Montenegrin cuisine

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Montenegrin cuisine is a result of Montenegro's geographic position and its long history.

The traditional dishes of Montenegro's heartland and its Adriatic coast have a distinctively Italian flavour which shows in the bread-making style, the way meat is cured and dried, cheesemaking, wine and spirits, the soup and stew making style, polenta, stuffed capsicums, meatballs, priganice, Raštan, etc..

The second large influence came from the Levant and Turkey, lately largely via Serbia: sarma, musaka, pilav, japraci, pita, burek, Ćevapi, kebab, Turkish sweets like baklava and tulumba etc.

Hungarian dishes goulash, satarash, djuvech are also very common.

Last but not least, continental Europe made its mark mostly in the desserts department. crêpes, doughnuts, jams, myriad types of biscuits and cakes, all make a contribution to the average Montenegrin's waist-line. Vienna-style bread is the most prevalent type of bread in the shops.

Montenegrin cuisine also varies geographically; the cuisine in the coastal area differs from the one in the northern highland region. The coastal area is traditionally a representative of Mediterranean cuisine, with seafood being a common dish.

Contents

[edit] Classic Montenegrin Dishes

[edit] Cold Antipasto (a.k.a Meza)

It is usually the welcoming guesture offered to any respected guest. Classic style Meza platter includes:

As a side, it is accompanied with pickles (green tomatoes, capsicums or gherkins) and green olives marinated in olive-oil and garlic. Roasted capsicums marinated in olive oil with garlic are also very common offering.

Inevitably, a glass of Loza will follow, accompanied with a glass of water. It should be sipped slowly, completely opposite of the way it is drunk elsewhere i.e. bottoms-up. It is there to be slowly enjoyed and appreciated.

[edit] Bread (Hljeb or Ljeb)

Homemade bread style prepared in Montenegro is closest to what is known in Italy as Panne di Casa. It is served with every meal.

  • Ječmeni (Barley Bread)
  • Ražani (Rye Bread)
  • Pšenični (Wheat Bread)

[edit] Breakfast

  • Cicvara - stewed corn meal in Skorup (salted and then compressed fresh cream).
  • Pita with Kiśelo mlijeko (buttermilk or yoghurt).
  • Popara
  • Bread with Skorup

[edit] Soups

Montenegrin language distinguishes between a clear soup (Supa, pronounced as soop-uh), thick soup-stew (Čorba, pronounced as chore-buh) and porridge-style dish( Kaša, pronounced as kuh-shuh). Soups are usually served as the first course of Lunch, the largest meal of the day:

  • Kokošija Supa (Chicken Broth)
  • Goveđa Supa (Beef Broth)
  • Jagnjeća Supa (Lamb Broth)

Traditionally, after the broth is made, a handful of rice is added to the pot to make the soup more substantial. Nowadays, pasta took over as the preferred addition.

  • Čorba od koprive (Nettle chowder)
  • Čorba od kopriva sa sirom (Nettle chowder with cheese)
  • Čobanska krem supa od vrganja (Shepherd cream soup with mushrooms (Boletus))
  • Otkos čorba (Otkos (cut hay) chowder)
  • Čorba od crnjaka (Black onion chowder)
  • Ječmena kaša sa pečurkama (Barley porridge with mushrooms)
  • Kaša sa pečurkama (Mushroom porridge)
  • Kaša od rezanaca (Noodle porridge)

[edit] Main Course

  • Kuvani Brav (Boiled Lamb), akin to the Irish stew.
  • Brav u Mlijeku (Lamb cooked in Milk), a national dish of Albanians from Montenegro.
  • Kačamak (Polenta) - buttered potato and corn meal in Skorup (fresh salted cream), served with cold milk, buttermilk or yoghurt.
  • Kuvana Krtola (boiled potato halves), served with cold Yoghurt, cheese or fresh cream.
  • Ukljeva (Smoked and dried bleak)
  • Krap (Smoked and fresh carp, from Skadar lake (Skadarsko Jezero)).
  • Pastrva (Fresh water trout)
  • Raštan (pronounced ruh-shtun) - a slightly bitter, sturdy dark-green vegetable from the Cabbage family, grown in the region for over 2000 years. It is deliciously cooked into a stew with smoked pork ribs or Ham hocks.
  • Japraci - Dolma made with Raštan leaves, served with Mashed potato.
  • Čorbast Pasulj - Bean stew with smoked ribs and various types of salami and sausages. The style is quite similar to French Cassoulet, Fabada and Feijoada from the Iberian cuisine.
  • Maune (Green Bean Stew).
  • Grašak (Peas and beef stew).
  • Balšića tava - Fried veal with an assortment of vegetables and dairy products.
  • Paštrovski makaruli - A type of homemade macaroni with olive oil and cheese from brine.

[edit] Seafood Dishes

[edit] Salads

The most common salads served in Montenegrin homes:

  • Paradajz Salata (Tomato Salad) - similar to Bruschetta topping: tomato, onion, olive oils and rock sea salt.
  • Zelena Salata (Green Salad) - spring lettuce and spring onion combination, with olive oil, salt and vinegar dressing
  • Ajvar (fried or roasted Capsicum relish)
  • Kiśeli Kupus (Sauerkraut)

[edit] Dessert

A piece of seasonal fruit is the most common way to end the meal, again typical of Mediterranean cuisine. The proper sweets are usually served on their own, around tea-time or at any time coffee is served.

[edit] Dairy Products

[edit] Cheeses

  • Skorup - a.k.a Kajmak , salted Cottage cheese
  • Cijeli Sir- whole cheese, made from un-boiled milk
  • Prljo - cheese made from skimmed milk.
  • Žetica - chesse made from un-boiled milk.
  • Buča - a kind of cheese made from un-boiled milk.

[edit] Pitas

  • Sukača (gužvara) a pastry or pie made through the process of "crowding")
  • Koturača (wheel-like)(exclusively made from domestic wheat)
  • Pita izljevuša (Brkanica) a pastry made by the proces of "casting")
  • Zeljanica (a pastry made with green herbs)
  • Heljdija

[edit] Other Common Dishes

[edit] Breakfast

  • Burek - the most popular fast food in the country.

[edit] Main course

[edit] Dessert

[edit] Grill based dishes (Roštilj)

Affordable fast food:

[edit] Beverages

[edit] Non-alcoholic

Most common non-alcoholic drink in Montenegrin homes is the famed Pomegranate syrup. Turkish coffee is also almost unavoidable in any but the most brieff meeting or a visit.

Mineral water Rada is produced in Bijelo Polje, in North-Eastern highland district of the country.

[edit] Spirits

Montenegrin alcoholic products are some of the best kept secrets of former Yugoslavia. After its breakup, it didn't take long before Stella Artois bought the Nikšić brewery. Thankfully, it continued to produce "Nikšićko" beer, otherwise, it would possibly have risked another revolution on the streets.

The continental and mountainous region of Montenegro, full of apple and plum orchards, is a heartland of aromatic fruit flavoured rakija (a generic name for brandy/spirits). Plum brandy - Šljiva and the apple brandy are the most common.

In the vinegrowing region, grape brandy Loza is the favoured one over Šljiva.

Plantaže's Grape brandies "Montenegrin Loza", "Prvijenac", "Kruna" or home made grape brandy (Lozova rakija, Lozovaca, Loza) is a must-try.

[edit] Wines

Montenegrin wines, made in perfect conditions in a country aboundant with the sun and red soil, are good old-fashion dry and earthy reds rich in tannin.

Vranac, a wine from the grape sort with the same name that is cultivated only in the southern Montenegro and the Republic of Macedonia, similar in aroma to Italian Chianti, is a class act and highly recommended.

The best known Montenegrin wines are the ones produced by "Plantaže": premium "Vranac", "Pro Corde", "Krstač", "Cabernet", "Chardonnay" and the locally-famous home made Crmničko red wine.

[edit] Beers

"Nikšićko Beer" is the most popular and most consumed beer in Montenegro. It is served as a draught beer, or bottled, in both "Nik Gold" and lighter "Nik Cool" variant. Dark variant, "Nik tamno", is praised among beer lovers.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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