Rugine Duone
Lithuanian black rye bread is a dense loaf made from dark rye and wheat flour. It is usually oval in shape, with a deep brown colour and shiny crust. The bread has a strong earthy, slightly sour flavour, with notes of citrus and sometimes a hint of liquorice when carraway seeds are used in the recipe. It can be eaten at any time of the day, for breakfast, lunch, or a snack. It can be sliced and eaten as is, toasted with butter or cream cheese, or used as the base for any sandwich.
Rye bread can be found across all the Baltic states and its popularity is in large part thanks to the ability of rye, barley, and buckwheat to grow in the region’s cold climates. Cereals and their production are subject to EU safety standards on pesticide and herbicide use; they are also subject to controls on food-borne diseases.
