Daujenu namine duona

Daujėnų naminė duona is a traditional, homemade rye bread produced in the Daujėnai civil parish in Lithuania since the 17th century. The bread is quite big and comes in either oval loaves weighing from 4 to 4,5 kilograms, or rectangular loaves weighing from 4,5 to 10 kilograms. Rye flour dough is fermented in oak troughs, after which it is baked in a hearth oven or over coals. The loaves have a smooth dark and delicate surface and a pleasant flavor typical of rye bread, with a sweet and sour taste and a rich aroma. Only caraway seeds are added to the flour, water, sugar and salt mixture. The bread has a relatively long shelf life of two weeks and is highly praised by consumers; served at fairs, festivals, weddings and christenings where it is sometimes decorated with ornaments or symbols of strength, fidelity and humility.