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Want to cook traditional Lithuanian food in America but don’t know where to start? This Lithuanian kitchen starter kit covers the tools, pantry staples and US grocery store substitutes you need to make cepelinai, kugelis, koldūnai, šaltibarščiai and Kūčios dishes at home, even if there’s no Lithuanian deli nearby.
I started The Lithuanian Kitchen so the next generation of Lithuanian Americans can taste the food our families grew up with, using ingredients you can actually find in the USA.
Everything You Need to Cook Lithuanian Food at Home
Lithuanian cooking leans heavily on potatoes, dough and slow-cooked dishes. You don’t need much special equipment, but these tools make the classics much easier.
For Potato Dishes (Cepelinai, Kugelis, Potato Pancakes)
- Food processor with a fine grating disc: the biggest time-saver. Grating 5 pounds of potatoes by hand for cepelinai takes ages; a food processor does it in minutes.
- Fine box grater: the traditional option if you prefer hand-grating, and great for smaller batches of potato pancakes (bulviniai blynai).
- Cheesecloth or a nut milk bag: for squeezing the water out of grated potatoes. This step is what makes cepelinai hold together.
- Potato ricer: for smooth boiled potato in the cepelinai dough.
- 9×13 baking dish: the standard size for kugelis (bulvių plokštainis).
For Dumplings and Baking
- Rolling pin: for koldūnai, šližikai and pastry dough.
- Dumpling press or round cutter set: makes uniform koldūnai and virtiniai quickly.
- Kitchen scale: family recipes often use grams; a scale takes the guesswork out of converting.
- Poppy seed grinder: essential for aguonų pienas (poppy seed milk) and poppy seed rolls on Kūčios, Lithuanian Christmas Eve.
Everyday Basics
- Large stockpot: for boiling cepelinai and making soups like barščiai.
- Cast iron skillet: perfect for crispy potato pancakes and frying spirgai (bacon and onion topping).
- Large slotted spoon: for lifting dumplings out of boiling water without breaking them.
Lithuanian Pantry Staples
Keep these on hand and you can make most traditional Lithuanian recipes any time. Many are in regular US grocery stores; the harder-to-find ones are easy to order online.
- Russet potatoes: high-starch potatoes are the best US match for cepelinai and kugelis.
- Fresh dill: used in almost everything, from šaltibarščiai to boiled potatoes.
- Caraway seeds: the signature flavor in Lithuanian rye bread, cheese and sauerkraut.
- Dried porcini mushrooms: the closest US match to baravykai, for mushroom sauces and Kūčios dishes.
- Poppy seeds (bulk): buy in bulk for Kūčios; small spice jars won’t be enough.
- Potato starch: helps cepelinai dough hold together and is used in kisielius (berry drink).
- Beets, cucumbers, onions, cabbage and sauerkraut: the backbone of Lithuanian soups and side dishes.
US Grocery Store Substitutes for Lithuanian Ingredients
This is where most people get stuck. Here’s what to buy in an American grocery store when a Lithuanian recipe calls for an ingredient you can’t find.
- Varškė (Lithuanian curd cheese) → Farmer’s cheese is the closest match. Dry-curd cottage cheese, or ricotta drained overnight, also work.
- Grietinė (Lithuanian sour cream) → Full-fat sour cream. Lithuanian grietinė is richer, so stir in a spoonful of heavy cream or use crème fraîche for a closer taste.
- Kefyras (kefir) → Plain, unflavored kefir from the dairy aisle. Buttermilk works in a pinch for šaltibarščiai (cold beet soup).
- Lašiniai (cured pork fat) → Salt pork or thick-cut slab bacon, especially for spirgai.
- Lithuanian dark rye bread → Dense dark rye from an Eastern European or Polish deli. Supermarket “pumpernickel” or seeded rye is the next-best option.
- Silkė (herring) → Jarred herring fillets in oil or wine sauce, often near the canned fish or in the refrigerated deli case.
Want the full list? See my complete guide to US substitutes for Lithuanian ingredients.
Where to Buy Lithuanian Ingredients in the USA
- Regular supermarkets: check the international aisle and the specialty cheese case for farmer’s cheese, kefir and herring.
- Eastern European, Polish and Russian delis: the best source for rye bread, sausages, curd cheese and sweets.
- Online: dry goods like caraway, poppy seeds, potato starch and dried mushrooms ship easily.
- Lithuanian parishes, clubs and festivals: many communities hold Kūčios dinners, Easter fairs and food festivals where you can buy homemade treats.
Your First Lithuanian Recipes to Try
Once your kitchen is stocked, start with these beginner-friendly classics:
- Kugelis (Lithuanian potato pudding): the easiest potato classic to start with.
- Šaltibarščiai (cold pink beet soup): no cooking skills needed.
- Bulviniai blynai (potato pancakes): quick, crispy and family-friendly.
- Cepelinai (potato dumplings): the national dish, for when you’re ready for a project.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Almost every traditional Lithuanian recipe can be made with ingredients from a regular American grocery store, plus a few pantry items you can order online. The substitutes above cover the trickiest ones.
Farmer’s cheese is the closest match in texture and taste. If you can’t find it, use dry-curd cottage cheese or ricotta that has drained overnight in cheesecloth.
Use starchy russet potatoes. Their high starch content helps the dough bind, which keeps your cepelinai from falling apart while they boil.
Not really. A good grater (or food processor), cheesecloth and a large pot will get you through most recipes. A poppy seed grinder is the only truly specialty tool, and you’ll only need it for Kūčios dishes.