Food and Drink
Lithuanian cuisine, based on traditional peasant dishes, is less bland than that of its Baltic neighbours, partly as a result of Polish influence. Typical starters include marinated mushrooms ( marinuoti grybai ), herring ( silke ) and smoked sausage ( rukyta desra ) along with cold beetroot soup ( saltibarsciai ). Potatoes play a major role; one of the most commonly encountered dishes is cepelinai , or zeppelins - cylindrical potato dumplings stuffed with meat, mushrooms or cheese and topped with pieces of fried bacon. Also popular are potato pancakes ( bulviniai blynai ), and cabbage leaves stuffed with minced meat ( balandeliai or "pigeons" . Desserts include stewed fruit ( kompotas ), sweet fruit sauce ( kisielius ), and innumerable varieties of pancakes ( blynai, blyneliai or lietiniai are synonyms for more or less the same thing) - a real treat. Some restaurants serve indigenous cuisine, and even the ubiquitous post-Soviet chops ( karbonadas ) and roast meat ( kepsnys ), tend to be better than in the other Baltic States. Even in a fairly upmarket place a meal shouldn't work out much more expensive than in a mid-range restaurant in Western Europe, and it's possible to eat really well for much less if you head for simple self-service places. Western fast food is making inroads, and Vilnius has a few ethnic places. Although vegetarianism has yet to establish itself here, it is possible to find meat-free options on most menus - mushroom- or cheese-filled pancakes being the most widespread. As an alternative to restaurant dining most cafes and bars do reasonably priced food. Beer ( alus ) is the most popular alcoholic drink. The biggest local brewers - Utenos, Svyturys and Kalnapilis - all produce eminently drinkable light lager-type beer ( sviesus ) as well as a dark porter ( tamsus ). The leading Lithuanian fire-waters are Starka, Trejos devynerios and Medziotoju - invigorating spirits flavoured with a variety of herbs and leaves. Vilnius, Kaunas and Klaipeda can all muster a growing range of lively bars - many aping American or Irish models, although there are also plenty of folksy Lithuanian places. Cafes ( kavine ) come in all shapes and sizes: some are trendy and modern in style and have a wide food menu, others are chintzy places serving pastries and cakes. Coffee ( kava ) and tea ( arbata ) are usually served black.
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