Kedainiai Shopping

Lithuania is (or at least should be) famous for its dry sausages and meat usually mixed with some secret herbs. I found a few kinds of dry both sausages and meat in a grocery on the ground floor of MAXIMA supermarket.

What to buy: Finally I bought plastic container with sliced, dry and smoked sirloin called Jautiema "Bastruma". On the bill it was written: Kauno duona Pjaustyta vytinta basturma (fas.). I have no idea what it means, do you?

What to pay: Wow, it was probably the most expensive meat I ever ate or better to say I paid by myself :-). It costed 59.99 Lt (18 euros, 87 zl) per kilo (10 US$ per pound) but I paid 5.28 Lt and it was enough for us. It tasted better than delicious :-). Matcrazy0 created great sandwiches with dark Lithuanian bread we tasted next day in... Riga, Latvia.

This was small Lithuanian chain grocery where quite many locals were doing shopping on Saturday's afternoon. No wonder, the prices there were a little bit lower than in Maxima supermarket at least for some basic food.

What to buy: Food and drinks - quite good choice although smaller than in Maxima supermarket. Look for local dark bread and honey (if you like).

What to pay: Lower prices than in any Western European country.

There were not seperate liquor stores for booze in Lithuania. Strong alcoholic beverages were sold on the second floor of Maxima supermarket.

As I know there were Poles who smuggled vodka from Lithuania to Poland in the past. But in 2004, the prices were similar and EU members over 17yo were allowed to transfer without any customs up to:
- 10 liters of spirits,
- 20 liters of strong wine (sherry, porto),
- 90 liters of normal wine (incl. up to 60 l of sparkling wine)
- 110 liters of beer.
Warning: the above only FOR PERSONAL USE :-))).

What to buy: If you like choose what you want. From Lithuanian vodkas I tried Vilnius vodka once and I survived as you can see :-).

What to pay: The cheapest bottle (0.5 l) costed 8.95 LTL, this one on my picture (Auksine 0.7 l) - 17.95 LTL, Vilnius vodka (0.7 l) - 29,98 LTL.

Maxima is one of the biggest chain supermarket or rather department store in Lithuania. In Kiedainiai they offered food on ground floor and clothes, electronics, toys etc. on the second floor. There was small and almost empty parking lot in front of it.

What to buy: I was looking at food and there was very good choice.
Something Lithuanian?
Look for famous local honey (lietuviskas midus), vodka , beer (Svyturis, Kalnapilis) if you like.

Finally I bought local (I hope) dark, almost black bread which was delicious and some meat: sliced, dry and smoked sirloin called Jautiema "Bastruma" which was better than delicious and the most expensive in this store :-).

What to pay: Prices for food were similar to the ones in Poland that meant lower than in Western Europe.