Lithuania’s giant potato dumplings, filled with pork and finished with bacon, sour cream, and absolutely no restraint.
Also called didžkukuliai , meaning “big dumplings."
Cepelinai are among Lithuania’s best-known national dishes. Named for their long oval shape, which resembles a Zeppelin airship, these oversized potato dumplings are traditionally filled with minced pork, though mushroom and curd-cheese versions are common too.
They are a labor of love, more likely to appear at a family gathering, holiday table, or traditional restaurant than as a rushed weeknight dinner. The recipe turns humble potatoes into something genuinely special by combining grated raw potato, cooked potato, and the natural starch released during grating. Once poached, the dumplings are traditionally served with sour cream and spirgučiai , a rich topping of fried bacon and onion with the rendered fat spooned over the top.
4 servings (makes 8 large dumplings)
For the potato dough
For the pork filling
For the bacon and onion topping
Cepelinai are rich enough to be the whole meal. Serve them with sour cream, bacon and onion topping, and something sharp or fresh alongside, such as dill pickles, sauerkraut, or a cucumber salad. A crisp lager is a natural match. For a nonalcoholic option, sparkling water with lemon helps cut through the richness.