Lithuanian ice cream parlours are as diverse and eclectic as the country’s nature during summertime. Filled with unexpected flavours such as cricket, dill and nettle, these treats are a result of local chefs combining innovative techniques with traditional ingredients, all in the name of creating one-of-a-kind flavours.
Indeed, for Lithuanians, ice cream has been a staple item on dessert tables since the end of the 18th century, with unconventional (but not unheard or) flavours such as rose, saffron, and clove having become favourites among the nobility during this period.
Fast forward to 2022, and contemporary Lithuanian chefs have taken this experimental culinary heritage to new heights, and, inspired by local ingredients, are playing around with unique seasonal recipes of the world famous frozen treats.
Today we’ve teamed up with Lithuania Travel, the country’s national tourism development agency, to put together a list of 10 distinctive Lithuanian ice cream flavours to try this summer.
Cricket Ice Cream With Black Sesame & Vanilla
While insects have been an important part of African and Asian diets for centuries, they have only made their way onto Lithuanian dining tables only recently. Long may it continue.
At the CENTRAL Grill & Lounge restaurant in the southwestern city of Marijampolė, crickets are mixed with the rich flavours of vanilla and black sesame for a protein-packed and unique treat.
Mackerel Ice Cream With Bread Crumbs
While the pairing of seafood and sweet treats may not sound like a pleasant experience at first, the subtle smokiness of the mackerel combined with fresh notes of mulberry and lime makes for a balanced meeting of sweet and savoury.
Those keen to sample this flavour at the Apvalaus Stalo Klubas restaurant in the medieval town of Trakai will be rewarded with an unforgettable symphony of flavours (and an enthusiastic tick on the ol’ bucketlist, we might wager!).
Read: 5 IDEAL stops on your cruise of the Baltic Sea
Seaweed Ice Cream With Lobster Caramel Crunch, Hazelnut Oil & Black Sturgeon Roe
A mouthful to say and a mouthful to eat, this one…
Found in the bustling seaside town of Palanga — the unofficial capital of the summer in Lithuania — this ice cream is designed to please travellers fascinated by the idea of seeing, touching, and tasting the sea.
The historical boutique hotel of Vila Komoda offers this distinctive concoction of salty roe, earthy oils, and a sweet-buttery caramel crunch for the intrepid gastronaut to enjoy – and enjoy you will!
Black Ice Cream With Activated Charcoal
While black as a food colouring is nothing new — squid ink has been used to blacken risotto and pasta for centuries, of course — the recent uptick of charcoal-dyed treats can be attributed to their social media-worthy appearance.
At café AJ Šokoladas, their take on black ice cream is handmade and bursting with smooth coconut and vanilla flavours, the dessert yielding a refined finish that feels contradictory yet somehow complementary to its striking colour.
Linden Blossom Tea Ice Cream
A little more pedestrian but no less delicious, Linden blossoms were an important part of folk medicine for many ancient Lithuanians and can be found in most pantries around the country even today.
At the Jurgis ir Drakonas and Brooklyn Brothers restaurants, this health-boosting ingredient has been incorporated into a refreshing ice cream with robust floral and herbal notes that capture the essence of a quaint summer in Lithuania.
Buckwheat Ice Cream
While most grains are used as accompaniments to the main course in Lithuania, the Višta Puode restaurant in Kaunas, Lithuania’s second-largest city, has given buckwheat a starring role in this delectable dessert.
With its deep, nutty flavour and a tangy assortment of berries, their buckwheat ice cream combines the country’s culinary heritage with a modern outlook on what a dessert can (and should!) be.
Šakotis Ice Cream
Šakotis (Lithuanian spit cake) is the centrepiece of any Lithuanian holiday table. Sweet, soft, and buttery, this dense cake becomes enveloped in a smooth homemade ice cream that gives the treat a sense of lightness. Visitors can try it out at the historically-influenced Ertlio Namas restaurant, found in the heart of the capital city, Vilnius.
Nettle Ice Cream
Feared by small children across the country, the fierce stinging nettle is transformed into a creamy and fragrant frozen treat at the Velvetti restaurant in Lithuania’s capital of wellness, Druskininkai. A mellow taste with a pop of refined grassy and earthy notes make the ice cream suitable for those who enjoy both a subtle sweetness and a slightly out there flavour in their desserts.
Dill Ice Cream
Used to adorn many of Lithuania’s beloved savoury dishes, dill is an extremely versatile herb with a fresh, grassy flavour. Found at the restaurant Džiaugsmas, which gives new life to classic Lithuanian ingredients with innovative cooking techniques, dill ice cream offers a harmonious blending of herbal flavours.
Quince Ice Cream
To finish our tour of Lithuania’s strangest but most delicious ice cream flavours, Taste Map café in Vilnius offers a frozen treat that fuses a spicy and complex blend of heady quince with smooth cream. The quince ice cream mellows the fruit to create a satisfying mix of tartness and sweetness while the ice cream’s fragrant taste feels like summer days captured in a bowl.
This list of ice cream offers a glimpse into the world of unexpected flavours that tourists can taste in Lithuania. A map with other ice cream flavours dreamt up in dozens of different ice cream parlours and restaurants all over the country can be found here.
And if you’d like to experiment in your own kitchen, check out these 10 IDEAL tips for making homemade ice cream.