Šiauliai Tourism Information Center employees, together with the project partners from Šiauliai Technology Training Center, Daugavpils Tourism Information Center and Daugavpils Technology and Tourism Technical School and representatives from catering establishments, including the representatives of the cafes “Juonė Pastuogė” and “Dramaturgas” operating in Šiauliai, went on a gastronomic trip to Biržai and Rokiškis on August 26-27. The goal of this trip is to see and gain experience in how popular tastings and food education are conducted.
During this trip, we visited quite different places and had different experiences. We started the trip in the Biržai district, where we visited the Sodeliškis Manor and participated in bread baking education. The guide told us in detail not only about the Sodeliškis Manor itself, an authentic 20th century Aukštaitija homestead, but also in the cozy living room of the homestead, we learned how our ancestors baked bread. We were able to shape our own loaf from the prepared dough, smell the delicious smell of the bread being baked, and take the baked bread home with us.
The Kirkilai village community welcomed us with an authentic and exceptional lunch that you won’t find anywhere else. We ate fish soup with fish caught in the Kirkilai lakes and coarsely ground whole wheat pancakes. We have never experienced such a taste anywhere else! Let’s not forget the homemade cracklings and jam, the secrets and stories of the village women!
After a great excursion around the Biržai region, we ended our first day of our trip with an education/tasting event called “Radvilaitės kaprizai”. First, we visited one of the oldest “Biržai alaus” breweries in Lithuania, where we had the opportunity to look around the mini museum that still smells of paint, hear the history of the brewery, facts about old brewing and the merging of old traditions with the current modern brewery. The tasting “Radvilaitės kaprizai” prepared at the Biržai Castle restaurant “Pilies skliautai” (Castle Vaults) introduced us to drinks and snacks, and the main course was a real whim – venison and herring in one combination.
We started the second day with Lithuanian delicacies and participated in sweets education. At the Rokiškis Regional Museum, we tried to wrap a „Karvutė“ candy. It has been made in this region for almost a hundred years, and the authentic ancient recipe was recently brought to new life. It was really fun to hear the story, the work put into reviving the candy production, and, of course, to compare it with Latvian „Karvutė“ candy. Well, after such a sweet education, another one followed – the production of šakotis. The masters of “Šakočio meistrai” revealed to us the secrets of making šakotis, and we tried to stand at the oven ourselves while making this representing Lithuania dessert that everyone loves.
Our journey of flavors ended at the Ilzenberg Manor, where we listened to the guide’s stories, looked around the palace and park, and then tasted various products made by hand right there on the spot – cheeses, bread, butter, etc.
It was a very enriching trip, during which we tasted very different dishes, watched how they were presented, and, of course, each of us took something for ourselves. We will continue to work to ensure that our cities have no less fascinating gastronomic education and tastings.
Project implementation period: February 1, 2025 – January 31, 2027 (24 months).
Total project budget is 643 363,78 EUR. Co-funding of European Regional Development Fund is 514 691,01 EUR.
This publication has been produced with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of Siauliai tourism information center and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.
