Ljutenica

Ljutenica, Lyutenitsa or Lutenica (Bulgarian: лютеница, Serbian: љутеница, Macedonian: лутеница), (ljuto, lyuto or luto meaning spicy) is a national relish of Bulgaria, Macedonia and Serbia.

The ingredients include tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, onion, garlic, black pepper, vegetable oil, sugar and salt^[1].

Ljutenica may be slightly hotter (spicier) than the other popular relish Ajvar (Bulgarian tradition Lyutenitsa is less hot than Ajvar). In recent years, industrial production of lutenica, as well as ajvar, has flourished. A large scale production of both relishes has popularized them outside the Balkans. In addition, it has to be noted that different regions and countries have substantially different interpretations of these relishes.

See also

• Ajvar, more orange in color and generally made with eggplant instead of tomatoes
• Pinđur, like Ljutenica and Ajvar but with Aubergines.
• Matbucha, a Middle Eastern cooked salad of tomatoes and bell peppers

References