Serbian cuisine

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Serbian cuisine is influenced by Mediterranean (especially Greek, Bulgarian), Turkish and Hungarian cuisines, which makes it a heterogeneous one.

It has unique mix of various traditions; Serbian confectioneries are places where koljivo, baklava, strudel and sachertorte live in perfect harmony. In recent times the Serbian diaspora has spread the kitchen across the world.

Most people in Serbia will have three meals daily, breakfast, lunch and dinner, with lunch being the largest. However, traditionally, only lunch and dinner existed, with breakfast being introduced in the second half of 19th century[1].

A number of foods which are simply bought in the West, are often made at home in Serbia; this include rakija (fruit brandy), jam, jelly, various pickled food, notably sauerkraut (kiseli kupus - pickled cabbage), ajvar and even sausages. The reasons for this range from economical to cultural. Food preparation is a strong part of the Serbian family tradition.

Here, some typical meals of Serbian cuisine will be presented. Note that a number of them might originate, also be typical, or at least known as local meals, in other parts of the world. Also, some links below point to similar meals from other cuisines and/or better known to English speakers; the traditional Serbian recipes may differ in details.
This article is part
of the Cuisine series
Foods

Bread - Pasta - Cheese - Rice
Sauces - Soups - Desserts
Herbs and spices
Other ingredients
Regional cuisines
Asia - Europe - Caribbean
South Asia - Latin America
Middle East - North America - Africa
Other cuisines...
Preparation techniques and cooking items
Techniques - Utensils
Weights and measures
See also:
Famous chefs - Kitchens - Meals
Wikibooks: Cookbook

Contents

[edit] Meals

[edit] Breakfast

Breakfast in Serbia is an early but hearty meal. Tea, milk or strong coffee is served, pastries or bread are served with butter, jam, yoghurt, sour cream and cheese, accompanied by bacon, sausages, salami, scrambled eggs and kajmak.

  • Various sorts of (often with cheese, meat... filled) pastries (pogačice, žu-žu, paštete, kifle, perece, buhtle, pletenice, štapići) and especially often:
  • Burek
  • Kačamak (also Cicvara) - a type of polenta
  • Popara
  • Proja(cornbread)
  • Various sandwiches
  • Bread with something:

[edit] Soups

Soups are the most frequent first course in Serbian cuisine. The most common are simple pottages made of beef or poultry with added noodles. The one that could be pointed out is fish soup (riblja čorba); though not eaten most often, there are popular competitions in preparation.

[edit] Main course

[edit] Roštilj (Barbecue)

Barbecue is very popular in Serbia, and makes the primary offer of main courses in most restaurants. It is often eaten as fast food.

  • Pljeskavica (hamburger)
  • Ćevapčići (small kebabs)
  • Vešalica (strips of smoked meat)
    • bela
    • crna
  • Various sausages
  • Mixed meat (мешано месо, mešano meso) is used in restaurants to refer to a portion which has a bit of everything prepared on barbecue.
  • Ražnjići

[edit] Other popular main course dishes

  • Pečenje (roasted meat: whole pork, lamb, goat or occasionally ox)
  • Cušpajz
  • Gulasch
  • Đuveč
  • Jagnjetina u mleku (roasted lamb meat cooked in bechamelle sauce)
  • Jufka
  • Karađorđeva šnicla (breaded rolled steak stuffed with kajmak)
  • Wiener (Serbian name: Бешка шницла, tr: Bečka šnicla - breaded cutlet, Wiener Schnitzel) - traditionally prepared in XXL size in old Belgrade restaurants
  • Moussakа (Мусака, Musaka)
    • од компира, od krompira - patato moussaka
    • од тиквица, od tikvica - zuchinni moussaka
  • Mućkalica (intestines prepared on barbecue in sauce)
  • Paprikas (Паприкаш, Paprikaš)
    • Bećar paprikaš
  • Podvarak (stewed sauerkraut usually with meat and sometimes with noodles)
  • Prebranac (baked beans in sauce)
  • Punjene paprike (stuffed peppers)
  • Punjene tikvice (stuffed zuchinis)
  • Sarma
    • Сарма од купуса, Sarma od kupusa (stuffed sauerkraut leaves)
    • Царма од зеља, Sarmice od zelja(stuffed dock leaves)
    • Сармице од винове лозе, sarmice od vinove loze (stuffed grapevine leaves),
    • Сармице од раштана, sarmice od raštana
    • Јагњећа сармица, jagnjeća sarmica (lamb meat in dock leaves wrapped in lamb pleura)
  • Škembići (tripes)
  • Rezanci s makom (Noodles with poppy)
  • Roštilj, see above (barbecue)
  • Punjene tikvice (stuffed zuchinis)
  • Wedding cabbage, Свадбарски купус, Svadbarski kupus
  • Valjušci or flekice - dumplings
    • са комприром, sa krompirom (with onion and patatos)
    • са купусом, sa kupusom with picant cabbage
  • Various simple meals (beans, peas, steaks...
  • Various meals of fish:
    • Pijani šaran

[edit] Meat products

  • Čvarci (cracklings)
    • Duvan čvarci
  • Slanina (bacon)
  • Various hams:
    • Praška šunka (Prager Schinken- boiled ham)
  • Various steamed hams (pršut, pršuta, pečenica):
    • Njeguški pršut
    • Užički pršut
  • Various sausages (kobasice etc.):
    • Krvavica
    • Kulen
    • Viršle (Wiener sausages)
    • Debrecine
    • Kobasice
    • Sudžuk
  • Švargla

[edit] Dairy Products

[edit] Bread and Porridges

Bread is the basis of Serbian meals and it is often treated almost ritually. A traditional Serbian welcome is to offer the guest with just bread and salt; bread also plays an importrant role in religious rituals. Some people believe that it is sinful to throw away bread regardless of how old it is. Although pasta, rice, potato and similar side dishes did enter the everyday cuisine, many Serbs still eat bread with these meals.

In most bakeries and shops, white wheat bread loafs (typically 600 grams) are sold. In modern times, black bread and various graham bread variations regain popularity as a part of more healthy diets. In many rural households, bread is still baked in ovens, usually in bigger loafs. Also, the following breads and porridges are part of the traditional cuisine:

[edit] Pies (Dough layers dishes)

  • Burek
  • Gibanica
  • Savijača
    • Bundevara (pumpkin pie)
    • Pita sa jabukama (rolled apple pie)
  • Pita sa spanaćom (spinach pie)

[edit] Salads

In Serbia, salads are typically eaten with the main course and not as an appetizer. Common salads include:

[edit] Sweets

[edit] Ritual

[edit] Drinks

[edit] Non-alcoholic

High quality and quantity of fruit and abundance of water result in a number of high-quality fruit juices and mineral waters produced in Serbia, and being among its most widely known exports. There are few domestic carbonated soft drinks however. An interesting traditional soft drink, made from corn, now less commonly consumed is boza. Kvas is also being made by some breweries.

Of hot drinks, Turkish coffee is widely used, and traditionally drank in visitations. Tea is far less popular and mostly herbal teas are consumed, drunk on their own or as supplementary medicine.

Of dairies, yoghurt is common, as are kefir and similar varieties.

The famous Serbian Knjaz Milos mineral water is constantly used in meals of all kinds.

[edit] Alcoholic

Beer is enjoyed in Serbia, which has 14 breweries (see Beer in Serbia and Montenegro). However, the traditional Serbian drink is wine.

Of distilled beverages, the most popular are various fruit brandies called rakija. Comparatively many people brew their own rakija, which is highly prized by friends and relatives. Various kinds of rakija are named after fruit they are made of; among the most known ones are:

  • Šljivovica (slivovitz, plum brandy), Serbian national drink
  • Lozovača (grape brandy)
  • Viljamovka / Kruskovaca (peer brandy)
  • Jabukovaca (applejack)
  • Stomaklija

Also Pelinkovac, (a wormwood liqueur milder than Absinthe) has been popularly for many years.

[edit] Kitchenware

Sač
Sač

Some specific kitchenware for Serbia are:

  • Đuveč
  • Sač

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  1. ^ Antonić, Dragomir. "Царство за гибаницу", Politika 33300, Politika, 2006-07-23, p. 11. (in Serbian)
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