Serbian cuisine Totally Explained

Everything about The Serbian Cuisine totally explained

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.
   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.

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

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.

Various sorts of (often with cheese, meat... jam... filled) pastries (pogačice, žu-žu, paštete, kifle, perece, buhtle, pletenice, štapići) and especially often:
Burek
Kačamak (also Cicvara) - a type of polenta
Popara
Proja(cornbread)
Various sandwiches
Bread with something:
- Bread, (often butter) and honey
- Bread, (often butter) and jam
- Bread, lard and salt and paprika
- Bread, lard and sugar
- Bread and kajmak

Soups

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.

Pljeskavica (hamburger)

Ćevapčići (small kebabs)

Vešalica (strips of smoked meat)

Various sausages

Mixed grill (mešano meso)

Skewered kabobs (ražnjići)

Other popular main course dishes

Roasted meat (pork, lamb, goat or occasionally ox)

Gulaš

Đuveč

Karađorđeva šnicla (breaded rolled steak stuffed with cream cheese)

Wiener schnitzel (Bečka šnicla)

Moussaka (Мусака, Musaka)

Mućkalica (intestines prepared on barbecue in sauce)

Paprikaš (Паприкаш)

Bećar paprikaš

Podvarak (stewed sauerkraut usually with meat and sometimes with noodles)

Prebranac (baked beans in sauce)

Stuffed Bell peppers (punjene paprike)

Stuffed zucchinis (punjene tikvice)

Sarma

Tripes (škembići)

(Noodles with poppy) (Rezanci s makom)

Pihtije

Pasulj

Grašak

Wedding cabbage, (Svadbarski kupus)

Dumplings (valjušci or flekice) with potatoes or cabbage

Meat products

Often made during svinjokolj:

Čvarci

Bacon (slanina)

Various hams:

Praška šunka (Prager Schinken- boiled ham)

Various steamed hams (pršut, pršuta, pečenica):
Njeguški pršut
Užički pršut

Various sausages (kobasice):

Blood sausage (krvavice)
Kulen
Sremska
Hot dog (viršle)

Head cheese (švargla)
Dairy Products

Kajmak

Yoghurt

Pavlaka (Sour Cream)

Feta cheese

Cream cheese

Caciocavallo cheese (Kačkavalj)

Mileram
Bread and Porridges
Bread is the basis of Serbian meals and it's 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's 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:

Đevrek

Kačamak (also Cicvara) - a type of polenta

Pereca

Pogača

Popara

Somun (also lepinja)

Soda bread

Languš

Lepinje

Pogačica

Pita
Pies (Dough layers dishes)

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

Ajvar

Ljutenica

Urnebes

Serbian salad (српска салата, srpska salata)

Shop salad (шопска салата, šopska salata)

Russian salad (руска салата, ruska salata)

Various simple salads (lettuce, cabbage, sauerkraut, beetroot, tomato, cucumber, carrot, potato)
Sweets

Alva

Baklava

Compote (kompot)

Dobos Torte (Doboš Torta - Dobosh Torte)

Doughnuts (krofne)

Jam (džem and pekmez - preserve)

Slatko (fruits in jelly)

Kadaif

Knedle (Knedle sa šljivama - also called Gomboce in Banat)

Kitnikes

Krempita (custard pie)

Makovnjača

Oblande (Oblatne)

Orasnice

Palačinke (crapes, usually with jam)

Profiterole (princes krofne)

Serbian Cherry pie(Pita od Višanja- sour cherries and walnuts with fillo dough)

Salčići

Shampita (Ŝampita - Tasty whipped marshmallow type desert with fillo dough crust.)

Shenokl (Šenokle)

Štrudla

Reform Torte see information about torte

Rice pudding (sutlijaš - rice pudding with cinnamon)

Tufahije

Tulumbe

Urmašice

Vanilice

Vasa's torte (Vasina torta - traditional Serbian cake (torte) rich in chocolate, nut and orange flavor (see recipe in external links))

Žito (ceremonial sweet made of wheat, walnuts and some raisins)
Ritual

Česnica

Koljivo

Slavski kolač, prepared for slavas.

žito, sweet prepared for slavas
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're made of; among the most known ones are:

Šljivovica (slivovitz, plum brandy), Serbian national drink

Lozovača (grape brandy)

Viljamovka / Kruskovaca (pear brandy)

Jabukovaca (applejack)

Stomaklija

Pelinkovac, (a wormwood liqueur milder than Absinthe)
Kitchenware
Some specific kitchenware for Serbia are:

Đuveč

SačFurther Information
Get more info on 'Serbian Cuisine'.

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