Kibinai of Trakai

Kibinai are plump, hand-crimped pastries filled traditionally with chopped mutton and onion, baked until golden, brought to Lithuania by the Karaim, a Turkic community settled in Trakai since the Middle Ages. Eaten warm by the lake beside the island castle, they are one of the country's most distinctive foods.

What's there

• The crimped pastry - the golden hand-folded crescent case.
• Meat and other fillings - classic mutton, plus beef, chicken and vegetarian versions.
• Karaim heritage - the community that brought the dish to Trakai.
• Lakeside eating - the pastries enjoyed by Lake Galve near the castle.

When to go

Year-round; best eaten fresh and warm from a Karaim cafe in Trakai on a castle day trip. They travel reasonably as a snack.

Before you go

The best are in Trakai, where the tradition lives, and mass-produced versions elsewhere are a shadow of them. They are rich and filling, more meal than snack in twos. Trakai is busy in summer, so its cafes queue at peak times.

Nearby

Trakai Island Castle is a few minutes' walk; the lakes of the historical park surround the town.