page_title: Lithuanian cuisine
section_title: Desserts
hierarchical_section_title: Lithuanian cuisine / Random list of dishes / Desserts
caption_attribution_description: Lietuvių: Šakotis
context_page_description: Lithuanian cuisine features products suited to the cool and moist northern climate of Lithuania: barley, potatoes, rye, beets, greens, berries, and mushrooms are locally grown, and dairy products are one of its specialties. Various ways of pickling were used to preserve food for winter. Soups are extremely popular, and are widely regarded as the key to good health. Since it shares its climate and agricultural practices with Northern Europe, Lithuanian cuisine has much in common with its Baltic neighbors and, in general, northern countries.
  Longlasting agricultural and foraging traditions along with a variety of influences during the country's history formed Lithuanian cuisine.
  German traditions have had an influence on Lithuanian cuisine, introducing pork and potato dishes, such as potato pudding and intestines stuffed with mashed potato, as well as the baroque tree cake known as Šakotis. Lithuanian noblemen usually hired French chefs - French cuisine influence came to Lithuania in this way. The most exotic influence is Eastern cuisine, and the dish kibinai which became popular in Lithuania.
context_section_description: Lithuanian-style cakes (pyragas) are often baked in a rectangular pan and sometimes have an apple, plum, apricot, or other fruit baked in; they are less frequently iced than is customary in the United States. These cakes are cut into squares for serving. Poppy seed is sometimes used as a swirl filling in dessert bread (Poppy seed roll and šimtalapis) and as a flavoring in other pastries.
  For special occasions, torte may be prepared; they often consist of 10 to 20 layers, filled with jam and vanilla, chocolate, mocha, or rum buttercreams; they are lavishly decorated. Lithuanian coffeehouses (kavinė) serve a variety of tortes and pastries to attract evening strollers.
  Desserts include:
  Žagarėliai (also known as krustai or chrustai) – Twisted, thin deep-fried pastries dusted with powdered sugar; identical to Scandinavian Klejner cookies, similar to Mexican buñuelo.
  Kūčiukai or šližikai – very small rolls are baked and served with poppyseed milk; this is a traditional Kūčios' (Christmas Eve) dish.
  Ledai - ice cream is served everywhere in the summer.
  Spurgos – a Lithuanian variant of doughnuts, sometimes filled with preserves. The main difference from doughnuts or berliners is that the Lithuanian version uses curd as a basis. Therefore, they often called varškės spurgos – curd doughnuts.
  Šakotis (also called raguotis) – is essentially a pound cake grilled layer by layer, with a very distinctive branching form. It is a Lithuanian variant of a spit cake which is a distant cousin of the German Baumkuchen, the French gâteau à la broche, the Swedish spättekaka. Some sources attribute its invention to Yotvingians - ancient, now extinct Baltic tribe. Šakotis is a frequent accent of Lithuanian weddings and bigger festivities.
  Šimtalapis (one hundred sheets) – introduced to Lithuania with Tatars brought by Vytautas the Great and modified locally, is made from laminated dough which is separated with layers of melted butter – the principle is very similar to that of croissants.
  Tinginys – prepared with biscuits or crackers, cocoa, butter, sugar and solidified milk
  Skruzdėlynas (anthill) – consists of individual pastries stacked on top of one another, sprinkled with poppy seeds and glazed with honey and nuts.
  Fresh cucumbers with honey – typical summer dessert, especially on the countryside.
caption: Šakotis, a spit cake is one of the main attributes of the Lithuanian feast.
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