Top 3 Baltic Dumplings

Known as koldūnai in Lithuania, kalduny in Belarus and kołduny in Poland, these stuffed dumplings boiled in salted water are a staple of regional cuisine. Traditionally filled with minced pork, beef, chicken, curd cheese, or mushrooms, they make for an excellent lunch choice and can be enjoyed with a variety of garnishes, from butter and black pepper to mayonnaise, sour cream, crispy bacon, or spirgučiais (a type of pork rind).Expand

Cepelinai is the national dish of Lithuania consisting of potato dumplings stuffed with spiced ground meat. The dumplings are traditionally quite large, served with bacon, pork rinds, and a sour cream and milk-based sauce after they have been boiled in plenty of salted water. The dish is named after Graff von Zeppelin, due to the resemblance between the dumplings and the airship. It is believed that cepelinai have German origins and are based on Kartoffelknödel. There are many versions of the dish, and similar dumplings can be found in countries such as Denmark, Norway, Ukraine, and Belarus. However, cepelinai remain the most popular in Lithuania and the northeastern part of Poland.Expand

Kukuliai are Lithuanian ball-shaped dumplings that are typically made with grated potatoes and a wide range of fillings such as beef, chicken, fish (žuvies kukuliai) or cottage cheese. Although the kukuliai can be baked, boiled, or fried the same way as gnocchi and other East European dumplings, Lithuanians flavor them with herbs (marjoram being a popular choice) or sesame seeds. These dumplings can be served with finely chopped horseradish, dill pickles in sour cream, sauteed bacon-onion mix, or tomato and rosemary sauce. And while some think that kukuliai and cepelinai are the same, others tend to disagree - kukuliai are usually smaller and are shaped into balls, while the cepelinai are larger, oblong, and have slightly pointed ends.Expand