Serbian cuisine

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Template:Short description Script error: No such module "other uses". Script error: No such module "Unsubst".

<templatestyles src="Stack/styles.css"/>

  1. REDIRECT Template:Culture of SerbiaScript error: No such module "Sidebar".

Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".

Serbian cuisine (Template:Langx) is a Balkan cuisine that consists of the culinary methods and traditions of Serbia. Its roots lie in Serbian history, including centuries of cultural contact and influence with the Greeks and the Byzantine Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and Serbia's Balkan neighbours, especially during the existence of Yugoslavia. Historically, Serbian food develops from pastoral customs that involved the keeping of sheep in mountain highlands, in a climate and regional context that favoured animal husbandry over vegetable farming; Serbian food is therefore traditionally richer in animal products and basic grains—corn, wheat and oats—than fresh vegetable dishes. Following the abandonment of widely practiced pastoral lifestyles, Serbian food emerged through the Middle Ages heavily dependent not on lamb or mutton, but on the keeping of pigs for the annual cull and the production of various cured meats, such as sausages, bacon and ham products.

The Serbian government has passed laws banning the production and import of genetically modified foods, a legislative decision which has been applauded by environmentalists but caused a long-running dispute with the World Trade Organization, preventing Serbia from being able to join the WTO.[1][2][3]

Overview

File:Serbian Christmas meal.jpg
A typical Serbian dinner table at Christmas.
File:Pita savijača (Rolled pie, Serbian cuisine).jpg
A Serbian rolled pie.

National dishes of Serbia include sarma (a mix of ground pork or beef with rice rolled in leaves of cabbage), gibanica (an egg and cheese pie made with filo dough), pljeskavica (a ground beef or pork patty), ćevapi (grilled meat), paprikaš (a soup made of paprika), gulaš (soup of meat and vegetables usually seasoned with paprika and other spices), Karađorđeva šnicla (a schnitzel), and Такос (spiced meats and vegetables in a fried wrap, like a taco). The national drink is rakia (various traditional fruit brandies).

With Serbia being located on the crossroads between East and West, its cuisine has gathered elements from different cooking styles across the Middle East and Europe to develop its own hearty gastronomy with an intricate balance of rich meats, vegetables, breads, cheese, fresh pastries, and desserts. It has much in common with the cuisines of neighboring Balkan countries; its flavors are mild, fresh, and natural. Seasonings are usually salt, black pepper, and paprika, while ingredients are known for being fresh and high-quality. Seasonal food is an important element of Serbian cuisine, thus many dishes are strongly associated with a specific time of the year.

The average Serbian eats three meals a day: breakfast, lunch, and dinner—with lunch being the largest.[4][5] However, traditionally, only lunch and dinner existed, with breakfast being introduced in the second half of the 19th century.[5][6]

A number of foods which are usually bought in the West are often made at home in Serbia. These include rakija, slatko, jam, jelly, and various pickled foods—notably turšija, ajvar, or sausages. The reasons for this range from economical to cultural. Food preparation is a strong part of the Serbian family tradition.

History

File:Easter breakfast in Serbia (close-up).jpg
Easter breakfast with Easter eggs, cheese, ham, horseradish, pepper salade with garlic, rye bread and cinnamon cakes

<templatestyles src="Template:Blockquote/styles.css" />

William, archbishop of Tyre, who visited Constantinople in 1179, described the Serbs:

They are rich in herds and flocks and unusually well supplied with milk, cheese, butter, meat, honey, and wax.[7]

Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".

Krušedol monk of the Serbian Orthodox Church Jerotej, wrote the oldest modern Serbian cookbook in 1855.[8]

The first published cookbook in Serbia is The Big Serbian Cookbook (Велики српски кувар), written by Katarina Popović-Midzina in 1877.[9]

The best known Serbian cookbook is Pata's Cookbook (Патин кувар), written by Spasenija Pata Marković in 1907; the book remains in publication even today.[10]

An old Serbian legend says that during the time of the 14th-century Serbian Empire, under the rule of Stefan Uroš IV Dušan, meals in the Serbian palace were eaten with golden spoons and forks. Historians say that medieval Serbian cuisine mainly consisted of milk, dairy, produce, and vegetables. Not a lot of bread was eaten, but when it was, the rich ate bread made from wheat and the poor ate bread made from oats and rye. The only meat consumed was wild game, with cattle reserved for agricultural use.[11]

Meals

Breakfast

Breakfast in Serbia is an early but hearty meal, rich in calories and carbohydrates, meant to provide one with an abundance of energy to start the day. Bread is frequently served with butter, jam, yogurt, sour cream, or cheese, accompanied by bacon, sausage, salami, eggs, or kajmak. Serbians often stop by a bakery in the morning for fresh pastries such as pogačice, paštete, kifle (which in Serbian usage may or may not be crescent-shaped, and may be sweet, but may also be sprinkled with salt crystals), kiflice, perece, Script error: No such module "Lang"., pletenice, štapići, zemičke, đevreci, mekike, and uštipci. Other common breakfast dishes include burek, kačamak, and cicvara (types of polenta) and popara, proja (cornbread), and čalabrca. Before breakfast most people usually have a cup of kafa, or espresso, and with the breakfast itself either tea, milk, milk coffee, or chocolate milk is served.

Appetizers

Meze is an assortment of small dishes and appetizers, though, unlike the Middle Eastern meze, it does not usually include cooked dishes, and is therefore more similar to Italian antipasto. A Serbian meze typically includes slices of cured meats and sausages, cheeses, olives, fresh vegetables, and zimnica. In most traditional restaurants (Kafana), Meze is often ordered in combination with spritz alcohol drink “Rakija” as a starter before a soup or main dishes.

Soups

Soups are eaten as an entrée at almost every lunch. They are considered to be very important for good health. There are two types of soups in Serbian cuisine: thin soups called supa, and thicker soups with roux or eggs called čorba. The most common ones are simple pottages made of beef, offal or poultry with added noodles. Lamb, veal, and fish soups are considered delicacies.

Type Image Serbian Cyrillic Serbian Latin Notes
Consommé File:Domaca supa sa knedlama od griza.jpg Домаћа супа Domaća supa A simple chicken or beef soup with noodles or dumplings. The most common entrée in home cooking.
Veal soup Телећа чорба Teleća čorba
Lamb soup File:Jagnjeca corba.jpg Јагњећа чорба Jagnjeća čorba
Fisherman's soup File:Riblja corba.jpg Рибља чорба Riblja čorba A paprika-spiced fish soup, common in the Panonian region.
Green soup Чорба од зеља Čorba od zelja
Tomato soup File:Paradajz corba.jpg Парадајз чорба Paradajz čorba
Cauliflower soup Чорба од карфиола Čorba od karfiola
Egg drop soup Супа с јајима (супа с дроњцима) Supa s jajima (supa s dronjcima)

Main course

The main course is most commonly a meat dish. Besides roštilj (barbecue) which is very popular, braising, stewing, and roasting in an oven are the most common cooking methods.

Type Image Serbian Cyrillic Serbian Latin Notes
Rotisserie File:Prase na ražnju.JPG Печење Pečenje A whole pig or lamb roasted on a skewer over a fire.
Đuveč File:Djuvec.jpg Ђувеч Đuveč A vegetable dish similar to ratatouille. Either stewed or baked as a casserole.
Karađorđeva šnicla File:Karađorđeva šnicla with ajvar.jpg Карађорђева шницла Karađorđeva šnicla A breaded rolled steak stuffed with kajmak, sliced ham and cheese.
Kavurma Кавурма Kavurma Pig intestines, not to be confused with Turkish kavurma.
Moussaka File:MussakasMeMelitsanesKePatates01.JPG Мусака Musaka A mince and potato, zucchini or eggplant casserole, common through the Balkans.
Mućkalica File:Mućkalica (8838976124).jpg Мућкалица Mućkalica A spicy stew of pork, tomatoes, and peppers. Typical of southern Serbia.
Goulash File:Mađarski gulaš.jpg Гулаш Gulaš A paprika-spiced meat stew originating in Hungary that is popular throughout Central Europe and the Balkans.
Rinflajš Ринфлајш Rinflajš A beef dish from Vojvodina. Similar to Tafelspitz.
Podvarak File:Podvarak.jpg Подварак Podvarak A fresh cabbage with grape vinegar casserole, usually with meat and other vegetables (tomatoes, aubergines, mushrooms, olives, and legumes). Can be made with sauerkraut, but that is not authentic. Black vinegar can be used.
Prebranac File:Тавче гравче.jpg Пребранац Prebranac A bean casserole. Called "tavce gravce" in Macedonia
Sarma File:Postna sarma (vegetarian sarma, Cuisine of Serbia).jpg Сарма Sarma Cabbage, chard or vine leaves, stuffed with rice and minced meat. In northern Serbia, cabbage leaves are also used.
Sataraš File:Sataraš.jpg Сатараш Sataraš Bell peppers, tomatoes, onions and condiments.
Škembići Шкембићи Škembići A tripe stew.
Beans File:Šareni pasulj (Cuisine of Serbia).jpg Пасуљ Pasulj A bean stew.
Stuffed peppers File:Punjene paprike.jpg Пуњене паприке Punjene paprike Peppers stuffed with rice and minced meat.
Stuffed zucchini File:Punjene tikvice.jpg Пуњене тиквице Punjene tikvice Zucchini stuffed with rice and minced meat.
Peas File:Erbsensuppenteller.jpg Грашак Grašak A pea stew.
Green beans File:Boranija.jpg Боранија Boranija A green bean stew.
Noodles with rice Флекице с рижом Flekice s rižom
Vrsnjik File:Dutch-oven-sac.jpg Вршњик Vrsnjik Meat and vegetables cooked under a sač.

Roštilj (barbecue)

Grilling is very popular in Serbia. Grilled meats are the primary main course dishes offered in restaurants. They are commonly served as mixed grill on large oval plates. They are often also eaten as fast food. The cities of Leskovac and Novi Pazar are especially famous for their barbecue.

Type Image Serbian Cyrillic Serbian Latin Notes
Pljeskavica File:Pljeskavica (Sarajevo).JPG Пљескавица Pljeskavica A ground pork or beef patty; a national dish.
Ćevapi (ćevapi) File:Cevapi s kajmakom.jpg Ћевапи (ћевапи) Ćevapčići (ćevapi) Ground pork or beef meat sticks; a national dish.
Pork loin Вешалица Vešalica Grilled strips of pork loin.
Skewers File:Pilecin raznjici New (16456582880).jpg Ражњићи Ražnjići Chunks of meat and vegetables grilled on skewers.
Sausages Кобасице Kobasice Various sausages, usually with spices

Bread

Bread is a staple of Serbian meals, and it is often treated almost ritually. A traditional Serbian welcoming is to offer the guest with bread and salt; bread also plays an important role in religious rituals. Many Serbs 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 over time, many Serbs still eat bread with meals.

In most bakeries and shops, white wheat bread loaves (typically 0.5 kg) are sold. In modern times, black bread and various graham bread variations have regained popularity. In many rural households bread is still baked in cast iron ovens, usually in bigger loaves.

Salads

In Serbia, salads are eaten as a side dish with the main course. The simplest of salads consist of sliced lettuce, cabbage, tomato, cucumber or carrot, olives with oil, vinegar, salt, and spices.

Type Image Serbian Cyrillic Serbian Latin Description
Serbian salad File:020211017 171252 374 Serbian salad, Beskids.jpg Српска салата Srpska salata Diced tomatoes, cucumbers, and onions with a simple dressing of oil and vinegar.
Shopska salad File:Sopska salata.jpg Шопска салата Šopska salata Similar to the above Serbian salad, but topped with white cheese.
Greek salad File:Flickr - cyclonebill - Græsk salat.jpg Грчка салата Grčka salata Diced tomatoes, cucumbers and onions, topped with olives and feta cheese, and dressed with olive oil. Originally from Greece, but quite popular in Serbia.
Cabbage salad File:2015-12-20 Spitzkohlsalat mit Möhren anagoria.JPG Купус салата Kupus salata Shredded cabbage with a vinegar dressing.
Zimnica File:Mixed Pickles (9370-72).jpg Зимница Zimnica Pickled vegetables.
Russian salad File:Russian salad.jpg Руска салата Ruska salata Diced boiled potatoes, carrots, pickles, green peas, eggs and ham, dressed with mayonnaise.
Tarator File:TaratorBg.jpg Тартар Tartar Yogurt with cucumber.

Relishes

Urnebes File:Urnebes salade.JPG Урнебес Urnebes A spread made predominantly with crushed white cheese, minced garlic and dry red peppers.
Ajvar File:Ajvar.jpg Ајвар Ajvar A pepper-based condiment made from red bell peppers. It can be mild or spicy.
Ljutenica File:Лутеница.jpg Љутеница Ljutenica A spicy relish. Ingredients include peppers, carrots, eggplant, onion, garlic and tomatoes. It can be smooth or with chunks. Spicier than ajvar. However, different regions and countries have substantially different interpretations of these relishes.
Pinđur File:Pindjur2.JPG Пинђур Pinđur Similar to ajvar but generally made with eggplant. In some regions the words are used interchangeably.

Dairy

Script error: No such module "Labelled list hatnote". Dairy products are an important part of the Serbian diet. Fermented products such as sour milk, kajmak, yogurt and pavlaka are common breakfast foods, consumed daily. White cheeses, called sir are much more common in Serbia than yellow cheeses. There are numerous varieties, some of which have been awarded for their quality, such as the white cheese with walnuts from Babine, which won the 2012 "best autochtonic cheese" award.[12] Serbian Pule cheese, made from donkey milk, is the most expensive cheese in the world.[13] Although less common, several yellow cheese are locally produced.

Meat products

Traditional Serbian meat products are simple ham, bacon, dry ribs, and a kind of pork rinds called čvarci.[5] They are usually produced every autumn or in early winter, during an event called svinjokolj, where pigs are slaughtered and meat is preserved for the winter. Cured meats, bacon, salo, čvarci, sausages such as krvavica, and kulen are produced. Offal and cheaper cuts of meat are utilized as well, and made into processed products such as švargla.

Serbian meat products—especially those which attained protected designation of origin[14] status—include:

Various kinds of sausages and similar more complex meat products were created under Austrian influence in Vojvodina.[5] They include:

Pies

Pies are very popular in Serbia. They are eaten either for breakfast, dinner, or as a snack. They are most commonly made with thin layers of phyllo dough. There are several methods of preparation and numerous types of fillings, both sweet and savory. Serbian pies are usually named after either the preparation method or the filling.

One variety of pie that is not made with phyllo is the štrudla, which, in turn, is not similar to strudel, but rather to a nut roll.

Filling Form Ruffled phyllo Rolled phyllo Layered phyllo Rolled dough
Serbian name Бурек Савијача Штрудла
white cheese Пита са сиром/Сирница Green tickY Green tickY
white cheese and eggs Гибаница Green tickY Gibanica Green tickY
meat Пита с месом Green tickY Green tickY
potatoes Пита с кромпиром/Кромпируша Green tickY Green tickY
spinach, greens Пита са зељем/Зељаница Green tickY Green tickY
mushrooms Пита с печуркама Green tickY Green tickY
sour cherries Пита са вишњама Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY
apples Пита с јабукама Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY
pumpkin Пита с бундевом/Бундевара Green tickY Green tickY
poppy seeds Штрудла с маком/Маковњача Green tickY
walnuts Штрудла са орасима/Орасница Green tickY Česnica (in Vojvodina) Green tickY
no filling Green tickY

Sweets and desserts

File:"Moskva slices" cake in Hotel Moskva, Belgrade 06.jpg
The most popular cake in Belgrade is the Moskva Shnit (Moscow Cake) made by Hotel Moskva.

Sweets are served at the end of meals. Sweets and desserts enjoyed in Serbia typically include both Middle Eastern and European ones, as well as some authentically Serbian ones. Besides the ones mentioned here, pies with sweet fruit fillings are also common.

Type Image Serbian Cyrillic Serbian Latin Description
Plazma cake File:Бајадера.jpg Плазма торта Plazma torta A cake made with ground Plazma biscuits as the primary ingredient.
Vasa's cake File:Vasa's case - Vasina torta.jpg Васина торта Vasina torta A walnut and chocolate cake. Amongst the more popular Serbian desserts.
Qurabiya File:Gurabija (гурабија,Qurabiya; Cuisine of Serbia).jpg Гурабија Gurabija Shortbread-type biscuit
Dobos cake File:Hungarian Dobos torte.jpg Добош торта Doboš torta A five-layer sponge cake, layered with chocolate buttercream and topped with thin caramel slices.
Strudel File:Strudel.jpg штрудла Štrudla Type of layered pastry with a filling that is usually sweet, but savoury fillings are also common.
Reforma cake File:Reform torta.jpg Реформа торта Reforma torta A layered cake with chocolate butter-cream filling.
Slatko File:Slatko-od-lubenica.jpg Слатко Slatko A fruit preserve.
Ratluk File:Rahat cu aroma de fructe.jpg Ратлук Ratluk Turkish delight.
Halva File:UnHelvasi.jpg Алва Alva Dense flour or nut-based sweet confections.
Baklava File:Baklava S.jpg Баклава Baklava Sweet pastry made from layers of phyllo dough, filled with chopped nuts and sweetened with syrup or honey.
Tulumbe File:Тулумби.jpg Тулумбе Tulumbe A fried batter soaked in syrup.
Tufahije File:Sarajevo (15061839535).jpg Туфахије Tufahije A dessert made of walnut-stuffed apples stewed in water with sugar.
Compote File:Kompot z jablek a kdoulí.jpg Компот Kompot Kompot is a non-alcoholic sweet beverage, that may be served hot or cold. It is obtained by cooking fruit in a large volume of water, together with sugar or raisins as additional sweeteners.
Quince cheese File:Dulce de membrillo.jpg Китникес Kitnikes A sweet, thick jelly made of the pulp of the quince fruit.
Knedle File:Knedle sa sljivama.jpg Кнедле са шљивама Knedle sa šljivama Boiled potato-dough dumplings filled with plums. Called gomboce in Vojvodina.
Krofne File:Pokladnice Križevci 2008.JPG Крофне Krofne Airy doughnuts filled with chocolate or jam.
Krempita File:Kremna rezina.jpg Кремпита Krempita A chantilly and custard cream cake dessert.
Orasnice File:Ораснице.jpg Ораснице Orasnice Walnut cookies.
Palačinke File:Pfannkuchen mit Zucker.jpg Палачинке Palačinke Crêpes.
Šampita File:Šampita.jpg Шампита Šampita A whipped marshmallow-type dessert with fillo dough crust.
Ruske kape File:RuskeKapa.jpg Руске капе Ruske kape
Vanilla cookies File:Vanilice od Natase.jpg Ванилице Vanilice
Uštipci File:Ustipci.jpg Уштипци Uštipci Doughnut-like fried dough balls.
Piškoti File:Biskotten-02.jpg пишкоти Piškoti Thin, light, sweet delicate, crispy cookie.

Ritual food

Type Image Serbian Cyrillic Serbian Latin Occasion Description
Česnica File:Cesnica.jpg Чесница Česnica Christmas Plays a central role in a ritual. A coin is put inside it, and it is then rotated and broken into pieces, and each family member takes one. The one who gets the coin is said to have a lucky and blessed following year.
Koljivo File:Koljivo from wheat.jpg Кољиво Koljivo Slava Boiled wheat, almonds/walnuts, and tahini—ritual food during slava.
Slavski kolač File:Slavski kolac.jpg Славски колач Slavski kolač Slava

Drinks

Non-alcoholic

File:Cup of coffee (Serbian cuisine, Grand kava).jpg
Traditional coffee cooked in dzezva, a first coffeehouse (kahvana) in Serbia was opened in 1522 in Belgrade

Domestic coffee (or Serbian coffee) is the most commonly consumed non-alcoholic beverage in Serbia. It is mostly prepared at home, rather than bought in coffee shops, and preferably consumed in the company of friends or family. Slatko, ratluk, and raki may be served alongside coffee. The majority of the Serbian population starts a day with a cup of coffee in the morning. Herbal teas are consumed as a medication, rather than a beverage. Yogurt, kefir and ajran are commonly consumed dairy beverages. They frequently accompany savory pastries. A beverage made from maize, called boza or kvas, was once popular, but today is rarely consumed.

A number of fruit juice and mineral water brands are produced locally. The Knjaz Miloš mineral water is considered a national brand.

Alcoholic

Rakija

Script error: No such module "Labelled list hatnote".

File:Rakija from Serbia1.JPG
Raki in special bottle, as the national drink of Serbia
File:Šljivovica (Serbian Slivovitz).jpg
Slivovitz from Valjevo region

Rakija is a general term for distilled beverages made from fruits. There are numerous varieties, which are usually named after the type of fruit they are made from. Comparatively many people brew their own rakija. Loza, made from grapes, is considered the national drink.

Beer

Script error: No such module "Labelled list hatnote".

Beer has become recently popular and is enjoyed in Serbia, even outpacing the traditional raki and wine. The largest brewery in the country is Apatinska pivara.

Wine

Script error: No such module "Labelled list hatnote".

There are nearly 110,000 hectares of vineyards in Serbia, producing about 645,000 tons of grapes annually, with South Serbia producing the most. Because of that, Serbia is internationally recognized as a great wine producer.

See also

References

<templatestyles src="Reflist/styles.css" />

  1. Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".Script error: No such module "Unsubst".
  2. Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  3. Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  4. Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  5. a b c d e f g h i j k Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  6. Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  7. William of Tyre, Historia Transmarina 20.4.
  8. Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  9. Poglaviti majstori svakog krkanluka
  10. Istorija pisanja kuvara u Srbiji
  11. Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  12. Press Online :: Društvo :: Srpski sir pobedio švajcarski
  13. Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  14. a b c d e f g h i Списак ОГП

Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".

External links

Template:Sister project Template:Sister project

  • Nigella.com – English language recipe for Vasa's Torte (traditional birthday cake with origin from Paraćin, Serbia)
  • SerbiaTouristGuide.com – includes Serbian recipes
  • Serbiafood – a specialized online platform for discovering restaurants, local dishes, and culinary destinations across Serbia.

Template:Country topics Template:Cuisine of Serbia Template:Cuisine Template:Cuisine of the Mediterranean Script error: No such module "Navbox". Template:Authority control