Start your day the Lithuanian way with this classic Lithuanian Breakfast recipe. A staple of traditional Lithuanian cuisine, this simple yet satisfying dish features three essential ingredients: farmer's cheese, sour cream, and sugar. With its creamy texture and delightful sweetness, it's a beloved traditional Lithuanian food choice for breakfast. And it will always hold a very special place in my heart!
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What Is A Traditional Lithuanian Breakfast?
In Lithuania, breakfast is often a hearty affair, with dairy products playing an important role in many morning meals. Among the most popular choices are dishes featuring farmer's cheese or cottage cheese or dark rye bread topped with cheese and/or different types of meat.
For special occasions, Lithuanians might indulge in pancakes or omelettes, but they're just as likely to simply enjoy leftovers from dinner— we are really not fussy about what we eat first thing in the morning and enjoy all kinds of food for breakfast - from dairy to fish!
Whether it's a quick bite before work or a leisurely weekend brunch, breakfast in Lithuania is a time to savor wholesome flavors and start the day right.
Ingredients and Substitutes
Here's what you'll need (find the quantities and method in the recipe card at the bottom of the post):
- farmers cheese: full- or half-fat, ideally. If you cannot find Lithuanian farmer's cheese (a.k.a varškė), try this recipe with Twarog (Polish farmer's cheese) which is more widely available in the grocery stores in the United States and United Kingdom).
- sour cream or creme fraiche: again, ideally full-fat.
- granulated white sugar: or you can substitute with caster sugar (a.k.a. superfine sugar).
Wait, What Exactly Is Lithuanian Farmer's Cheese?
Farmers Cheese, known as Varske in Lithuania, is a cornerstone of Lithuanian cuisine, similar to quark cheese but with a drier texture. This beloved curd cheese is not only a staple in Lithuania but also popular in other Eastern European countries like Russia (Tvorog) and Poland (Twaróg).
It's a versatile ingredient, mainly used in baking delicious farmer's cheese cakes, buns (like Lithuanian Pastries: Grietiniečiai (Sour Cream Pastries)), and cookies but also included in the preparation of main dishes and a delicious Farmers Cheese Spread. In Lithuania, you can find three main types of Farmer’s cheese: extra light (0.5-1%), half-fat (9%), and full-fat (18%).
When incorporating varske into traditional dishes or sweet treats like my favorite Farmers Cheese Roll Cake, we recommend opting for 9%+ farmers cheese for the best results.
You're likely to spot compressed farmer's cheese in cylindrical shapes in small white bowls at Eastern European grocery stores. Whether it's varškės spurgos (farmers cheese doughnuts) or a savory dish, this fermented milk product adds a unique touch to a variety of dishes in the Lithuanian diet, making it more than just a side but a star ingredient in the main meal.
Head to our dedicated article about recipes using farmer's cheese for more inspiration!
Easy Method
Place farmer's cheese in a shallow bowl or on a plate, and using a fork or a small spoon break it up and spread it out onto the surface of the plate.
Spoon the sour cream all over the farmer's cheese.
Sprinkle everything with sugar. You may now eat it as is, or, if you prefer, mix it all up (it will taste like sweetened cottage cheese).
How To Eat Farmer's Cheese and Sour Cream?
Typical Lithuanian foods are simple and unpretentious. This Farmers Cheese Breakfast recipe is no expectation and is typically enjoyed with not much more than a slice of bread. Traditionally, it is served with buttered black rye bread, but these days toasted white bread is popular too.
Many people also add a dollop of jam to their Lithuanian breakfast. Whilst raspberry and strawberry jam may be the most popular, I particularly liked lingonberry jam when I was a child.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, farmer's cheese can be a healthy choice as it is a good source of protein and calcium.
While it's not very typical to have farmer's cheese and sour cream with savory accompaniments in the Lithuanian home, our Polish neighbours enjoy a similar combination with fresh herbs and crunchy veggies - here's a recipe for TWAROŻEK ŚNIADANIOWY. Lithuanian Farmer's Cheese Dip is also a thing, but it's not a breakfast dish!
Absolutely, my dad would prepare this breakfast at the end of each day to be able to enjoy some authentic Lithuanian food first thing in the morning. The sugar dissolves into the sour cream and makes it a little yellow overnight - that's perfectly normal, so don't be alarmed.
More Lithuanian Recipes To Try
If you are interested in the traditional foods of Lithuania, you are in the right place. Some of our favorite Lithuanian dishes include:
- Lithuanian Potato Pancakes (Bulviniai Blynai)
- Christmas Eve Cranberry Kissel
- Cold Beetroot Soup
- Lithuanian Dumplings with Farmer's Cheese
- Fried Lithuanian Black Bread (Kepta Duona) - recipe coming very soon.
Lithuanian Breakfast: Farmer's Cheese and Sour Cream
Ingredients
- 150 g (¾ cups) farmers cheese fluffed up with a fork
- 80 g (4 tbsp) sour cream or creme fraiche
- 2 teaspoon granulated sugar or caster sugar
Instructions
- Place farmers cheese in a shallow bowl or on a plate, and using a fork or a small spoon break it up and spread it out onto the surface of the plate.
- Spoon the sour cream all over the farmer's cheese.
- Sprinkle everything with sugar. You may now eat it as is, or, if you prefer, mix it all up. This Lithuanain breakfast is typically served with buttered bread and a dollop of jam!
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