Almost half of the population of Lithuania enjoy djukukuli at least once a month, while only 4% do not eat them at all. of respondents, revealed a representative population survey of the company "Spinter research". The study also showed that every fourth resident has overcome four or more dizhkukuls in one sitting at least once.
Lithuanian dishes commemorating the twentieth anniversary restaurant A study initiated by "Etno dvaras" revealed that men, as well as young people under the age of 25 and respondents over 55 years of age, mostly enjoy djukukuli. 46% eat this national dish at least once a month. of the country's population, 51% of them are men. The 18-25 year olds stand out in particular. population group, in which even 55 percent of men eat dijkukuli once a month and 56 years old. and the group of older residents (49 percent).
"The young people's attention to traditional dishes really surprised me. We are used to Lithuanian cuisine being more appreciated by older people who grew up with these dishes - in the past, didžkukulės were made in large portions at home. It takes a lot of time to make dizhkukuli, and people are often in a hurry these days, so they often cook faster dishes at home, and they eat dizhkukuli in restaurants or order them to their homes", "Etno dvaras" observed. in a restaurant Ramūnas Giraitis, head chef and dish creator, who has been working for 15 years.
Respondents who took part in the survey also named a personal record for eating dizhkukuli. 26 percent of the country's population have at least once overcome four or more bigwigs.
Meanwhile, every sixth man (17%) has had five or more cocks in one sitting at least once. Only 4% can boast of a similar appetite. women, the majority of them stated that they had overcome at most two (40%) or three (32%) dizhkukuls.
According to the research, the inhabitants of smaller cities, towns and rural areas usually eat didžkukuli, while the inhabitants of the big cities tend to enjoy them the most.
According to the manager of the Culinary Heritage Foundation, Birutė Imbrasienė, it is worth highlighting the specific relationship of the Vilnius region, which we classify as Eastern Lithuania, with this dish - historically, big dumplings appeared here very late.
"Djikukuulis did not exist in this region for a long time, and when they appeared, the recipe was completely different from that in other cities of Lithuania, for example, boiled potatoes were used for their production. In the cities of Šiauliai, Panevėžys, Žemaitija and Suvalkija, big cakes have been made for a long time, many residents worked hard in agriculture, so the desire to strengthen oneself with heartier dishes is probably hidden in the genes. At the same time, there are many residents from these regions living in Vilnius, so it is likely that they are the main eaters of džkukulis in the capital," remarked B. Imbrasienė.
Puppies need love and big hands
Chef R. Giraitis says that the production of dumplings is a time-consuming and responsible process.
"It is not very possible to "speed up" the production of large-sized pumpkins, it requires a lot of work and effort. You need to add love and warmth to every dish, but it is in dizhkukuli that these "ingredients" are probably the most important," he says.
The interviewer adds that one of the most important aspects of making dijkukuli may sound a bit unusual - it is important not only to know the recipe and the cooking process, but also to have big hands.
"Although it sounds funny, it is really important. A nicely shaped dumpling usually needs about 150-180 grams of potato mass and about 60-80 grams of minced meat. Of course, if you don't have people with big hands in your environment, make a slightly smaller mold and use fewer ingredients. Then the dumplings themselves will be a little smaller," advises the chef.
According to R. Giraitis, one of the most important tasks to be done before the pots are heated is to choose the potatoes properly.
"Many people think that all potatoes are the same, but there are approximately 85 types of potatoes in the world and even over 3000 different varieties. Their selection process is actually quite simple: we make it, taste it and evaluate it," shares the interviewee.
The head chef of "Etno dvaras" R. Giraitis noted that in the kitchens of the restaurant he manages, you can taste 12 different types of dižkukulis, all of which are made by hand.
"The only difference with home production is that everything happens continuously - the pot changes the pot." We calculated that we have already produced more than 9,3 million units during the restaurant's lifetime. dižkukuulias or a little more than 3 dižkukuulias per Lithuanian resident", he says.
"Spinter research" conducted a representative survey of the Lithuanian population on eating habits of national dishes on October 17-26 this year. 1011 people aged 18-75 participated in it.
