Editing Lithuania (section)

===Cuisine===
{{Main|Lithuanian cuisine}}
[[File:Juoda duona.JPG|thumb|upright=.80|Lithuanian dark [[rye bread]]]]
[[File:Karmėlavos Cepelinas.JPG|thumb|upright=.80|''[[Cepelinai]]'', a [[potato]]-based dumpling dish characteristic of [[Lithuanian cuisine]] with meat, [[curd]] or mushrooms]]
Lithuanian cuisine features the products suited to the cool and [[Maritime climate|moist]] [[Continental climate|northern climate]] of Lithuania: [[barley]], [[potato]]es, [[rye]], [[beet]]s, greens, berries, and [[mushroom]]s are locally grown, and dairy products are one of its specialties. [[Fish]] dishes are very popular in the coastal region.<ref>{{cite web|title=Tradicinė lietuviška virtuvė|url=https://www.delfi.lt/gyvenimas/receptai/tradicine-lietuviska-virtuve.d?id=12788805|website=DELFI|access-date=8 April 2007|archive-date=17 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210417194304/https://www.delfi.lt/gyvenimas/receptai/tradicine-lietuviska-virtuve.d?id=12788805|url-status=live}}</ref> Since it shares its climate and agricultural practices with Northern Europe, Lithuanian cuisine has some similarities to [[Scandinavian cuisine]]. Nevertheless, it has its own distinguishing features, which were formed by a variety of influences during the country's long and difficult history.

Dairy products are an important part of traditional Lithuanian cuisine. These include white cottage cheese (''varškės sūris''), curd (''varškė''), soured milk (''rūgpienis''), sour cream (''grietinė''), butter (''sviestas''), and sour cream butter ''kastinis''. Traditional meat products are usually seasoned, matured and smoked – smoked sausages (''dešros''), lard (''lašiniai''), ''[[skilandis]]'', smoked ham (''kumpis''). Soups (''sriubos'') – boletus soup (''baravykų sriuba''), cabbage soup (''kopūstų sriuba''), beer soup (''alaus sriuba''), milk soup (''pieniška sriuba''), cold-beet soup (''šaltibarščiai'') and various kinds of porridges (''košės'') are part of tradition and daily diet. Freshwater fish, herring, wild berries and mushrooms, honey are highly popular diet to this day.<ref>{{cite web|title=Lietuvos virtuvė|url=https://maistologija.wordpress.com/2010/08/07/lietuvos-virtuve/|website=maistologija.wordpress.com|date=7 August 2010|access-date=25 March 2018|language=lt|archive-date=23 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210623222139/https://maistologija.wordpress.com/2010/08/07/lietuvos-virtuve/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The only guide to Lithuanian cuisine you will ever need|url=https://www.urbanadventures.com/blog/guide-lithuanian-cuisine.html|website=Urbanadventures.com|access-date=5 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180406041111/https://www.urbanadventures.com/blog/guide-lithuanian-cuisine.html|archive-date=6 April 2018}}</ref>

[[File:Biržų 1686 Jubiliejinis Alus (9834933134).jpg|thumb|upright=.65|left|Lithuania has longlasting [[Beer in Lithuania|beer brewing traditions]].]]
One of the oldest and most fundamental Lithuanian food products was and is rye bread. Rye bread is eaten every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Bread played an important role in family rituals and agrarian ceremonies.<ref>{{cite web|title=LITHUANIAN TRADITIONAL FOODS – BREAD|url=http://www.lnkc.lt/eknygos/eka/food/bread.html|website=Lnkc.lt|access-date=25 March 2018|archive-date=25 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180325233234/http://www.lnkc.lt/eknygos/eka/food/bread.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

Lithuanians and other nations that once formed part of the [[Grand Duchy of Lithuania]] share many dishes and beverages. [[German cuisine|German traditions]] also influenced Lithuanian cuisine, introducing pork and potato dishes, such as potato pudding (''kugelis'' or kugel) and [[Kishka (food)|potato sausages]] (''vėdarai''), as well as the baroque tree cake known as ''[[Šakotis]]''. The most exotic of all the influences is Eastern (Karaite) cuisine – the ''[[kibinai]]'' are popular in Lithuania. Lithuanian noblemen usually hired French chefs, so [[French cuisine]] influence came to Lithuania in this way.<ref>{{cite web|title=Kokią įtaką Lietuvos virtuvei padarė prancūzai?|url=https://www.15min.lt/maistas/naujiena/virtuve/kokia-itaka-lietuvos-virtuvei-padare-prancuzai-1044-719414|website=15min.lt|access-date=26 March 2018|language=lt|archive-date=26 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180326064821/https://www.15min.lt/maistas/naujiena/virtuve/kokia-itaka-lietuvos-virtuvei-padare-prancuzai-1044-719414|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[Balts]] were using [[mead]] (''[[midus]]'') for thousands of years.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Astrauskas|first1=Antanas|title=Per barzdą varvėjo: svaigiųjų gėrimų istorija Lietuvoje|date=2008|publisher=Baltos lankos|location=Vilnius|isbn=978-9955-23-141-7}}</ref> Beer (''alus'') is the most common alcoholic beverage. Lithuania has a long farmhouse [[Beer in Lithuania|beer tradition]], first mentioned in 11th century chronicles. Beer was brewed for ancient Baltic [[Festival|festivities]] and rituals.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.llti.lt/failai/05_Laurinkienes.pdf|website=Llti.lt|page=18|title=Alus – apeiginis baltų gėrimas|access-date=22 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190808021048/http://www.llti.lt/failai/05_Laurinkienes.pdf|archive-date=8 August 2019}}</ref> Farmhouse brewing survived to a greater extent in Lithuania than anywhere else, and through accidents of history the Lithuanians then developed a commercial brewing culture from their unique farmhouse traditions.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.garshol.priv.no/download/lithuanian-beer-guide/book.pdf|website=Garshol.priv.no|page=5|title=Lithuanian beer – A rough guide|access-date=22 March 2018|archive-date=15 December 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141215235338/http://www.garshol.priv.no/download/lithuanian-beer-guide/book.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.garshol.priv.no/blog/253.html|website=Garshol.priv.no|title=Trying to understand Lithuanian beer|access-date=14 April 2018|archive-date=30 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210430211724/https://www.garshol.priv.no/blog/253.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Lithuania is top 5 by consumption of beer per capita in Europe in 2015, counting 75 active breweries, 32 of them are microbreweries.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.brewersofeurope.org/uploads/mycms-files/documents/publications/2016/stats_2016_web.pdf|website=Brewersofeurope.org|title=Beer statistics – 2016 edition|access-date=25 March 2018|archive-date=1 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170701100831/http://www.brewersofeurope.org/uploads/mycms-files/documents/publications/2016/stats_2016_web.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> The microbrewery scene in Lithuania has grown, with a number of bars focusing on these beers opening in Vilnius and other parts of the country.{{Citation needed|date=October 2024}}

Eight Lithuanian restaurants are listed in the White Guide Baltic Top 30.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.whiteguide-nordic.com/nyheter/there-is-no-better-time-than-now-to-visit-baltic-restaurants|website=Whiteguide-nordic.com|title=The best restaurants in the Nordics|access-date=4 April 2018|archive-date=24 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210124174247/http://www.whiteguide-nordic.com/nyheter/there-is-no-better-time-than-now-to-visit-baltic-restaurants}}</ref> The local „30 geriausių restoranų” guide lists top domestic places,<ref>{{cite news | last1=Laurinavičienė | first1=Beatričė | last2=Budreikienė | first2=Jovita | title=Paskelbti 30 geriausių Lietuvos restoranų, pirmoje vietoje – "Gaspar's" | work=Verslo žinios | date=28 July 2023 | url=https://www.vz.lt/laisvalaikis/maistas-ir-gerimai/2023/07/28/paskelbti-30-geriausiu-lietuvos-restoranu-pirmoje-vietoje--gaspars | language=lt | access-date=5 June 2024 | archive-date=5 June 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240605134437/https://www.vz.lt/laisvalaikis/maistas-ir-gerimai/2023/07/28/paskelbti-30-geriausiu-lietuvos-restoranu-pirmoje-vietoje--gaspars | url-status=live}}</ref> and Lithuanian restaurants will appear in the [[Michelin Guide]] on 13 June 2024.<ref>{{cite news | last=Laurinavičienė | first=Beatričė | title="Michelin" gido įvertinti restoranai – ir Lietuvoje | work=Verslo žinios | date=11 April 2024 | url=https://www.vz.lt/laisvalaikis/maistas-ir-gerimai/2024/04/11/michelin-gido-ivertinti-restoranai--ir-lietuvoje | language=lt | access-date=5 June 2024 | archive-date=5 June 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240605124425/https://www.vz.lt/laisvalaikis/maistas-ir-gerimai/2024/04/11/michelin-gido-ivertinti-restoranai--ir-lietuvoje | url-status=live}}</ref>