Kosovan cuisine

Cuisine of Kosovo (Albanian: Kuzhina Kosovare) is a unique branch of the Southeast Europe cuisine, consisting of traditional dishes by people native to Kosovo as well as haute cuisine and fusion cuisine. Due to historical and ethnic connections with Albania, the Kosovan cuisine has been particularly influenced by Albanian cuisine and has to a lesser extent adopted elements of the Central European cuisine. Common dishes include pies, flija, stuffed peppers, legume, sarma, etc. Notwithstanding, the cuisine varies slightly between different regions of the country.

Bread, dairy, meat and vegetables are important staples in Kosovar Albanian cuisine. With diversity of recipes, the Kosovan daily cuisine adjusts well to the country's occasional hot summers and the frequent long winters. As a result of its continental climate, fresh vegetables are consumed in summer while pickles throughout autumn and winter. The most common dishes during the winter time in Kosovo contain pickles like sauerkraut, green tomatoes, cucumbers, cauliflower, and condiments such as ajvar (hot or mild red peppers) which is usually seasoned in early autumn. They do also form popular appetizers throughout the year.

Breakfast

Breakfast in Kosovo is usually light, consisting primarily of a croissant with coffee, sandwiches, scrambled eggs, omelettes or toast with salami, processed cheese, lettuce and tea. Cereals with milk, waffles, pretzels and homemade pancakes with honey, marmalade or Nutella are also frequently consumed especially by children.

Bread

Varieties of bread are available throughout the country. Notably: baguette, cornbread (also known as "Leqenik"), kifli and whole wheat bread among others.

Pies

Pies in Kosovo are known as "trejte",^[1] or "pite". A variety of pies are common:

Flija

• Kullpite- a baked crust with nothing inside and covered with yogurt
• Burek- also known as pie in Albania. Byrek is made of pastry layers filled with minced meat, white cheese, spinach.
• Bakllasarm - a salty pie with yoghurt and garlic covering^[2]
• Pumpkin pie
• Spinach pie
• Flija- a traditional food of Albania
• Leqenik, known also as Kryelanë (Krelanë) ^[3][4]
• Resenik - cabbage pie ^[5]
• Purrenik - leek pie ^[6]
• Hithenik - nettle pie ^[7]

Salads

Tarator

Typical salad ingredients include tomatoes, onion, garlic, pepper, cucumber, potato, cabbage, lettuce, carrots, and beans.

• Potato salad
• Tarator - a traditional salad made with cucumbers, garlic and yogurt. Very popular dish for summer.
• Tomato and cucumber salad
• Dried nettle salad
• Bean salad
• Shope salad - a simple salad made of tomato, cucumber, onions and white cheese.

Main dishes

Tava e Prizrenit

Sarma in cabbage leaves

Sarma, peppers filled with kefir and cottage cheese, and pite.

Tavë Prizreni is a traditional regional casserole from the southern city of Prizren. It is made with lamb, eggplants, green peppers, onions, tomatoes and is served hot. Sarma is also another popular lunch dish which (although not limited to) consists of minced meat wrapped with cabbage or vine leaves.^[8]

• Stuffed peppers - with meat, rice and vegetables
• Lasagne - alternated with sauces and various other ingredients
• Qebapa - small grilled meat skinless sausages made of lamb and beef mix; served with onions, sour cream, ajvar and pita bread (pitalka)
• Cabbage rolls
• Macaroni - pasta
• Salsiccia - traditional sausage
• Tavë ^[9] - a traditional dish with lamb chops
• Tavë kosi - baked lamb with yogurt

Fish

The most popular fish dishes constitute of fried freshwater fish like Zander and Carp. A speciality is considered the tavë krapi, carp cooked in a pot, more widely used in cities around the Dukagjini valley, notably Gjakova because of its relation with Shkodër. The garnish is composed of garlic, bay leaf, tomato, parsley.

Desserts

Havell

Traditional Kosovan desserts are often made with sorbet which is enhanced with lemon or vanilla flavour. The mainstream pastries include Baklava (regional), Cremeschnitte, Pudding, Crêpe, Tulluma, Tespishte, Rovani, etc.

• Baklava is a rich, sweet pastry made of layers of filo pastry filled with chopped nuts and sweetened with syrup or honey.
• Rice pudding is a dish made from rice mixed with water or milk and sometimes other ingredients such as cinnamon and raisins. Different variants are used for either desserts or dinners. When used as a dessert, it is commonly combined with a sweetener such as sugar.
• Cremeschnitte is a chantilly and custard cream cake.
• Kek a similar form of sweet dessert to cake.
• Havell is a flour-based sweet confection of non Kosovan origin.
• Sheqerpare

Drinks

A glass of boza

Ajron

The most popular traditional drink in Kosovo is Rasoj which is made of a fermented red cabbage. Another popular beverages include boza, lemonade, kompot (usually drank during the autumn and made with seasonal fruit such as quince), beer, as well as coffee and teas.

• Rasoj^[10] - Probiotic fermented red cabbage juice consumed mostly during the winter
• Rakia - A popular regional fruit brandy alcoholic beverage. In Kosovo it is solely made from grapes.
• Boza - A soft drink made of maize and wheat flour. Notorious for being a refreshing summer drink.
• Ajron - A mix of yogurt, water and salt.
• Beer - Some of Kosovo's local beers are "Birra Peja", "Birra Ereniku", "Birra Prishtina", etc.
• Compote - A non-alcoholic sweet beverage that may be served hot or cold, depending on tradition and season.
• Coffee - drip brewed coffee, percolated, espresso (such as macchiato and cappuccino), a variety of instant coffee, etc.
• Tea - The most popular teas are mountain tea, rose hip tea, black tea and peppermit tea.

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References

External links

Graham, Adam (20 August 2015). "In Kosovo, a Thirst for Progress, and Beer, Too". The New York Times.