There are many food specialties to try out in the Baltics , so I’ve made you a list of the most famous and tasty ones !
And if you are coming to Estonia, Latvia or Lithuania, you cannot miss the many food markets there.
Whether it is their famous pīrāgi, caviar or the delicious rhubarb tarts, I’ll list here what specialties you can find and where to try them.
Estonia
What you’ll find everywhere in Estonia is fish. Whether it comes from the Baltic Sea, rivers, or lakes, it’s the star on every menu.
- Mariners angerjas : Marinated eel, usually served as an appetizer.
- Silgusoustt: Small Baltic herring.
- Praetud Räimed : Fried Baltic herring, typically served with potatoes.
- Vürtsikilu : Spiced sprats (Baltic fish), can be served on bread or as an appetizer.
- Kiluvõileib : Traditional sandwich with rye bread, sprats and boiled egg.
Other specialties include :
- Sült : Jellied tender pork, eaten cold.
- Karask : Typical barley bread of Estonia.
- Hakklihakotletid : Estonian meat patties, often served with potatoes and pickles.
- Mulgipuder : National Estonian dish made from mashed potatoes mixed with boiled barley and garnished with fried bacon and onions.
- Eesti Kartulisalat : Estonian potato salad made with peas, carrots, potatoes, and cucumbers.
- Pirukas : Typical Estonian snack consisting of dough pockets filled with a variety of ingredients (beef, ham, cabbage, mushrooms or carrots). It can be either be boiled, baked, or fried.
First thing first, we have to mention the Kringel : a delicious braided sweet bread, with cinnamon sugar and sometimes cardamon. Another great pastry is the Rabarberikook, a rhubarb tart (see both in picture 2 below).
Other sweet specialties include :
- Kama : a combination of oat, rye, barley and pea flours, blended with buttermilk, kefir or sour milk. This creamy porridge can also be enjoyed as a drink if made thinner.
- Vaesed rüütlid: in Estonian, it means “poor gentlemen” and it is a dessert made with bread, very similar to French toast.
- Kohuke : Chocolate-covered quark cheese bars.
- Vastlakukkel : Sweet buns filled with whipped cream and sometimes jam.
- Leivasupp : Sweet rye bread soup with dried fruits, often topped with whipped cream.
- Kissell : A thick fruit-based dessert served with milk or cream.
Latvia
The Latvian cuisine culture is based especially on fish, cooked or smoked like caviar, pike, sardines or herring.
Cheese is also highly popular and finds its way into a wide variety of dishes, even extending to desserts.
Here are some other typical dishes:
- Pīrāgi and Speķa Pīrādziņi: Crescent-shaped buns filled with smoked bacon and onions (see picture 2 below).
- Zirni ar speki: Stew with bacon, peas, onion, pepper and curdled milk.
- Pelmeni: Pasta stuffed with minced meat, very similar to ravioli.
- Skabu kapostu zupa : Traditional soup with cabbage, pork, sour cream, onion and carrot.
- Kūpināta Zivs : Smoked fish, such as herring or sprats, served with bread or potatoes.
- Jāņu Siers: A soft cheese flavored with caraway seeds, traditionally made for the Jāņi (Midsummer) celebration (see picture 1).
- Kartupeļu Pankūkas : Crispy potato pancakes made from grated potatoes, usually served with sour cream or lingonberry jam (see picture 3).
- Rupjmaizes kartojums : Typical Latvian dessert made with rye, cream, cranberries and cinnamon (see picture 2 below).
- Sklandrausis : Carrot and potato tarts with honey.
- Rabarberu Kūka (Rhubarb Cake) : A cake with rhubarb, honey, and sometimes topped with a crumbly streusel.
- Pīrāgi with Sweet Fillings : Small pasta like ravioli with sweet fillings like fruit, jam, or poppy seeds.
- Medus Kūka (Honey Cake) : A multi-layered cake with honey and sour cream or custard.
- Virtuļi : Round doughnuts dusted with powdered sugar (see picture 3 below).
Lithuania
The Lithuanian diet is high in calories, based on potatoes, dairy products and meat, to survive the harsh winters !
Here are some of the traditional dishes :
- Saltibarsciai : A cold soup made with beetroot and served with cooked potatoes, sour cream and dill (picture 3 below).
- Cepelinai : Dense dough made with potatoes and filled with meat, mushrooms or cheese (see picture 4).
- Koldünai : Stuffed ravioli with mushrooms or meat.
- Kepta duona : Black bread fried and seasoned with garlic, the favorite bread of the Lithuanians.
- Kugelis : Potato Casserole made from grated potatoes, eggs, and bacon.
Here are 10 renowned sweet food specialties from Lithuania :
- Napoleon Cake : Multiple layers of puff pastry with buttercream and bitter cranberry jam (see picture 1below).
- Varškėčiai : Small curd pancakes served with fresh fruit or jam (see picture 4).
- Šakotis and Raguolis (Tree Cake) : Spindly-shaped cake baked on a rotating spit.
- Spurgos : Doughnuts filled with jam or curd cheese and dusted with powdered sugar.
- Varškės Apkepas : A baked dish made from sweetened curd cheese, eggs, and sometimes raisins.
- Grybukai : Small, mushroom-shaped cookies flavored with cinnamon, nutmeg, and honey.
- Žagarėliai (Angel Wings) : Deep-fried pastry dusted with powdered sugar.
Prices in Baltics restaurants are overall very affordable, for example on average, we spent around 10-20€ per person on dinner (a dish and a dessert).
I will list here some good restaurants we tried on our stay in both Estonia, Latvia or Lithuania and that I would recommend :
Tallinn
The Kompressor : Located in the heart of Tallinn, this restaurant serves loaded sweet or savoury crepes. The salmon one is very tasty, as well as the mushrooms and blue cheese. For sweet pancakes I’d recommend the caramelized apples and apple sorbet one or the other with halva, cherries and quark cream.
Balti Jaama Turg : A vibrant market with many food stalls located near Tallinn’s train station, you can find authentic Estonian food or unique souvenirs.
Cafe Maiasmokk : Established in 1864, it is the oldest café in Tallinn. It is famous for its marzipan and traditional Estonian desserts, definitely try their Kringel while you are there !
Restaurant F-Hoone : Trendy dining spot in Tallinn’s creative Telliskivi district, in a repurposed industrial building. I absolutely recommend trying both their Tom Kha soup and meat dumplings in creamy mushroom sauce. If you have room for dessert, the chocolate pumpkin cake is very original !
Riga
Riga Central Market : Being one of the largest markets in Europe, Riga market is housed in five historic zeppelin hangars. This market is the perfect location to try many Latvian specialties such as the pīrāgi or pelmeni.
Ala Pagrabs : A medieval-themed tavern located in Riga’s Old Town where you’ll get to experience traditional dishes and Latvian culture. You can enjoy live folk music performances with local craft beers in a warm atmosphere.
Vilnius
Pirmas Blynas : This unique social enterprise restaurant in Vilnius is specializing in absolutely delicious pancakes with sweet and savory toppings. What sets it apart is its meaningful purpose : the restaurant is staffed by people with disabilities, supporting social inclusion through hospitality.
Boulangerie Vilnius : A charming French bakery located in Vilnius where you can enjoy a wonderful croissant for breakfast.
That’s it for my recommendations on the food specialties to try out in the Baltics. We had a wonderful time trying all the best food specialties in there, and I’m sure you will too !
If you plan on visiting the Baltics any time soon, check out my articles about the top places to see in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
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