Lithuanian Cold Beet Soup

Šaltibarščiai is the bright magenta-pink summer soup of Lithuania (and a similar version, šaltibarščiai or chłodnik, exists across the Baltics and Poland). It's built on cold kefir or buttermilk thinned slightly, blended or stirred with cooked and grated beetroot, and finished with a generous handful of dill, sliced spring onions, diced cucumber, hard-boiled egg and sometimes radish. It's served chilled — often with hot boiled or roast potatoes on the side for a deliberate cold-and-hot contrast. The flavour balance is critical: kefir's tartness must come through, the beetroot's earthy sweetness must register, and seasoning needs to be bold or the dish reads as bland.