian culinary heritage and its peculiarities, teaches the public to appreciate traditional food, and promotes consumer confidence in food products of local origin. It also provides expert conclusions, gives the right to mark products that meet the requirements of culinary heritage with a special sign.
In order for a dish to be certified by the Culinary Heritage Foundation, 3 main parameters must be met: it must be historical, ie known for at least 100 years, made from Lithuanian products, using old technologies. "Ethno Manor" is the first restaurant in Lithuania, offering residents to taste traditional dishes certified by the Culinary Heritage Fund.
