Midsummer cheese and men's bread

Lithuania will entice visitors with hearty meat and dark bread, the Czech Republic will surprise them with insect snacks between bratwurst and beer and Latvia will be bringing midsummer cheese and fish. Estonia lets visitors try strawberry roses and Poland offers mushroom powder, bigos and kielbasa.

Men's bread from Lithuania

Things get off to a classic start in Hall 8.2, where Lithuania will be making an appearance. Pork knuckle, sauerkraut and smoked sausages are steaming in huge pans. Elk sausage and cheese are on sale at the counter opposite. Dark rye bread made from sourdough is also important in Lithuanian cuisine. Half a dozen varieties are available to taste, the names have a self-ironic touch and hint at the flavour: There is the "bread of the ancestors", a strong black rye bread with caraway seeds, baked the old-fashioned way. The "Bread for men" tastes savoury, thanks to garlic, bacon and caraway seeds. The "Bread for women's friends" is covered with sunflower seeds and contains sultanas and dried fruit. One display case further on you will find the matching chutneys, for example caramelised onions with wine and pear.

Insect snacks from the Czech Republic

Nobody has to miss out on savoury black sausages, slivovice and Bohemian beer in Hall 11.2, but it's still worth taking a detour to the stands on the outskirts. Between roasted coffee and gingerbread strudel, the brave can try crispy snacks, in this case made from either worms or crickets. The pioneering company Worm Up from the small town of Vemberk near the Polish border roasts insects in hot air. The "crispy worms" are available in garlic, chilli or chocolate flavours, while the "crispy crickets" come with chilli, garlic or curry.

Strawberry roses from Estonia

Estonia is always good for delicious surprises. In Hall 8.2, exhibitors will be serving freshly roasted elk sausages with mustard, dark bread and local beer over the counter. Dark bread with spiced sprats or moose ham are available to try. But those looking for unusual snacks to take home will also find what they are looking for in Estonia: from black garlic and beetroot snacks with nettle to quince crisps. Dried strawberry roses with fir shoots and lemon balm are a real eye-catcher, while potato waffles with cheese and onions are a savoury souvenir.

Midsummer cheese from Latvia

There are also plenty of sausages and tins of fish at the Latvian stand (Hall 8.2), as the Baltic state has around 500 kilometres of coastline. Less well known is the traditional Midsummer cheese. Latvian families make it themselves at the summer solstice. The SierŠtelle cheese dairy has brought several of its 31 varieties to the Green Week for tasting. The light-coloured soft cheese made from milk, sour cream and eggs has a light, restrained flavour. It can be served as a dessert cheese with almonds or Christmas flavouring. It tastes spicier with paprika, parsley or seeds.

Mushroom powder from Poland: What would Polish cuisine be without bigos, goose lard and kielbasa? And without mushrooms! From the small town of Zaklików in the Carpathian Foothills voivodeship, the family business Leśna Muszka brings chanterelles and porcini mushrooms to households in every conceivable form: fresh or dried, pickled in brine or jars. Particularly sophisticated: Mushrooms in powder form. Porcini mushrooms or chanterelles are dried, ground and filled into jars. Like spices, the powder can be used to flavour sauces, fillings or casseroles.