Meat the Baltics

This entry comes from a little traversed place in the world - the Baltic states. Consumed and then spat out the other side of Soviet communism, the cute little countries of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia impress greatly.

Firstly, all of these countries have capital cities with gorgeous old towns not yet rampant with tour group hordes, each one bringing a very unique quality to the table. Riga (Latvia) has a stunning array of super rare Art Nouveau streetscapes combining steam age design with natural, fantastical elements - it's really something amazing to see up close. Tallinn (Estonia) easily picks up the award for having the most awesome medieval bars, restaurants and streets. Vilnius (Lithuania) has THE biggest Baroque old town pretty much custom built for being a movie set for period films. 

In fact Vilnius has it's own Eau de Cologne too. This was created by interviewing Lithuanian artists, gifted children, politicians, business people, scientists, visitors and blind people whilst simultaneously analysing folk culture, art and music to extract Lithuanian character. This was all then heavily compressed into a bottle by a master perfumer. Don't ask me how that last step is done, I'm fairly certain it involves a cauldron and much trouble, toil and spice.

Sadly though, the gorgeous old towns are like diamonds in the coal. They are always surrounded by a sea of Soviet style apartment blocks. These concrete monsters aren't a pretty site really, could do with a lick of paint and perhaps some grass mowing; but once you get past the dank stairwell and the two or three front doors (yes, that's two or three doors one directly behind the other) you typically enter a little oasis. Certainly each one we stayed in as we visited friends was a world away from the world and a wonderful home, but you'd certainly never know it from outside!

Being very, very Eastern Europe - meat is very much on the menu. But it's more than just the flesh, these guys get very creative in the ways you can enjoy animal fat too. In Lithuania, one platter started with some thinly sliced and rolled up lard, coupled with some pork scratchings and goose fat mixed with breadcrumbs. This is all enjoyed with a typical salad, i.e. gherkins. The main course; a veritable mountain of potato, roasted pig belly fat topped off with some roast pig ears. They're just so crispy and floppy all at the same time!

The food experience differed in Riga a little, with the introduction of the very popular national "Rye Bread Tiramisu". Also , by virtue of a fortuitous visit to a really small farm, fresh milk from the cow and untamed cottage cheese washed down with some freshly tapped Birch tree sap was on offer. Simple food it was, but taste revelations none-the-less. The farmer (through friendly translator Alex) said also that a stork had set up nest for the first time on the power pole in the front of the farm and on that night they received news of their first great, great grandchild ... as well as losing electricity to the house due to the stork nest catching fire.

Riga is also big on a magical brew called "Riga Black Balsam". Most people would simply call this alcohol, but around here it is so much more. It is revered as a mystical, medicinal broth which is essential to staving off sickness and lethargy (in the dark winter months especially). One shot for breakfast and you will feel much better and ready for the day, apparently. To be fair though, if I start the day with a shot of tequila then I think my start to the day would be uplifting too perhaps?

Estonian tastes culminated in copious consumption of absolutely DELICIOUS Elk soup, topped off with some roast boar pies and lingonberry juice. For desserts, look no further than almonds freshly toasted in a giant copper bowl with brown sugar, cinnamon, pepper, cloves, nutmeg and some orange peel. It is a swift and worthy absorbent of spare change.  

If you did not know, the Baltic countries have a lot of amber. Actually, "a lot" doesn't seem to impress the right quantity here, this placed is rammed from wall to wall with amber products and shops. It's pretty fantastic what they can do with this rock, but sadly it gets a little tiresome seeing this orange rock everywhere you turn.

Certainly one of the quintessential experiences here was the sauna with friends. This is very north European, especially the north-east. Many, if not most of you will know the sauna as that weird smelling room in expensive hotels that never has anyone in it and typically never heats up properly. What we had was on another level! We went out to a friend's tiny little wooden sauna in the woods where we lit a fire under a big pile of rocks inside said hut. Whilst this smoky little beast intensified, we went off foraging into the tall grass to find some herbs and branches; herbs to place down on the benches of the sauna for a spicy smell, branches for us to tie together into little leafy bundles - ready to hit each other with. The sauna was incredible, hitting and massaging each other with bushes was even better, being able to step outside and jump into a small cold lake filled with little fish that would nibble your dead skin away was better still. We did this all day, followed by a Latvian BBQ in the sunset. Magic through and through.

So I'll close this post off with some Lithuanian language lessons ... in phonetic so you can pronounce them:

Lah-bass ... Hello

Ee-keel ... See ya

No-ree kyow-less oh-syes? ... Want some pig ear?

Mee-loo bull-vess! ... I love potatoes!

Are thai day-gone-tees tsepelioniy are ver-two-vay day-gaw? ... Is that a flaming Zeppelin or is the kitchen on fire?