On a scorching hot summer day, when the sun feels like it's melting everything in sight, there's nothing like a great recipe to keep you cool and satisfied. ENTER: Cucumbers and Honey, the dynamic duo that transforms ordinary cucumber sticks into a crunchy Lithuanian cucumber snack fit for a sunny picnic or a lazy afternoon. It's the perfect addition to your repertoire of great snacks – healthy and refreshing!
The best part? These sweet cucumbers only require 2 ingredients and less than 5 minutes of your time! Grab a plateful and indulge guilt-free in this great healthy snack that tastes like summer itself!
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Lithuanian Cucumber Sanck That Evokes Childhood Memories
Ah, the memories of summer days spent in the garden, surrounded by cucumber plants heavy with fresh cucumbers! In Lithuania, during the sunny summer months, when my Grandmother's vegetable allotment overflowed with extra cucumbers, my mum would treat us to a special snack that transformed these humble veggies into a wonderful sweet surprise.
Imagine this: crisp cucumber sticks, cut just right, served in a generous serving that could make even the pickiest eater smile. But here's the twist – instead of reaching for the salt or vinegar, my mum would drizzle them with honey. Yes, honey! It might sound unusual, but trust me, it’s a delicious way to enjoy one of our favorite vegetables.
Close your eyes, and you might just believe you’re tasting honeydew melon instead! It's a very traditional summer treat, perfect for those days when the sun beats down and you need something refreshing and light.
Ingredient Notes
Here's what you'll need (find the suggested quantities in the recipe card at the bottom of the post).
Cucumbers
Lithuanians typically use garden cucumbers that are abundant in their vegetable allotments in the summer months. Lithuanian cucumbers are short and have pricky thicker skin, so we need to scrub them well to get rid of the black pikes on them before enjoying them. Some people even like to peel them.
However, you can use any regular cucumber: English cucumbers or Persian cucumbers work very well.
My best advice would be to choose fresh crisp cucumbers with thin skin that doesn't need peeling.
Honey
Traditionally, raw honey is used for drizzling the cucumber slices. I love how different types of honey changes the flavor profile though. Try this Lithuanian cucumber snack with orange blossom honey, Manuka honey or even hot honey for a spicy kick!
Extras
Whilst we like to keep it simple in Lithuania, I've grown to love a few variations of the traditional Cucumbers and Honey recipe. Here are a few suggestions for you to try with these snack sticks:
- Squeeze a little lemon juice (or lime juice) over the cucumber before drizzling it with honey.
- Make a salted honey cucumber snack by sprinkling the top with sea salt.
- Serve this easy cucumber snack with a little bit of Greek yogurt on the side.
2-Step Method
This delicious snack is such an easy recipe that I struggle to even call it a recipe. It requires 2 ingredients and less than 5 minutes of your time.
Step 1: The Best Way To Slice Cucumber
In Lithuania, we typically slice the cucumber into long thick batons. Using a sharp knife, cut the short cucumber in half lengthways, and then slice each half lengthways into three sticks. If you are using a long English cucumber, you may need to cut it into 2-3 pieces lengthways.
TIP: if your cucumbers have high-water content, dab them with paper towels to remove excess moisture, so that honey doesn't immediately slice off.
Step 2: Drizzle Honey On Top
Arrange the cucumber pieces on a plate in a single layer and drizzle the top with honey. That's it! I told you it's an easy snack!
MY WAY: For me, as a child, a drizzle of honey didn't quite cut it! I would actually dip my cucumber sticks into a honey pot when nobody was looking! As an adult, I love Cucumbers and Honey as a side to Hot Pepperoni Pizza (if you ever had The Bee Sting pizza from Papa John's, you will understand...).
More Lithuanian Summer Recipes
Hot summer days are a wonderful time to enjoy these easy cucumber bites. But if you're looking for more Lithuanian summer salads or soups, have a look at some of our favorite Lithuanian summer recipes below. Oh, and don't forget a popular Lithuanian Fermented drink - Gira (It's Lithuanian Kvass!)
Lithuanian Cucumbers and Honey
Ingredients
- 1 short cucumber or ⅓ of English cucumber
- 1 teaspoon clear honey
Instructions
- Using a sharp knife, cut the short cucumber in half lengthways, and then slice each half lengthways into three sticks. If you are using a long English cucumber, you may need to cut it into 2-3 pieces lengthways.
- TIP: If your cucumbers have high-water content, dab them with paper towels to remove excess moisture, so that honey doesn't immediately slide off.
- Arrange the cucumber pieces on a plate in a single layer and drizzle the top with honey. Enjoy!
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