The Lithuanian cuisine is considered to be heavy and fat. Adam Mickiewicz who loved the Lithuanian dishes said: “To appreciate the Lithuanian dishes, you must be healthy…”. Hunter’s Stew, a dish made of sauerkraut, meat and cured meat, was even mentioned in “Pan Tadeusz”. 

Due to the complicated history, the Lithuanian cuisine almost from the very beginning was under the influence of the cuisine of the neighbouring countries and also under the influence of the cuisine of people living in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania: Ukrainian, Polish, Tatar, Belorussian and Jewish. After the Swedish invasion of Poland in 1655-1660, the production of crops collapsed and the potato, which was brought from America, gained popularity. 

Thanks to the close trade contacts with the countries of the Middle Asia, the price of various spices in Lithuania and Poland was much lower than in the other parts of Europe, where they had to be brought to via Turkey. Hence, in the Lithuanian cuisine such spices as pepper, nutmeg and coriander were commonly used. Local herbs and spices such as mint or caraway (which was added to many dishes such as soups, dried and smoked white cheese) were also very popular. In the beginning, like in the Polish cuisine, the pungent spices were used to preserve dishes and it imparted very special and spicy character to this cuisine. In the 19th century, due to the popularity of saltpetre and other means of preserving food, it became more mild.