Food At The Kaziuko Muge
When Kaziuko muge just started all it was selling was food. Later on it developed into craftsmen selling their goods as well. Nowadays, there is a huge variety of food being sold, but there are also the main dishes that everyone buys at the fair every year.
Gaideliai
Gaideliai (roosters) are a traditional hard candy shaped like a rooster, commonly sold at the fair. In fact, the fair is the only place where one could buy these. In older times, if a parent would buy a gaidelis for his children, it would count as an award for the whole year. These are very simple candies made out of sugar and water. It is thought that gaideliai were invented in the early 16th
century, the same time Kaziuko muge started. Now it is a family tradition to buy gaideliai for the children. Adults eat them too, to reminisce about their past.
GrYbukai
Grybukai (mushrooms) are sweet cookies which are in the form of mushrooms. The top of the mushroom is covered in chocolate and the bottom a sugar mass. The dough is made of eggs, flour, cinnamon, poppy seeds and honey. These sweets come from the southern region of Lithuania called Dzūkija, which has a lot of forests and is famous for great amounts of real mushrooms collected every year. Grybukai appeared in the fair around the 18th century and since then are still very popular and known by everyone. However, these days, sellers have modified grybukai into different forms, sizes and colors. There are green, red, yellow and sometimes purple grybukai sold now. But the original black and white mushrooms remain the most popular choice.
Smoked meat
Smoked meat is ham or bacon, done in a special way. Usually it is pork that has been smoked in hot or cold smoke. It can be in the shape of a sausage or a brick. Some of the smoked sausages have pieces of fat in them. Lithuania is famous for its meat and dairy products and smoked meat is one of them. It is very valuable because it can stay good for a long period of time and in older times people would smoke the meat and then let it stand in their basements all winter, and, in spring when food supplies are short, they would take it out and eat it. It is a tradition nowadays to buy smoked meat in Kaziuko muge. There are many types of smoked meat and everyone has their own favorite. Some like the cold smoked one, while some like the hot smoked one. It takes about 3 weeks to make the cold smoked ham, while it takes only 2 days for the hot smoked meat to be ready. It is a large process of preparation, but the outcome is delicious. You can always find smoked meat at Kaziuko muge and there is lots of it.
Barankos
Barankos, a sort of donut (lambs), are a traditional Lithuanian food that is a traditional product of Kaziuko muge. They were first invented in the 15th century in the village Smurgainiai. Barankos are believed to be a descendants of German pretzels and Jewish halas. However, barankos are
in the shape of a circle. With a sweet taste, they have a crunchy exterior and a white and chewy interior. The ingredients of barankos are poppy seeds, flour, yeast, water, egg and sometimes raisins. During the first Kaziuko muge in 1603, barankos became extremely popular and from that time on they have become a traditional buy for every Lithuanian and participant of the fair. Barankos are a huge part of Lithuanian culture; there are over 100 sayings that include the word barankos and about 50 tales about them. “Darbas padirbt, tai ne baranką suvalgyt” which means, “A work to be done well is not the same as a donut eaten." The hole of a baranka refers to a lack of money. Without barankos, it is likely that the fair
would be much different.
Organic Marmalade
This is another sweet. It is not very famous, but it is quiet popular. This is organic marmalade, and it is absolutely natural. Only fruits and vegetables are used while making marmelade like this. Organic marmelade came to Kaziuko muge not too long ago, but it instantly gained popularity at the festival.
bread
Traditional Lithuanian bread is made out of rye, and Kaziuko muge wouldn’t be Kaziuko muge if rye bread was not there. Rye bread is an eminence to Lithuanians. In times of starvation, bread was the only thing that kept them alive, and bread is respected and honoured by Lithuanians very deeply. Not being thankful for bread or wasting it would be considered a sin, and that is why it is a tradition to buy rye bread in Kaziuko Muge because the bread sold in the fair is different than the bread sold in regular grocery stores. Traditional rye bread has a special recipe and takes over 48 hours to make, which makes it so unique. The bread is tasty and weighs up to one kilogram. Usually it has all kinds of ethnic signs and symbols on it. Rye bread is a tradition, symbol and treasure for Lithuanians and Kaziuko muge.