Meat and Cheese Boards with Kiaulės Ausis (Pig Ears)
Meat and cheese boards are the preferred appetizer when it comes to Lithuanian food and restaurants. You can find one of these or a version of it pretty much anywhere you go.
They have a lot of hard cheeses, curd cheeses, in fact the curd cheese has obtained a Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status. The cheese originates fromTelšiaiman nicknamed Giant Džiugas. He was famed for defeating the Teutonic Order, and when he married his wife the cheese was made to celebrate their union. It is also rumored that if you eat the cheese, you can develop some of his giant like qualities too.
Cut a slice of cheese, wrap it with some meat or pork lard, then dip it in honey. It is a local delicacy, along withKiaulės Ausis or (Pig Ears). I like to be a bit on the adventurous side when I travel with what I eat - because you never know until you try. Now I can firmly say, I could not handle the Pig Ears.
You see, I'm a big texture person, and popping in a very big slice of cartilage and tasting the salty vinegar taste of it - imagining all the surgeries I have helped with in the past (because I work in the medical field).....I just .....couldn't.....hack it.
This is just my experience though, so DON'T TAKE MY WORD FOR IT! You need to try it for yourself is what I say. This is truly considered a delicacy to locals, and is often served smoked or boiled and with vegetables. Some locals even have them for their main meal! The ones we had were cut into strips and served as a snack, often with some strong beer.
