There was even a time when he seriously considered becoming a professional chef before ultimately choosing a career in technology. Yet his passion for cooking never disappeared. Instead, it became another way to learn, experiment, and discover the world.

"Cooking has never been just about eating for me. As a child, I always helped my grandmother prepare Christmas Eve dinner, even though I didn't eat some of the dishes. Looking back, I think cooking became a symbol of togetherness and closeness rather than simply a way to satisfy hunger. Of course, I didn't understand that as a child, but the feeling stayed with me and continued to grow," says Laurynas.

Today, the kitchen is where creativity, discipline, and curiosity come together. In his view, curiosity is one of the most valuable qualities – not only in technology, but in life as well.

The Simplest Ingredients Often Have the Most to Offer

Laurynas cooks at home almost every day.

"I usually cook at home and try to keep it as time efficient as possible. If I spend more than an hour preparing a meal, I make sure I cook enough for more than one serving. Most of the time, though, I keep it under an hour. I plan everything in advance – the ingredients, the preparation time, the cooking time, and the entire process."

When asked what he enjoys cooking most, Laurynas says his interests evolve in phases. At one point, he was particularly passionate about slow-cooked stews and dishes based on legumes. What fascinates him most are recipes where great flavour comes not from expensive ingredients, but from giving simple ingredients enough time to develop their full potential.

"I can make desserts, but I don't really enjoy the precision they require. I like improvising, adding spices and ingredients by feel, while desserts are much more of an exact science. It's also important to me that food is nutritious and rich in ingredients that are good for your body. I believe anyone can eat healthily – the key is finding foods you genuinely enjoy and continuing to experiment so that healthy eating stays interesting instead of becoming repetitive."

The Best Recipes Don't Start with a Recipe

Laurynas often says that when it comes to cooking, you shouldn't be afraid to find your own way. He travels extensively, explores local cuisine, observes culinary traditions around the world, and begins almost every trip not with sightseeing, but with one simple question: Where do the locals eat?

"While travelling across Asia, I ate a lot of fish and always looked for authentic places. In tourist resorts packed with hotels, food often loses its authenticity – it's made for the masses rather than for the local culture. Interestingly, in Thailand, the most expensive meals were often the most disappointing, while the less we spent, the better the food became. The same goes for Italy – you can find incredible seafood in a remote Sicilian village that you've never tasted before. That's why I believe it's always worth trying something new and taking a chance.

Most of the time, I discover places spontaneously. I go where I see locals gathering or follow recommendations from people I trust. In large cities, recommendations are essential. In smaller towns, you can often simply follow the crowd – locals usually know exactly where the best food is."

Laurynas' Top Travel Tips for Food Lovers

• Don't rely solely on Google Reviews. In many cities, restaurants can manipulate ratings.
• The Michelin Guide is reliable, but be prepared to pay higher prices.
• In Asia, trust the locals. You can enjoy incredible meals for just a few euros at places recommended by residents. Don't be afraid of street food – it's often the best way to experience the local culture.
• In Europe, especially in Italy, Spain, and France, look for local food awards and regional recommendations. Michelin is valuable, but local recognition often reflects the food more accurately.
• Cook with local ingredients whenever you can. Visit local markets and buy fresh produce. This is especially rewarding on Mediterranean islands such as Greece and Italy.
• In Vilnius, visit TODA and DŽIAUGSMAS. For ramen lovers – Sakai, Kamikadzė, and Samurai.

Travelling has also brought Laurynas more than a few unforgettable experiences.

"When I was around 13 or 14, I was eating in the Tunisian desert when a local man brought over a live snake in a bottle. He took it out, cut out its still-beating heart, and handed it to me to drink. According to their tradition, it meant I would live forever.

In Thailand, we once had dinner right on the beach. We stepped away for a few minutes and returned to find our entire table gone – a wave had washed everything away.

In the Philippines, I suffered severe food poisoning on the very first day of the trip. You have to be extremely careful when choosing where to eat there, as sanitation infrastructure is still limited in many areas."

A Passion for Middle Eastern Cuisine

Today, Laurynas is most inspired by the cuisines of the Middle East, India, and Southeast Asia – for their rich use of spices, distinctive aromas, and ability to transform simple ingredients into deeply complex flavours.

"At first, I was mainly interested in European cuisine, but today I'm fascinated by Middle Eastern food – especially Jordanian and Israeli cuisine with its incredible variety of spices. I also love Indian and South Asian cooking,
particularly in mountainous regions, where slow-cooked stews and bold spices are part of everyday life.

African cuisine is equally fascinating. For example, cinnamon is often used as one of the main seasonings for meat, creating completely new flavour combinations. In Europe, we tend to rely more on herbs, but not nearly to the same extent. And when you eat, flavour is only part of the experience – aroma plays an equally important role. Together, they shape how you experience food."

When asked about his own favourite spices, Laurynas says he has already discovered several trusted speciality stores. These days, cumin is one of his essentials.

"I enjoy combining different spices and use plenty of herbs – oregano, rosemary, basil, and many others. Paprika and coriander seeds are also staples in my kitchen."

Asked about Lithuanian cuisine, Laurynas believes the country's gastronomic scene is thriving.

"Potato pancakes are probably my favourite Lithuanian dish. I really appreciate how traditional recipes continue to evolve while respecting their roots. There are many places where you can enjoy authentic Lithuanian food and experience its history, but at the same time, chefs are adding their own creative twist. I believe Lithuanian gastronomy is moving in a very exciting direction."

Curiosity That Never Stops

When asked how this hobby influences his work in technology, Laurynas says that both cooking and software development require the same fundamental skill: understanding the system, knowing how different elements work together, and recognising when enough is enough.

"IT has its own architecture, and so does cooking. Both are built on logic and an understanding of how individual components interact. The difference is that software development follows much stricter rules, while the kitchen leaves more room for intuition.

One of the most common mistakes in both fields is overcomplicating things. If you have a great ingredient, you don't need to hide it behind ten other flavours. Sometimes, the best solutions are the simplest ones. In the end, both IT and cooking aim for the same outcome, but the details work differently. In cooking, understanding and highlighting the right elements is often enough. In software development, every rule within the system has to work together consistently, whereas in the kitchen, you still have the freedom to adapt and improvise."

When asked why, after more than a decade, he still spends so much time cooking, Laurynas doesn't hesitate.

For him, cooking is far more than a hobby or a way to unwind after work. It's an opportunity to keep learning, experimenting, and discovering the world through people, cultures, and traditions.

And perhaps that's exactly why curiosity remains one of the most valuable qualities – equally essential in the kitchen as it is in building technology.

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Adroiti is a Lithuanian technology company building AI-powered systems and running senior engineering teams that deliver real, production-ready results.