Cepelinai: My Mum's Recipe

Today I'm happy to share a guest post from Brigita Uyar. She's bringing us one of Lithuania's most beloved dishes straight from her mum's kitchen.

Lithuanian cuisine is full of potato dishes: cepelinai, kugelis, vedarai, potato pancakes, and more. Potatoes have always been practical here, easy to grow, easy to store, and perfect with curd cheese, sour cream, crispy pork bits, and cabbage. An entire culinary culture has grown up around this humble ingredient.

Almost every Lithuanian family has their favourite potato dish, and mine is no exception. Growing up, potato dishes were a constant on our table, and they're still some of my favourite foods today. If I had to choose one dish with no equal, it would be cepelinai. They were never an everyday meal, because making them takes real skill and a special potato-grating machine.

My mum made them, and still does, only for special occasions. Now that we all have our own lives, going to my mum's for cepelinai feels like the biggest celebration. They're made with so much love, and nothing compares to the taste. I don't think her recipe is different from anyone else's. They're simply my mum's cepelinai, and that's what makes them special.