Serbian cuisine
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The Serbian cuisine is a heterogeneous one, influenced by Mediterranean (Byzantine Empire/Greece), Oriental (Turkish) and Austro-Hungarian.

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

Most people in Serbia will have three meals daily, breakfast, lunch and dinner, with lunch being the largest in the Mediterranean fashion. However, traditionally, only lunch and dinner existed, with breakfast being introduced in the second half of the 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 foods, 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.

Serbian cuisine is generally lacking in spices and herbs: practically only black pepper and ground paprika are in widespread use, along with parsley used for soups.[2]

Contents

History

Meals

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.

Breakfast

Proja
Proja

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.

Soups

Fish soup
Fish soup

There are two types of soups in Serbian cuisine: standard soups called supa, and soups with roux (browned flour) - called čorba. The most common are simple pottages made of beef or poultry with added noodles. Fish soup (riblja čorba) and lamb soup (jagnjeca čorba) are considered to be delicacies.

  • Pasulj (Serbian bean soup)
  • Čorba od suvog mesa
  • Čorba od ječma i sočiva
  • Čorba od zelja i sira
  • Čorba od spanaća, koprive ili zelja
  • Čorba od boranije
  • Paradajz čorba
  • Čorba od luka
  • Ljuta krompir čorba
  • Čorba jajaruša

Main course

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.

Other popular main course dishes

Stuffed dried paprika
Stuffed dried paprika
Roasted piglet
Roasted piglet

Meat products

Often made during svinjokolj:

Dairy Products

Bread and Porridges

Soda bread
Soda bread

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:

Pies (Dough layers dishes)

Sirnica
Sirnica
  • Burek
  • Gibanica
  • Savijača
  • Čalabrca
  • Bundevara (pumpkin pie)
  • Pita;
    • sa jabukama (rolled apple pie)
    • sa spanaćom (spinach pie)
    • od krompira
    • od praziluka
    • Uvijena pita zeljanica

Salads & Relish

Ajvar
Ajvar

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

Sweets

Vasa's torte (type of cake)
Vasa's torte (type of cake)

Ritual

  • Česnica
  • Koljivo
  • Slavski kolač, prepared for slavas.
  • žito, sweet prepared for slavas
  • Sampita-Tasty whipped marshmallow type desert with thin phylo crust.

Drinks

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 (Turska kafa/Crna kafa) 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.

Alcoholic

Beer is widely enjoyed in Serbia, which has 14 breweries (see Beer in Serbia). Even though rakija is the traditional Serbian drink, wine is popular too.

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:

Kitchenware

Sač
Sač

Some specific kitchenware for Serbia are:

See also

External links

References

  1. ^ Antonić, Dragomir. "Царство за гибаницу", Politika 33300, Politika, 2006-07-23, p. 11. (Serbian) 
  2. ^ http://www.ekapija.com/website/sr/page/82512 (Serbian). Ekonomist magazine (2006-12-11).
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