We prepare Serbian dishes. Cuisine of Serbia. Dishes and recipes of Serbian cuisine. Fried stuffed peppers

Serbian cuisine has collected a huge number of delicious national dishes that have gained popularity not only in Serbia, but also abroad. You may notice some elements of Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, and Austrian-Hungarian cuisine in many Serbian dishes. The cuisine described has absorbed all the best traditions of countries and continents similar in geographical location, so the dishes of Serbian cuisine can please even the most fastidious gourmet.

The basis of the Serbian cuisine menu is meat. This can be lamb, pork, beef, from which traditional shish kebab, lula kebab, pilaf, kufte, and many other meat dishes are prepared. Most of all, the inhabitants of this country prefer pork and lamb, while beef and chicken fade into the background.

A wide variety of first courses can be found in Serbian cuisine. Basically, the menu for lunch offers soups of various varieties, including puree soups. They are prepared, of course, in pork or lamb broth.

These people cannot do without traditional drinks, which can be both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, and you can also see a huge variety of seasonings, herbs and spices that Serbs use to complement main courses and baked goods.

In Serbia, it is customary to eat three times a day. At the same time, a large number of dishes are consumed at lunch, which is considered the most important meal of the day and can include three or more different courses: first, second, appetizer and dessert. An interesting fact is that until the nineteenth century it was not customary to have breakfast in Serbia, and the inhabitants of this country ate only twice a day. Because of this, the tradition arose of transferring a large mass of food to lunch.

Fans of Serbian cuisine can please themselves and their family with delicious and simple dishes that are very easy to prepare at home, especially if you have step-by-step recipes in front of you. On this page we invite you to familiarize yourself with all the intricacies of preparing Serbian food, as well as simple recipes with step-by-step photos to find out what you can make from it at home.

Recipes with step-by-step photos

Features of the Serbian cuisine menu

The peculiarity of the Serbian cuisine menu is that all the products from which national dishes are prepared are exclusively natural. Serbia has very clean nature, as well as fertile land, due to which vegetables, fruits and grains are of high quality and contain many useful microelements. Farmers practically do not use pesticides and fertilizers, which also has a positive effect on the products. Now let's look at the most popular dishes from the Serbian cuisine menu, as well as their features.

• Dried pork- the most common traditional dish called Njegušski pršut. It is dried in clean mountain air, and only sea salt is used among seasonings and spices, which enriches the dish with iodine. Prosciutto is a classic appetizer, served immediately before the first course along with homemade bread.
  
• Serbian bread deserves special attention. It is made not only from wheat, but also from corn flour. Moreover, such pastries are traditionally served with milk or cheese.
  
• Chor would is a type of Serbian soup. Their difference from the usual first course is that soups contain flour. It is added to make the dish thicker, richer and more satisfying. Fish soups, as well as first courses of veal or young lamb, are very popular in Serbia. If you one day find yourself in a restaurant in Serbia and want to order soup, keep in mind the fact that portions in Serbian cuisine are much larger than we are used to seeing. Therefore, after soup, few people even finish the second course.
  
• Meat dishes are the basis of this cuisine. The most popular of them are pljeskavica, which is a minced meat product that resembles a large cutlet in appearance, and cevapchichi, which is often compared to lula kebab. Meat in Serbia is usually served with plenty of fried or fresh onions, suitable sauce and fried potatoes.
  
• Fish dishes. It is customary to cook fish here over an open fire or on the grill, and also add it to salads. We strongly recommend that you try fried carp or trout, cooked in Serbian style, as well as fish corba.
  
• Salads in Serbia often consist only of vegetables. Sometimes they include meat or fish. Serbs are very fond of vegetable snacks and salads, so there are many recipes for preparing them. The most popular are paprika peppers, marinated with vinegar and stuffed with cheese, as well as srpska salata salad, which is made from cucumbers, tomatoes and onions.
  

Judging by the names of the dishes and the method of their preparation, you can see that Serbian cuisine contains elements of other national cuisines. Thus, from Turkish cuisine, the Serbs learned such dishes as lula kebab, baklava, and lamb pilaf; hominy, corn flour cakes, as well as pork dishes are the result of the influence of Hungarian and Romanian cuisines; all kinds of vegetable dishes with the addition of pepper and seasonings are the merit of Bulgarian cuisine.

But despite this, the dishes of Serbian cuisine are unique, inimitable and very popular in their own way. Today, you can taste Serbian treats without even visiting Serbia, but by preparing them at home with your own hands. We will help you with this by telling you the secrets of preparing delicious dishes, as well as listing the most popular and delicious snacks.

Secrets of cooking

The secrets of preparing Serbian cuisine can hardly be called secrets. Rather, these are small tricks that allow you to give food a particular taste and aroma.

For example, if you try meat or fish dishes in Serbia, you will probably be surprised by their rich aroma and delicate texture. The secret of their preparation is that these products are mostly cooked over an open fire, using aromatic wood as firewood. Serbs may not even add spices to meat or fish to give it a special flavor. It's all about the cooking method, as well as the clean mountain air and sea salt. It is difficult to reproduce such conditions by preparing food according to recipes with step-by-step photos at home, but you can always get out into nature to fry meat in the ashes of cherry or walnut branches.

You can also find jellied meat on the Serbian menu. If it seems to you that it is not much different from our usual dish, then you are mistaken. Serbian jellied meat contains a lot of meat. There is a lot of meat, but jelly, on the contrary, is much less. Traditionally, jellied meat is sprinkled with red pepper, but the Serbs do not accept mustard with this dish at all. But they enjoy eating jellied meat with ajvar. This is a dish that resembles adjika, but in fact it is prepared completely differently, using pepper and salt.

Local residents believe that real ajvar should not contain anything other than pepper, but sophisticated cooks still add aromatic herbs and spices. Each family has its own recipe for this dish, and despite the fact that it is prepared from the same ingredients, the taste of ajvar prepared by different people is very different. This is due to the fact that each family has its own secret, which is passed down only by inheritance along with cookbooks.

Another feature of Serbian cuisine is that chefs do not put greens in salads. At all. No onions, no parsley, no dill, nothing. Only a small amount of fennel seeds or other aromatic herbs may be allowed, but you will never see fresh greens in traditional Serbian salads.

In general, there are not many secrets. The main thing is to fry the meat over an open fire, add as much of it as possible to almost any dish, include flour in soups, and exclude greens from salads. These simple recommendations will help you prepare delicious dishes from natural products at home.

Traditional first and second courses

Traditional first and second courses of Serbian cuisine will surprise you with their scope. The fact is that Serbs are not used to cooking in small portions, so it should be taken into account that the amount of ingredients when preparing them can be quite large.

The first courses of Serbian national cuisine mainly consist of soups. There are a huge number of recipes for their preparation, but in general soups can be divided into two varieties:

• ordinary soup, called soup, which includes meat, potatoes, carrots and optional other products;
• chorba or soup with roux, which differs from our usual soups in that flour fried in a frying pan is added to its composition, which gives the dish a subtle nutty aroma and makes it thicker.

The first courses are served with bread, pita bread or pita bread, and it is also customary to serve meat snacks before serving soups.

The broth for Serbian soups is prepared from lamb, pork, beef, lamb and fish. In principle, these people do not recognize vegetable broths, just like mushroom broths. At the same time, soup made from fish or meat of young lambs is considered a delicacy.

The basis of all second courses is meat, and a little less often vegetables. Often for the main course they prepare pljeskavitsa, veshalitsa, cevapchichi, lula kebab or razhnichya. Lamb kebab is also very popular. Vegetables or rice fried over coals or an open fire are served as a side dish for meat. At the same time, they love to stuff vegetables with minced meat or cheese. Among the second courses, stuffed fried peppers, which are pre-soaked in vinegar, are very popular.

Among other things, meat goulash, called mukalica, is very popular in Serbia. This is one of the few dishes that contains a large amount of spices. Typically, Serbs do not abuse various flavorings and seasonings.

Salads and snacks

Salads and appetizers of Serbian cuisine do not differ much in variety. The fact is that vegetables are used mainly for preparing second courses, and salads are served with them quite rarely. The most popular salads are srpska salata, which is prepared from tomatoes, cucumbers and fresh onions. At the same time, in step-by-step recipes with photos of preparing this dish you can also find cheese and boiled eggs, but you will never see greens in this salad, like in any others. Serbs use sprigs of greens to decorate dishes, less often they add them to soups, but there are usually no greens in salads.

As for snacks, delicious meat dishes predominate among them. For example, minced veal sausages grilled over an open fire, baked paprika, which is a grilled pepper, and turshiya, which is similar to our pickles. Most often, turshiya consists of vegetables chopped into large slices, including white cabbage, bell peppers and carrots.

Milk dishes are often used as a snack. Serbs prepare kavachkal, a hard Serbian cheese that tastes like parmesan, as well as kajmak, a dish made from sheep or cow's milk that has a delicate and slightly salty taste. Kaymak is used as a base for sandwiches, spread on bread.

Delicious desserts and pastries

Delicious desserts and pastries are a section of Serbian cuisine that deserves special praise.

Serbian bread is distinguished by its unique softness and airiness. It is usually decorated with sesame seeds and served with first courses and appetizers. It can be baked either sweet to serve with tea or fresh to serve with soups and meat. Throwing away bread is considered a bad sign, so the Serbs do not keep such baked goods for a long time. And this is unlikely, since the bread is so tasty and tender that it is eaten almost on the very first day.

Pies that are baked both sweet and savory are very popular in Serbia. They are called "pita", which confuses tourists, since most of them associate this name with Greek bread. But in Serbian cuisine, pita has a completely different meaning. Lush soft pies are prepared with different types of filling:

• cottage cheese;
• meat;
• potato;
• cabbage;
• fruits;
• jam;
• berries;
• butter cream.

The variety of pies knows no bounds. However, some types of pita are prepared according to the same recipe, regardless of whether the filling is salty or sweet. Thanks to this versatility, making pies is very easy even at home.

Another popular Serbian dessert is spring rolls called palacinke. Priganitsa are delicious airy donuts with a sweet glaze, which are also no less popular as a dessert.

Traditional Serbian delicacies – štrukli and alva – are prepared to fill pies, pancakes or donuts. They are plums and walnuts baked in cheese, boiled in fresh honey. In this case, the nuts can be chopped or boiled whole.

Among other things, other desserts are also common in this country: baklava, sweet rolls, Turkish delight, and cakes.

An integral part of Serbian dessert is coffee. It is cooked only in copper vessels, adding cinnamon or other aromatic additives as desired. This drink is served in small cups, and sugar or Turkish delight is served separately.

National Serbian drinks

National Serbian drinks are divided into alcoholic and non-alcoholic. We suggest you use our table, which will make it easier to study different types of drinks in order to know which ones you can prepare at home.

National Serbian drinks are very diverse. Alcoholic drinks also include beer, of which there are dozens of varieties, as well as rakia - vodka, which is infused with all kinds of fruits and berries. Its strength can vary from 30 to 60 degrees, but despite this, it always goes smoothly.

Names of common dishes of Serbian cuisine

We have collected the names of common dishes from Serbian cuisine in a convenient table. You can read not only their names, but also a brief description characterizing the food. We invite you to familiarize yourself with this table to know which dishes of national Serbian cuisine you can prepare with your own hands.

Serbian cuisine has a very large number of recipes for preparing first and second courses, as well as snacks, drinks and desserts. Almost all of them can be implemented at home, preparing delicious food for your family. Remember that the main secret to cooking meat and vegetables lies in an open flame, as well as sea salt. Thanks to this recommendation, you will be able to prepare traditional Serbian dishes with your own hands.

Serbia is one of the magnificent pearls of the Balkan Peninsula. Having absorbed the centuries-old traditions and culture of neighboring countries, she transformed them into something unique and inimitable. This is fully reflected in the national cuisine.

Spicy eggplants

Having the kindest feelings for vegetables, in Serbia they prepare various snacks from them. Cut 3 eggplants with peel into longitudinal slices 1 cm thick, rub with salt and leave for 30 minutes. Fry 100 g of walnuts in a dry frying pan and chop with a rolling pin. Pass 3-4 cloves of garlic through a press, mix with lemon juice and zest, 20 g chopped parsley, nuts, 1 tbsp. l. olive oil, 1 tsp. balsamic and a pinch of sugar. Fry the “tongues” until golden brown, pour over the sauce and let soak for 10 minutes. For a summer menu, such a simple appetizer is just what you need.

Sausages, like from a fairy tale

Hearty cevapcici sausages are a favorite food in Serbia. Grind 500 g of pork and beef with onion in a meat grinder. To make the minced meat more tender, it is better to do this twice. Add 2-3 chopped garlic cloves, 1 tsp each. black pepper, paprika, salt and soda. The last ingredient is needed to make the sausages “grow” during the frying process. Cover the minced meat with cling film and leave it in the refrigerator for a day. Then we make sausages 1.5 cm thick from it, roll in ground breadcrumbs and fry in oil with the addition of lard. If you are going on a picnic, take some meat with you. Grilled Cevapcici are delicious!

Beans in a new light

Prebranec is a dish that will rediscover beans for many. Soak 500 g of white beans overnight. In the morning, fill it with fresh water, bring to a boil and strain. Now pour boiling water over the beans, add the coarsely chopped onion, bay leaf and cook until tender. We just have time to fry 4 onions in half rings with 5-6 cloves of garlic, 3 tsp. paprika, ½ tsp. chili and a pinch of salt. Place some beans in a refractory dish and cover with some of the fried onion. Repeat layers until the very top. Dilute 2 tbsp of bean broth in 200 ml. l. tomato paste, pour in the vegetables and place the oven at 180°C for 25 minutes. This seemingly simple dish will surprise you with its rich, unusual taste.

Trout with a soft heart

Serbian national cuisine is unthinkable without fish. Soak 70 g of prunes in boiling water. We clean the medium-sized trout from scales, gut it, wash it and put steamed prunes inside. Combine 100 m of olive oil, 30 ml of wine vinegar, ½ bunch of chopped parsley and a clove of chopped garlic. Add 50 ml of water, pour this mixture over the trout in a baking dish and place in an oven preheated to 200 °C for 45 minutes. Meanwhile, mix in a saucepan the beaten egg, 1 tbsp. l. fresh parsley, lemon juice and simmer over low heat until thickened. We will serve tender, aromatic trout with this sauce.

Soup for cultural exchange

Chorba soup is an oriental shurpa in a Serbian version. Cut 500 g of veal into strips, mix with 2 chopped onions, lightly fry in oil. Pour in 30 ml of water, add celery root into cubes and simmer until tender. Bring 3 potatoes and carrot slices to a boil in a saucepan with water, add veal with onions, 2 peeled tomatoes, medium chopped, and cook for 15 minutes. At the end, add fresh herbs. The secret ingredient of chorba is a special dressing. In a greased frying pan, fry 1 tbsp. l. flour with a pinch of paprika and add to the soup. To bring the chorba to perfection, let it rest under the lid for half an hour.

Pie with a rich inner world

Another popular recipe for Serbian national cuisine - with different fillings. Knead the dough from 500 g of flour, 300 ml of water and ¼ tsp. salt, leave for 30 minutes. Combine 250 g of minced meat with chopped onion, 2 tbsp. l. dill, 3 cloves of garlic, salt and pepper. Divide the dough into 4 flat cakes. We roll out the first one into the thinnest, almost transparent layer. To do this, grease the table with oil and pull the dough in different directions. Place a second flat cake in the form of a square in the center of the layer. Place some of the minced meat with grated cheese on it and wrap the edges of the bottom layer. We do the same with other flatbreads. Grease the pies with oil, sprinkle with herbs and garlic and bake for 35 minutes at 200°C.

Berries in a milky cloud

Lovers of sweet pastries will be pleased with the most delicate dessert. Combine 6 raw proteins with a pinch of salt and 6 tbsp. l. sugar, beat until stiff peaks form. Continuing to beat, add the yolks with ½ tsp. baking powder. Add 4 tbsp. l. flour and semolina and knead the dough. Grease a baking dish with oil and sprinkle with flour. Pour the dough into it, sprinkle with fresh berries and place in the oven at 180°C for 25 minutes. At this time, dilute 3 tbsp in 500 ml of hot milk. l. powdered sugar and ½ tsp. vanillin. Cut the finished cooled dessert into pieces without removing it from the mold. Fill it with milk and send it to harden in the refrigerator.

Dishes of Serbian cuisine are quite familiar to us and in many ways close. At the same time, they always have a certain zest that makes them original and unique. Therefore, they will successfully enliven the everyday family menu and will certainly delight your loved ones.

Travelers, having arrived in Serbia, from the first minutes fall in love with the amazing landscapes of the Balkan territory, and from the second - with the local cuisine. Traditional Serbian cuisine has developed under the influence of the gastronomic characteristics of Hungary, Bulgaria and Turkey. This unique culinary “fusion” explains the heterogeneity and variety of dishes prepared by the Serbs.
Serbian chefs borrowed the peculiarities of making sweets and pastries from the Turkish people. From Hungary they adopted the method of preparing dishes based on pork fat - lard. But the biggest influence on the Serbian recipe was the Bulgarians. According to their traditions, Serbia developed a special love for vegetables. They are always served - for breakfast, lunch or dinner, on their own or as part of a dish.
Vegetables are not only put in salads, but also boiled, stewed, baked, used as a filling and grilled. The meat tastes of the Serbian people also came from the Bulgarians. They left behind many original names for meat and fish dishes, which sound very interesting and unusual: pleskavitsa, zelyanitsa, dzhuvech, chorba, palanchiki.

Features of national Serbian cuisine

Serbian food- simple and satisfying. It is easily accepted by Ukrainians and Russians, as it is quite unpretentious and is famous for its purity of taste and the absence of specific additives. As in any place in the Balkans, vegetarianism and diets are not held in high esteem in Serbia, so people here like to eat tasty and satisfying food.
For a very long time, the most popular dish in the republic was boiled food with a lot of vegetables. This circumstance determined that for a long time the only and main cutlery here was a spoon. Local cuisine is characterized by the use of seasonings and spices. Not a single dish is complete without the use of black pepper. Often auxiliary elements in recipes include bay leaf, white pepper, paprika, coriander, cloves and garlic. You could say this is spicy cooking.
The Serbian variety of soup is divided into two main types: ordinary soup with vegetables, which the locals call “supa”, and fatty, rich “chorba”. The most beloved by locals and guests is chorba, made from beef and poultry. The main secret of Serbian broths is that flour is added to them. They always use parsley.
It is impossible to imagine Serbian cuisine without kajmak, which is considered a truly national, rare dish. Being salted cream, they resemble butter, sour cream, or cottage cheese. Kaimak is still prepared according to home recipes. Serbs believe that this is exactly the kind of dish that is very easy to spoil during industrial preparation. Cutlets cooked over charcoal are considered the pride of Serbian chefs. They are served with onions and red hot pepper.
Serbs hold bread in high esteem; they bake it according to traditional recipes. Bread products are never thrown away; they are collected and used to make kvass. So that people can get fresh bread in the morning, shops here usually open at 6:30-7:00. The locals also love pies. Any local pie is called pita. It should not be confused with unleavened Turkish flatbread. In Serbia, unleavened flour products are called somun. And pitas usually start with meat, vegetables, and fruits.
Among alcohol, rakia - local vodka - is extremely popular. It is also common to use a spritzer during hot weather; it perfectly quenches thirst and serves as white wine with sparkling mineral water. When drinking such a drink, the main thing is not to overdo it, because carbonated alcohol causes intoxication very quickly.

First meal

Particular attention should be paid to the famous Serbian soup called čorba. The recipe for its preparation is very diverse depending on the ingredients used as a basis. A favorite type is the version made from beef with vegetables. Among the representatives of the latter, carrots, celery, cauliflower, green peas, and onions are added here. Beef or veal must be cut into equal pieces and then placed in a onion, fried in oil or fat. When the meat is fried, you need to mix the rest of the vegetables with it, add flour, and then add water and cook until the food is softened. When ready, add vinegar and season with either sour cream or egg yolk. The dish is always served with parsley.
Fish chorba is considered a popular and delicious soup - this dish is so famous outside the country that chefs from different countries come to Serbia to participate in competitions in its preparation. One kilogram of fish is used as a basis - half a kilogram of large and small river fish. A small fish is boiled over high heat, with onions and black peppercorns. Then the broth is filtered, rubbing the fillet and onions through a sieve. Prepare the dressing separately. Onions, flour and red pepper are fried in fat, then pureed fish is poured into the dressing and chopped large fish (usually pike) is added. Chorba made from this representative of the river kingdom is considered the most delicious. This is a classic recipe, and during the competition each participant tries to add some zest to their fish dish.
Begovskaya chorba based on its recipe contains chicken or chicken meat. First it is boiled together with celery, parsley and peeled carrots. Heat the oil in another suitable container, fry the flour and pour in chicken broth. After 15 minutes, boiled meat and vegetables are added there. To serve, mix the yolk with sour cream and lemon juice and season the finished broth with this mixture.
Another version of chorba that is in demand is a soup based on lamb meat. Additional ingredients for it are rice, savoy cabbage and kohlrabi. The meat is boiled together with vegetables, adding bay leaf, pepper and onion (usually the whole one is added). Also served with yolk and sour cream. It is worth noting that Serbian restaurants have large portions, therefore, when ordering soup, there is no need to rush to choose a second dish - it is quite possible that one will be enough.

Second courses

Serbian cuisine- a real haven for gourmets. National meat dishes are presented here in huge quantities. The hallmark of any traditional restaurant is such dishes as pleskavica and cevapcici.
Cevapchichi, or cevapi, are meat sausages made from minced meat with seasonings and onions. Traditionally, meat for minced meat is not minced in a meat grinder, but finely chopped with a knife. Of course, to save time, catering establishments still use a meat grinder. Sausages measuring 8-10 cm are formed from the minced meat. To make them more convenient, you can use the cut off neck of a plastic bottle, simply pushing the meat through it. The finished products are fried in hot oil for 20 minutes. Cevapi is usually served in pita bread with herbs and onions.
Pljeskavica is essentially a large cutlet. It is flat, round and has non-standard, large sizes. Its diameter reaches 15 cm, thickness - 2 cm. There are a lot of cooking methods and serving options for this dish; in restaurants, the cutlet is often made with filling. But there is one classic traditional recipe that everyone tries to stick to. The minced meat must be minced twice, then add carbonated mineral water to it and refrigerate for a day. The next day, mix the minced meat with cheese, cayenne pepper, bacon, and onions, and then form cutlets. One side of the cutlet is greased with sunflower oil and sent to the grill. Of course, cutlets cooked in the fresh air are much tastier, but you can also make them at home. It's also easy to grill vegetables and serve them as a side dish. Very often, pljeskavica serves as a cutlet for sandwiches in stalls with quick snacks.
On the Balkan Peninsula, charcoal-grilled meat is not just a favorite dish, but actually a way of life. Going to barbecue outside the city is as common and frequent as a simple breakfast or dinner. A popular recipe for cooking meat is mukkalitsa. It is made both on skewers and in a frying pan. Naturally, it tastes better over charcoal. Very often, the meat left over from a picnic, roasted over a fire, is turned into flourkalitsa. It is made from pork, mainly from the neck. The meat is fried and vegetables are stewed at the same time: bell peppers, onions, garlic, parsley, chili, tomatoes. They are seasoned with paprika, salt, sugar, and then mixed with meat. After 20 minutes of stewing together, the flourkalitsa is served with bread flatbreads.
Lamb is popular among the Serbian people. An interesting dish with her participation is a dish called “lamb from under the net.” In the Balkans, a sach is a large cast-iron lid used to cover a container where meat is stewed. The net is also surrounded by coals, which helps to bake the food underneath and impart a unique aroma. For this dish, in addition to lamb meat, you will need new potatoes, garlic, bell peppers, carrots and milk. The meat and vegetables are immediately stewed together, filling about a third with water. Then add milk and simmer for half an hour under a net. All vegetables acquire a unique meaty aroma.
A dish called keške came from Turkey to Serbian cuisine. Only Turkish chefs prepare it from lamb and pearl barley. In Serbia, the main ingredients are turkey and wheat. Boiled poultry and grain are placed in a pan in layers alternating with each other. After that, they are filled with turkey broth and cooked until the meat is completely cooked. This dish can be stored for a long time in a cool place and is traditionally served with sour milk.
Another national dish, without which any feast is rarely complete, is paprikash - stewed chicken with the addition of sweet paprika. The poultry pieces are first fried in oil along with onions, then paprika is added. To add more spiciness to the food, one tablespoon of this seasoning is recommended. For those who prefer only a sharp tint, a teaspoon will be enough. While the chicken is cooking, you need to prepare dough for dumplings from flour, two eggs and salt. One dumpling is equal to half a teaspoon of dough, which should be sent directly to the boiling chicken. This dish is revered by the Serbs; it is the main “guest” of both the wedding and funeral tables.
Fish is also a favorite among locals. Serbs prepare carp this way: in the fish, cut into pieces, they make cuts into which they insert pieces of bacon. Place potatoes cut into slices in a frying pan, fish pieces on it, and cover it all with vegetables on top. Then the dish is baked in the oven, topped with sour cream halfway through cooking. Vegetables used here are tomatoes, onions and bell peppers.
An interesting recipe for cooking duck in Serbian style. It is stewed entirely until half cooked, then boiled rice, a layer of onion, sliced ​​potatoes and bell pepper are placed on a baking sheet. And the very top layer is the bird, cut into small pieces. All this is fried in the oven, periodically pouring the rendered fat over it.
Serbs are very fond of such a vegetable as beans. Serbian goulash is considered a special dish made from it. Its recipe, in addition to the legumes themselves, also includes smoked sausage, red bell pepper, tomato puree and garlic. Marjoram and cumin are added as seasonings to the food. All this is simmered together in a saucepan over low heat. Leave the beans in cold water overnight before cooking.
When visiting Serbian restaurants, it is recommended to try ustipci cutlets. They are prepared on the basis of minced beef and pork. Sliced ​​brisket, black pepper, paprika and feta cheese are added to it. For fluffiness, sparkling water is also used. Small flat cutlets are fried in oil on both sides. They are served on a platter, where onions and parsley are first laid out, doused with lemon juice.
Pork, beloved by Serbs, is often found among the ingredients of second courses. An interesting option for preparing it is such a dish as hanger - boneless pork loin stuffed with cheese and ham. The ham is cut into bars and fried in oil with pre-squeezed garlic. At the same time, prepare a broth from leeks, parsley, black peppercorns and bay leaves. Then bread or flatbread slices are soaked in this broth. The carrots are grated and mixed with kaymak. Pork, bread soaked in broth and cheese and carrot mixture are placed in small containers. All this is baked in the oven for half an hour.
Another signature dish is juvech - a side dish made from vegetables and rice. The main ingredients are onions, zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes, and sweet peppers. All this is cut into cubes and stewed with spices - marjoram, rosemary, bay leaf and cumin. Rice is boiled separately. When the vegetables are halfway done, add tomato paste and vinegar. It is still stewed without grain, and then undercooked rice is added. All this is filled with rice water, so that it barely hides the cereal. After this, the juvech is stewed until the rice is completely cooked. The ideal dish is neither dry nor liquid in consistency. As a result, we have a kind of vegetable pilaf, served without fail with a piece of white bread.
In general, ordinary chicken pilaf is also prepared in Serbia; in the local dialect it is called pilaf. The chicken is cooked separately from the rice, which is then fried with onions until browned. Then it’s all mixed, poured with chicken broth and cooked until tender. There is no need to stir the pilaf during the cooking process. You can add carrots, black pepper, bay leaf.

Snacks

The most famous Serbian snack, reflecting the entire national cuisine, is prosciutto - a luxurious meat delicacy, a real feast for true gourmets. It is a dried pork ham, the recipe for which has been passed down from generation to generation. As a rule, it is sealed in November, when the pig is cut and its meat is rubbed with salt, placing it in a special brine. It stays there for about 15 days, after which it is taken out, washed and placed under a press for a couple of weeks. Only after this the pork is sent to the smokehouse until mid-spring. The readiness of the prosciutto is determined using a needle - it should freely enter the meat, and after its removal a unique aroma remains. The long and costly preparation process led to the high price of this product. The cost of one kilogram of prosciutto starts from 20 euros. It is served thinly sliced ​​with cheese, olives and onions. This is one of the main snacks for local vodka - rakia.
Serbs also love various salads. The most important among them in the Balkans is Shopska salad. The ingredients here are tomatoes and cucumbers, cheese - feta cheese or feta cheese, bell pepper and parsley, olives and vinegar, salt and ground pepper. All vegetables are chopped, and cucumbers must be peeled. Season the dish with olive oil. It came to Serbia from Bulgarian cuisine.
Another famous salad is urnebes, often served together with pljeskavica. Translated, the word means "disorder". It contains feta cheese, thick sour cream, garlic, and cayenne pepper. From all these ingredients, mixed until smooth, balls are made, which are placed together with the cutlet on a flatbread before serving.
Chum salmon salad with vegetables is popular. Hot smoked fish is cut into cubes, and boiled potatoes are cut in the same way. Cut onions into rings and tomatoes into slices. Blanch the chopped carrots for one minute. All ingredients are mixed together, poured with olive oil and served. You need to add very little salt to this salad, since the fish is salty and there is a risk of completely over-salting the dish.
Many dishes served as snacks are canned foods. The list of these includes Serbian winter lecho. To obtain it, first, whole tomatoes are poured with boiled water - this is necessary to make it easier to get rid of the peel. When the skins are removed from the tomatoes, they are crushed and ground using a sieve. Hot fat and chopped bell pepper are added to the tomato mass. All this is stewed in lard until the latter softens. The finished lecho is poured into jars and a little goose fat is added there.
Live paprika or fried peppers are also called a national snack. First, the pure pepper fruits need to be baked. If we are talking about professionals, they use special stoves or metal sheets for this, under which they light a fire. If an amateur prepares such a dish, then a frying pan or grill is enough. The peppers are baked until they are completely charred; during this process it is customary for the Serbs to drink. Of course, we are not talking about chefs in restaurants, but about ordinary people. Then each fruit is peeled - from the skin and from the seeds inside. One part of it must be frozen for the winter in bags. The other one is eaten right away. The pepper is poured with vegetable oil, a little vinegar and garlic are added. In this form, paprika is baked and served. To better clean the fruit after baking, the pepper can be placed in a bag - there it cools and gives juice, which makes it easier to remove the skin and get rid of the seeds.
This appetizer, ajvar, is called “the poor man’s black caviar” in Serbia. To prepare it you need red hot pepper. Chili, of course, will be too hot, so just a spicy vegetable is enough. Peppers, tomatoes, onions and garlic are minced in a meat grinder and then boiled. Toward the end of cooking, add vinegar, salt and sugar. The finished ajvar is poured into jars. In a properly cooked snack, the spoon does not sink, but stands. This dish is also made with eggplants and apples. A very tasty use is a snack made from it and large grainy cottage cheese.

Bakery

The favorite pastry of Serbs and other Balkan peoples is burek - a thin dough pie with various fillings. It starts with meat, chicken, spinach or cottage cheese. But almost always, regardless of other fillings, real burek contains cheese. They spread it over layers of dough, alternating these products with each other. The dough here is very thin, called filo, it is sold in sets of 10 sheets and is used in many Mediterranean dishes. A single layer of phyllo dough can be only a few millimeters thick. The potatoes are grated and, together with minced meat, placed on each layer of defrosted dough. It is rolled into tubes from which curls are made. They put it in a frying pan and bake. The dough tubes do not have to be twisted; you can simply lay them straight on a baking sheet. Another option for laying out the dough is to make one large spiral out of it. This type of pastry is called kol-burek. After removal from the oven, the burek is cut into pieces like a cake. For a group, it is better to take one kol-burek - it will be enough for everyone. This is a very nourishing and quite fatty dish; entire burek competitions are held to prepare it.
The national Serbian pie gibanica is distinguished by its simple recipe and low costs. For the filling, cheese, vegetable oil and kaymak are used. They are mixed and turned into a homogeneous mass using a blender. Then alternate layers of dough and filling on a baking sheet. You can use the same dough as for burek. Each sheet of dough is greased with oil and sprinkled with sparkling mineral water. Bake the pie in the oven for 15 minutes; it is a fatty dish.
Among the sweets, baklava and tulumba, which entered the cuisine from Turkish regions, are popular. For the first delight, a dough is kneaded from wheat flour, eggs and water, divided into several pieces. Each one is rolled out very, very thinly and placed in a baking dish. The dough is greased with oil and nuts are placed on it, then the next layer is placed. Before baking, it is given the required shape. First, divide the large circle into portioned pieces like a cake. Then each of them is divided in half twice, after which diamonds are made from the quarters. The result is a dish similar to baklava, but it is a completely different sweetness in taste.
Tulumbas are cakes drenched in sugar syrup. They need to be prepared first, bring water and sugar to a boil and cook for 15 minutes, stirring constantly, send the syrup to cool. Then you should boil water with margarine, brew flour and rub eggs into this mass. From the dough you need to make small cakes up to 5 cm in length, and after frying them, place the prepared tulumbas on a dish and pour sugar syrup over them.

Beverages

All desserts are very good with Serbian coffee, it is brewed in a cezve. Cool water mixed with sugar is poured into the container. After boiling, remove half of the liquid and add coffee. This drink is brought to a boil, removed from the heat and the remaining water is added to it.
Among non-alcoholic drinks, zova, a syrup made from elderflowers, is in demand. It is also called homemade juice, or boza. In general, in Serbia, the concept of “juice” extends to a variety of drinks, ranging from chilled soda to homemade syrups. To make zova, elderberry inflorescences need to be filled with water mixed with citric acid. They are infused for 24 hours, filtered, after which sugar can be added. The syrup is ready, it is bottled.
Among alcoholic drinks, the local vodka called rakia is in first place. In other words, this is a very strong fruit moonshine. It is obtained by distilling grape wine with the addition of peaches, plums and apples. Some call rakia Serbian brandy. The alcohol content here is usually from 40 to 60 degrees, so it should be consumed with caution. At any feast there is always rakia, it is easy to drink, and the strength of the drink is already felt in the stomach, it does not hit the throat. Depending on what fruits are added to rakia during production, its name also changes. If it is made from plums, then it is slivovitz, from pears, it is Williams, and from apples, it is Yabukova. It is consumed not only chilled, but also specially heated. Serbs are confident that heated brandy will help cure all diseases. It not only disinfects wounds, but also cleans car windows. But often this drink is simply drunk - both as an aperitif and at festivities.
And although Serbia is not a supplier of beer, it is very popular here. There are several breweries throughout the country, the oldest of which was opened in 1852 and is located in Jagodina. The peculiarity of Yagodinsky beer is the absence of pasteurization. The most delicious draft beer is located in Valjevo, and the foam beer, which is a winner in various competitions, is called Zajecharsky. Republika Srpska also hosts an event called a beer festival.

When traveling to any country, you must definitely turn to the local cuisine, because it is so interesting to learn its colorful features. In Serbia, people eat responsibly, and as a result, there are many catering establishments. The atmosphere there is usually calm and measured - no one is in a hurry. The service is usually at the highest level, the waiters are friendly. National dishes are prepared immediately after ordering, so you will have to wait a certain time, but the staff usually warns you about this right away. Serbian cuisine is a unique mix of Mediterranean, Turkish, Hungarian and Bulgarian national cuisines. Having only been here, you can partly understand the gastronomic preferences of these powers. Fried meat and aromatic smoked meats, rich broths and excellent, aged wines, crispy bread and varied pastries with lots of eggs, butter and walnuts - all this is an extremely appetizing Serbian menu!

The national cuisine of any country arouses interest and a desire to learn about its traditions and culture. This is that part of life that can unite warring peoples, because “war is war, but lunch is on schedule”! So, today we will learn about traditional dishes of Serbian cuisine.

Peculiarities of Serbian cuisine

The traditional cuisine of the people of Serbia is similar to the dishes of other Balkan countries - Montenegro and Yugoslavia. The formation of these traditions in different periods of the history of the Serbian people was influenced by the cultures of the Middle East and European countries.

Serbian cuisine (recipes) is characterized by more than one feature, we will point out several:

• total use of cheese in cooking - it is added to first, second and sweet courses;

• vegetables - there are a huge variety of dishes made from them in the country's traditional cuisine, primarily due to their cheapness;
• simple recipes for sweets, often baked goods and masses reminiscent of jams and preserves;
• natural drinks - herbal teas, fruit drinks and juices from berries and fruits are popular;
• homemade alcoholic drinks - tinctures, liqueurs, wines, brandy.

Rakia is a traditional strong alcoholic drink for the Balkan countries, made from fruit and berry juices by distilling them using a primary fermentation system of raw materials.

About raw materials for dishes

The most common food products used in cooking are those produced by the country's natural agriculture and livestock sector.

These are lamb, pork, lamb and goat meat. The meat is prepared in whole pieces for chops, and in portions for stewing. There are also many recipes for kebabs, smoked or fried sausages made from natural meat. Meat products are also prepared dried.

Soups, stews and fried dishes are prepared from fish and seafood. Despite the geographical proximity of the sea, Serbian cuisine offers recipes using simple and inexpensive river fish.

Milk and dairy products. Cow cow is widely used and almost every day of any resident of the country begins with it, regardless of his property status. Milk (cow, sheep, goat) is used to make hard, smoked cheese and feta cheese that taste amazing, and bread and bakery products are baked with milk. Liquid fermented milk products, which Serbian cuisine is rich in, are also prepared (see recipes with photos below).

Vegetables are the most popular among the country's residents. They are served everywhere and always in Serbia. Whether it's breakfast or lunch, dinner or afternoon snack - you can always see a lot of fresh vegetables on the table of every family. Traditionally they are served as a simple chopped herb salad with an olive oil dressing. But sometimes there are complex recipes in which some vegetables are first boiled or fried. Some of the most used vegetables include tomatoes, onions, potatoes, zucchini, eggplant, peppers, cabbage, lettuce and many others.

For dessert, recipes for Serbian national cuisine offer an abundance of pies with curd, cheese, vegetable or meat fillings, donuts, pies, baked nuts and plums, jam, cookies and many, many different sweets.

National cuisine

The following national dishes are typical for Serbian cuisine:

• bread - its baking and consumption are similar to a national ritual (the first thing offered to a guest in any home is homemade bread and salt) - these are loaves, bagels, flat cakes, kovrigi, pies (of various sizes), a “family” of small buns;
• soups - fish soup, meat, vegetable and cereal first courses;
• main courses - fried meat dishes, sausages, thick cereal porridges with cheese ("Popara"), meat rolls with ham and cheese, stewed meat dishes with vegetables, stuffed vegetable dishes;

• fresh salads or with cheese, “Lutenitsa” - an appetizer of baked sweet peppers (this is an analogue of vegetable caviar, the dish is usually prepared for future use);
• desserts - rice pudding, gingerbread, "Palachinke" - a version of national pancakes, "Tufahiya" - apples with walnuts stewed in sugar syrup, cherry pies with nuts and many different delicacies;
• One of the traditional drinks is “Bosa” - a mixture of fermented corn with water and yeast, often prepared from oatmeal - the drink is considered low-alcohol.

What spices and seasonings are used?

Serbian recipes) do not have a stable tradition of using any spices and seasonings. In a broad sense, this is due to the temperate climate of the Balkan Peninsula.

In recipes, regular ground black pepper or dried herbs (bay leaf, coriander and some others) predominate.

Serge Markovic

Dishes of Serbian cuisine and recipes for Russian review were opened by a famous Serbian chef and restaurateur. He is the author of several cookbooks and many thematic master classes on preparing national dishes of the Balkan country.

If you like Serbian cuisine, you will also like Serge Markovic's recipes. All of them are mainly arranged in a video sequence and do not have specific descriptions, but we have found for you several original recipes from the famous chef.

"Torator" - cold soup recipe

"Torator" is a kind of analogue of the Russian traditional okroshka. Its constant ingredients include cucumbers, unsweetened yogurt (kefir) and walnuts.

What products are needed:

• unsweetened yogurt (or low-fat kefir) - 0.5 l;
• fresh cucumbers - 2-3 pcs.;
• young dill greens - 100-150 g;
• garlic - 2-3 cloves;
• walnuts - 100 g;
• olive oil - 2-3 tbsp. l.;
• salt, ground black pepper - to taste;
• cold boiled water - optional.

How to cook:

1. Rinse the cucumbers, dill and garlic. Peel the last one.
2. Grate the cucumbers, finely chop the dill, and chop the garlic into a paste.
3. Grind the walnuts in a blender or food processor into coarse crumbs.
4. In a saucepan, mix yogurt, cucumbers, dill, garlic, nuts, olive oil. Season everything with salt and ground pepper.
5. Attention! The dish is already ready to eat. But if you think it is too thick, add cooled boiled water and stir.

This soup is served cold.

"Pleskavica" - recipe with meat

Serbian cuisine places meat recipes in a separate chapter of its history. "Pleskavica" is one of the most popular meat dishes in this country.

What products are needed:

• lamb (or lamb) - 300 g;
• pork - 100-150 g;
• onions - 50-70 g;
• garlic - 1-2 cloves;
• salt;
• olive oil.

How to cook:

1. Start by rinsing all the meat and peeled vegetables. Then grind in a meat grinder with a fine grid. You need tender, homogeneous minced meat with vegetables.
2. Mix the resulting mass with salt and divide into two approximately equal parts.
3. From each piece of minced meat, form a flat cutlet about 2-2.5 cm thick. Grease it with olive oil and fry in a hot frying pan for 4-5 minutes on each side.

Traditionally, these meat patties are formed into approximately the size of a human palm (or oblong sausages) and fried over an open fire or grill.

"Tufahiya" - national dessert

What products are needed:

• apples - 2-3 pcs.;
• lemon - 1/2 pcs.;
• walnuts - 50 g;
• sugar - 150 g;
• water - 100 ml.

How to cook:

1. Peel the apples and chop finely. Mix with water and the juice of half a lemon (you can take any citrus fruit, but the juice should be at least 50 ml). Add sugar and simmer over low heat until thickened.
2. In the meantime, chop the walnuts. Serbian cuisine does not say anything about peeling the dark skins of nuts, but you can carry out such a procedure if you wish.
3. Add nuts to apples and stir.
4. When the mass is thick, remove from heat and place in bowls or portioned jars.

This dessert can be prepared in the form Then follow the step-by-step preparation:

• Boil the whole apples, but peeled and cored, in sweet water with lemon juice (you will need more than 100 ml of water - it should cover the apples);
• Grind the walnuts into crumbs and mix with a small amount of sugar, sauté in a frying pan until the sugar caramelizes - stuff the apples with this mixture and serve.

If desired, sprinkle a small amount of cheese on top of these apples.

Beverages

There are many alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks in Serbian culture. Many of the latter are prepared with rakia. We present to you one of them - “Šumadi tea” - hot or cold sweet brandy.

"Shumadi tea" - recipe

What products are needed:

• rakia (40-45°C) - 500 ml;
• water - 750 ml;
• sugar - 50 g.

How to cook:

1. Mix all ingredients and bring to a boil. All grains of sugar should dissolve.
2. Pour into glasses immediately and drink hot. Or leave to cool and serve cold.

Serbian cuisine (recipes and cooking traditions) is a broad topic for familiarization and perhaps we will return to it in future articles.

Serbian cuisine is an abundance of specific products, culinary techniques, combinations and serving methods, which have absorbed elements of the Middle East (Turkey), Austro-Hungarian and Mediterranean culinary traditions. What is this connected with? All of these countries border Serbia, so they share a common history and a set of basic foods.

What do you need to know about national cuisine and what does world gastronomy owe to the Serbs?

General characteristics of national cuisine

The Serbian culinary tradition combines three directions - Mediterranean, Austro-Hungarian, and Middle Eastern. Austrian Sacher, Eastern and Slavic Kolivo (Orthodox grain porridge) coexist harmoniously in motley establishments and store counters. From Turkish cuisine, the Serbs borrowed various kebabs, kufte (lamb meatballs), kebabs, “meso za skara” (Balkan barbecue) and traditional pilaf with.

In the north of the country, the influence of Romanian, Bulgarian and Hungarian cuisine is especially noticeable. Locals love sweetish corn cakes and even hominy. Mamalyga is considered the national dish of Moldova, Romania and the peoples of the Caucasus. This is a steeply brewed porridge from. The appearance, structure and taste are significantly different from ordinary corn porridge. Hominy is cut into dense pieces with a special wooden knife or waxed thread.

In recent years, the Serbian diaspora has significantly increased in size and expanded its geography. Thanks to this, Serbian cuisine has become accessible to more people and has expanded into new gastronomic territories.

Most of the Serbian population eats three meals a day. These are three classic meals - breakfast, lunch, dinner. Lunch is considered the longest, and therefore the most nutritious. An important fact is that until the 19th century, Serbs ate only twice a day - lunch and dinner, and it was customary to skip breakfast.

Historical reference

Serbian cuisine is still influenced by history and the ancient ways of the local population. The birth of the country began in the 6th century. At that time, Slavic tribes (ancestors of modern Serbs) settled in the western territories of the Balkan Peninsula. Over time, people formed a state that rapidly expanded the land, improved culture and way of life. The Serbian diet consisted of high-quality meat, dairy, vegetable and grain dishes. The locals diluted the slightly boring taste variations with spices and herbs. And were considered the most popular.

The national culinary traditions of Serbia have absorbed some Bulgarian characteristics. Local housewives were inspired by Bulgarian fresh vegetable salads and borrowed some heat treatment techniques. Since the 15th century, Serbia has absorbed Turkish cuisine and its ingredients, since the country was under the control of the Turkish Khanate. Thus, characteristic oriental sweets appeared in the arsenal, which to this day make up the majority of sales in confectionery stores.

Traditional menu

The national cuisine of Serbia is as simple as possible. In it you can find familiar products, simple techniques and a special home comfort. Real masterpieces are prepared with minimal time and effort, which is the hallmark of Serbian gastronomy. Today's innovative chefs are trying to maintain their identity but take it to the next level. Traditional products are combined with unexpected sauces or side dishes, molecular cuisine is practiced, and old family recipes are modified.

The traditional menu of the country includes an abundance of meat, milk and vegetables - a universal food set. Serbs also have great respect for bread. Local housewives often bake their own bread. Serbs never throw away baked goods and use the stale pieces to make crackers or kvass.

The most popular low-alcohol product is buza or boza. It is a fermented, thick, sweet liquid. It is prepared from fermented or millet. The prototype of boza was prepared even in Rus' from buckwheat, oatmeal or millet flour. The drink contains about 4-6% vol. Bosa is served at the end of the meal as a dessert. This symbolizes special respect and loyalty to guests.

Famous strong alcoholic drinks:

• rakia. A strong fermented alcoholic beverage produced by distilling fermented fruit. Brandy analogue;
• pelinkovac. A bitter Balkan liqueur infused with herbs. The main component is;
• Vignac. Alcohol based. This is the collective name for dozens of varieties of Balkan brandy. It should be noted the varied palette of tastes and aromas of vinjac, for which it was loved in the Balkans;
• Vranac Red Balkan wine obtained from the grape variety of the same name;
• slivovitz. Rakia (brandy) based on . The strength of slivovitz varies from 45% vol. up to 75% vol.

Pastries/desserts

Bread is an essential element of the meal of most peoples, and the Serbs are no exception. The product not only increases the nutritional value of the dish, but also plays an important role in religious rituals. Some Serbs believe that throwing away bread is a sin, no matter how stale, old and dry it may be. Some cities have entire museums and streets dedicated to baked goods.

Locals love to cook open/closed pies with various fillings. Most pies are traditionally called "pitas". In the classical sense, pita is an unleavened Greek flatbread, but the Serbs slightly modified the term. They call unleavened flatbread “somun”.

The most popular are gibanica, burek and krompirusha. Gibanica is a traditional Balkan pie. White cheese and eggs or various sweet ingredients are used as filling. The dough recipe is variable and depends on the filling components. Gibanica is made multi-layered and served both at modest family dinners and at special events. Burek is a savory pastry that came to the world from the Ottoman Empire. Most often, burek is salty or neutral in taste. It is prepared on the basis of various cheese/meat/curd/vegetable fillings. Krompišura is a burek made from puff pastry and potato filling.

The popular Crimean Tatar “cheburek” comes from the Turkish “burek”.

Also popular in Serbia are donuts “priganica”, large pancakes with fillings “palacinke”, cheese pie with spinach “zelyanica”, nuts baked in cheese “štrukli”, and boiled honey nuts “alva”.

First meal

There are two main types of soups - regular and ru (an alternative name is chorba). Roux is a mixture of flour and flour that is subjected to heat treatment. Most often used as a thickener for sauces (such as velouté or espagnole), but Serbs add roux to first courses. The most common are the simplest thick soups based on vegetables/meat/noodles. Most often, poultry or poultry is used for broth. Fish soups and broths based on lamb meat are considered real delicacies.

Meat dishes

All Serbian cuisine is built around meat dishes. The most popular types of meat: pork, goat, lamb. The product is baked over coals and made into sausages, which are considered the main dish of most establishments. In addition, Serbs love kebab. It is prepared all year round both in expensive restaurants and in the cheapest fast foods. Vegetables or vegetables are served as a side dish for meat.

Kulen is a type of smoked sausage that is prepared in Serbia and Croatia. It is based on pork, paprika and various spices. Srem kulen (a specific sausage recipe from the fertile region of Srem) is registered in the European Union and is protected by territorial origin. Producing a delicacy takes a lot of time and effort. Kulen is served on major family holidays or national celebrations.

Salads and snacks

Serbs do not serve salad in a separate container as an appetizer. Most often, leafy vegetables and fruits are eaten from the same plate with the main dish. Absolutely anything can serve as a snack – from baked to kaymak. Kaymak is fermented milk of animal origin. Most often, sheep or goat milk is used. The structure of kaymak resembles a thick, fatty one, but the taste of the snack is richer and brighter.

The appetizer must be served with several slices of bread. This can be a regular wheat/whole grain bun or a bread loaf. Proya is a traditional cornbread. It is served with kajmak, leaves, or parsley. In winter, it is common to eat cornbread with pickles.