Dairy products take one of the prime places in Lithuanian cooking. Starting with plain milk and ending with a a range of cheeses, we have quite a bit to choose from. This post is about curd cheese - a very much loved ingredient. It is not called cheese ("sūris") in Lithuanian - we have a separate word for it ("varškė"). In fact, we even have a cheese that is made from curd cheese. That's right, it is a curd cheese cheese ("varškės sūris")!
Rgarded as a diet and healthy food, curd cheese is often eaten plain garnished with berries or honey. It is also an ingredient in a variety of yummy recipes. Just to name a few:
Curd cheese patties (Varškėčiai) - breakfast food, which is either boiled (and looks like gnocci) or fried.
Crepes with curd cheese filling (Lietiniai su varške) - often flavored with cinnamon, berries or fruits.
Dumplings with curd cheese (also called Varškėčiai) - boiled dumplings stuffed with curd cheese.
Curd cheese cake (Varškės apkepas) - it may be reminiscent of the American cheese cake, but it is softer, not sweet and is often served for breakfast or supper.
Curd cheese doughnuts (Varškės spurgos) - usually shaped as small deep-fried balls.
Check Lithuanian Food Glossary for more curd cheese dishes and pictures.
Outside of Lithuania, you can find the authentic curd cheese in Lithuanian or most Eastern European ethnic food stores. While living abroad, I have been usually replacing it with cottage cheese. Cottage cheese has more moisture and a different texture, so the recipes needed a bit of tweaking. My cookbooks contain these customized recipes that use cottage cheese.
Curd cheese patties (Varškėčiai) - breakfast food, which is either boiled (and looks like gnocci) or fried.
Crepes with curd cheese filling (Lietiniai su varške) - often flavored with cinnamon, berries or fruits.
Dumplings with curd cheese (also called Varškėčiai) - boiled dumplings stuffed with curd cheese.
Curd cheese cake (Varškės apkepas) - it may be reminiscent of the American cheese cake, but it is softer, not sweet and is often served for breakfast or supper.
Curd cheese doughnuts (Varškės spurgos) - usually shaped as small deep-fried balls.
Check Lithuanian Food Glossary for more curd cheese dishes and pictures.
Outside of Lithuania, you can find the authentic curd cheese in Lithuanian or most Eastern European ethnic food stores. While living abroad, I have been usually replacing it with cottage cheese. Cottage cheese has more moisture and a different texture, so the recipes needed a bit of tweaking. My cookbooks contain these customized recipes that use cottage cheese.
