The vivid pink colour comes entirely from the beetroot — no food colouring needed. When grated beetroot meets the white kefir, the pigments from the beet (called betalains) bleed into the liquid and turn it an extraordinary shade of pink. The result looks more like a milkshake than a soup, which surprises many visitors seeing it for the first time.
Šaltibarščiai tastes fresh, tangy, and slightly earthy from the beetroot, with a cool creamy texture from the kefir. The cucumber adds a satisfying crunch and the dill (a feathery herb) gives it a fresh, slightly anise-like flavour. The hard-boiled egg on the side is sliced and added spoonful by spoonful.
This soup has been eaten in Lithuania for many centuries, long before refrigerators existed — cooks would chill it in underground cellars or cool springs. Today it is still very much a summer tradition, often served as a first course at family dinners when the weather is warm. It is sometimes described as the taste of a Lithuanian summer.
Šaltibarščiai is always served alongside hot boiled or baked potatoes — the combination of cold soup and hot potato is a Lithuanian classic. It might sound like an unusual combination, but the contrast in temperature is part of the fun.