Ironed sausage

Pirotska peglana is, along with Ćilim and  Pirot cheese, a trademark of the Pirot region and so famous that it has its own festival, which is traditionally held at the beginning of each year. They also call it Pirot viagra, because consuming it provides great strength. It is made from beef, sheep and goat meat, and sometimes with the addition of donkey meat. Then it is stuffed into beef or pork intestine, tied into a horseshoe shape, hung to dry and “ironed” with a bottle every day until it becomes flat and compact.  It is juicy, spicy and fragrant.

Prosciutto - Pršuta

Prosciutto is a delicacy with an unsurpassed flavour, the queen of all dried meat products and every Serbian hors d’oeuvre, primarily because it is made from the highest quality meat. They say that the best comes from Mačkat from Zlatibor, where the Pršutijada event dedicated to prosciutto has been held for decades. Like Njeguši prosciutto for Montenegro and Dalmatian prosciutto for neighbouring Croatia, beef prosciutto, usually from Užice or Zlatibor, is one of the most famous Serbian products. Prosciutto is made from meat from the leg or thigh of an animal, with carefully monitored salting, smoking and drying. Cut it into thin slices and enjoy it to the maximum.

Sudžuk

The sausage that has made the Sjenica region and Pešter famous in the gastronomic sense, in addition to the famous cheese and lamb, is the widely known and distinctive sudžuk. It has no gristle or air pockets and it smells only of the indispensable smoke and garlic. Sudžuk is a beef sausage in the shape of a horseshoe, and in addition to high-quality meat, its production requires the skilled hands of a craftsman. It is juicy and firm in texture, and only salt, garlic and paprika are added. You need to allow time for the final product, because every sudžuk needs to be smoked and matured before the best part, consumption!

Kulen sausage of Srem

This minced-meat sausage spiced with red peppers is an ideal starter to whet your appetite and is why it’s often served as “meze”. Kulen sausages differ in size and spiciness; the one held in highest regard is Petrovački kulen, with protected designation of origin, also called the “dragon sausage” because of its extreme pungency.

“Tobacco” cracklings

Until recently, cracklings have been neglected – a rural product that was not considered a speciality. Fortunately, that has changed and their price and quality are increasing year by year. Today, cracklings are a starter that cannot be skipped, even in haute cuisine restaurants. In addition to the classic ones, Serbia is famous for its unique “tobacco” cracklings. They arose near Valjevo and their golden yellow colour and shape irresistibly resemble cut tobacco in appearance, which is how they got their name. They are obtained in a special procedure that involves first cooking fat and pieces of meat, and then a long frying process with constant stirring. The only addition is salt, preferably sea salt. Mastery is reflected in the selection of the moment for salting and squeezing the cracklings. The final product has a specific taste and texture that is difficult to describe. In Valjevo, every year in October, the “tobacco” cracklings festival is held where many tonnes of this product are sold.

Ćevapi

There are probably very few people on the planet who have never heard of ćevapi, and judging by their popularity, the Balkans are not the only place where you can enjoy them. Real homemade ćevapi are even eaten in Manhattan, and if you ask people who have gone there what food from their homeland they miss the most, besides sarma, the most common answer would be ćevapi or, as we like to call them, ćevapčići (a diminutive of “ćevapi”). Sometimes they are simply made from beef, and sometimes from different combinations of meat, and the flavour is so tempting that vegetarians and vegans do not like them. Some people will tell you that the best ones are found in Novi Pazar, some that there are no better ones than those in Čačak, while others opt for Leskovac ćevapi…

Leskovac barbecue

The Leskovac barbecue is said to be one of the best in Serbia: ćevapi, burgers, meatballs, sausages and other chargrilled dishes are prepared here with love and with the inevitable addition of top-quality red pepper. A dish that unites all the gastronomic virtues of the south of Serbia is Leskovac mućkalica, a highly spicy speciality based on grilled meat. It is simmered in an earthenware pot together with roasted red peppers, tomatoes, onions and sweet and hot paprika, creating one of the symbols of the Leskovac region. The best mućkalica is made at the very end of the summer, when fully ripe, late tomatoes and delicious, crunchy red peppers come to the green markets.

Karađorđe's schnitzel

Karađorđe’s schnitzel, crispy, juicy and very recognisable, is such a big part of the Serbian restaurant routine that many people are surprised to hear that the creator of this dish is a well-known person and that he is still in business! Milovan Mića Stojanović, one of the great chefs of the former SFRY, created Karađorđe’s schnitzel in the Golf restaurant in 1956, the same year he became Josip Broz Tito’s personal chef.

The dish was created by accident, due to a lack of ingredients for the Kiev cutlet. According to the legend of Karađorđe’s schnitzel, Josip Broz Tito’s sister-in-law, Tamara Broz, wanted a Kiev cutlet but Mića Stojanović lacked butter and chicken, so she got a new dish, made of beef schnitzel coated with kaymak, breaded and fried in oil. This schnitzel only gets its full flavour when coated with sour tartar sauce, the same way it is served today.

Roast lamb and pork

If there is no roast, there is no feast! The highlight of the feast in Serbia is roast meat on a spit. There is an eternal debate on whether lamb or pork is tastier, which part is the most delicious, the softest, the juiciest, the sweetest, whether it is better hot or cold, etc. The smell of roast meat and the taste of crispy skin is the most beautiful gastronomic experience for many, and every feast, meeting with friends at weekends outside the city and holidays such as patron’s day, Christmas and Easter almost always include a roast. In Serbia, this gastronomic tradition is nurtured in numerous catering facilities selling roasts, where there is no menu because everything is known in advance – pork or lamb that is taken “by the kilo” and salad. All over Serbia, from Zlatibor via Čačak to Aranđelovac, Stopanje or Mladenovac, you will find excellent roasts, although everywhere different! That’s why it’s best to start researching as soon as possible!

Sarma

Is it possible to imagine a holiday dining table without delicious and filling sauerkraut sarma? Some holidays from the former state have disappeared, such as Republic Day, but not the custom of wrapping the first sauerkraut sarma in late November and early December. It is also made for the New Year, together with roast meat and Olivier salad.

Sarma is an extraordinary aromatic dish that connects Serbia with the rest of the Balkans, but also with Asia Minor and the Caucasus, regions where dishes made from wrapped vegetable leaves are also very popular. In our classic version, sauerkraut is used for wrapping, ideally from Futog, which is easy to peel and wrap. It is stuffed with minced meat, rice and spices, especially pepper. On summer days, when there is no sauerkraut, vine leaves are also used to make sarma: a good “sarmica” made from the vine and covered with cold sour milk is a great restaurant speciality in Serbia, and it is also made in many houses.

Prebranac

During the winter, it is hard to imagine a meal without some creamy, delicious prebranac. This is a dish made of beans carefully cooked so that they remain firm, and then baked with plenty of well-sautéed onions, as well as pepper, garlic and good red pepper. Many people love this dish so much that they treat it as the main dish at the table, especially when the chef has achieved the right balance of flavours, which, as with all apparently simple dishes, can only be achieved through long practice. The Tetovac bean is the best for making prebranac, and Gradištanac is an adequate substitute.

Fish Soup and Fish Paprikash

The rivers that flow through Serbia are an inexhaustible source of fish. Like everywhere else in the world, there are many ways to prepare fish (smoked, fried, boiled, grilled) to make various flavoursome dishes.Freshly caught fish is cooked in a fish soup which is often served at the beginning of a large main meal in Serbia. Chefs claim that the best fish soup is made with several high-quality fish species combined, with every experienced fisherman in Serbia using his own combination of spices to give their fish soup a characteristic aroma and pungency.Another dish that is highly recommended for fish lovers is fish paprikash. Made with fish and heavily spiced with red peppers, fish paprikash is a very piquant dish that is served on top of thick homemade noodles.

Komplet lepinja

At Šuljaga’s, the smell of “komplet lepinja” will amaze you the moment they bring it to your table, or while you patiently wait in line for it to come out of the old brick oven. Šuljaga’s is the famous bakery where this dish was born before the Second World War when the bakers cut buns in half, spread the lower part with aged kaymak and beat an egg over it. Then they baked it until golden brown, drizzled it with pork and lamb broth, and put the “lid” back on. The bun, which was then called the “bun with everything”, is today the famous “komplet lepinja”. It is eaten with sour milk or yoghurt and you will not get cutlery with it. As a rule, the top part is eaten first by splitting it and dipping it in the middle, and only then do you start eating the bun to get full pleasure.

Buckwheat pastry

Buckwheat pastry, “heljduša” or “eljdopita”, another gastronomic asset of the Užice and Zlatar region, is a pastry made from buckwheat flour pancakes and filled with cheese, kaymak and eggs. It is so delicious that, regardless of the fact that it is often served as a starter, people eat it until it’s gone. It is interesting that, as a rule, the pastry is cut into pieces before baking. The taste is amazing and its benefits, experts say, are huge. The best type uses local ingredients, Zlatar buckwheat pastry, kaymak and fatty Zlatar cheese, which is especially important in the filling because it gives this famous dish its distinctive taste.

Proja

What used to be pizza for the Italians, is named proja or “mučenica” here, as the housewives used to call it, an important part of Serbian tradition and a favourite dish for the poor made using only three ingredients. Traditional proja is made when coarsely ground corn flour is mixed with hot water, salted and baked. It is eaten for breakfast, with a fresh salad, cheese and dried meat, as a substitute for bread, and although the old housewives certainly did not think about this, it has another big plus in modern times – it does not contain gluten if it is made in the traditional way.

Mantije

People say that if you eat mantije (from Pazar) in the morning, you will be full for the entire day, and although the original recipe does not suggest pouring sour milk or yoghurt over it, we usually eat them that way. Mantije are a symbol of Novi Pazar. They have a unique flavour and appearance, and this may be why very few people will reveal their mantija recipe to you. Basically, they are made from flour and ground meat and it takes a lot of effort to make them. They consist of twelve layers of yufka dough, are served hot, and must be crispy. In the past, girls could not get married until they had learned how to make mantije.

Gibanica

People say that if you eat mantije (from Pazar) in the morning, you will be full for the entire day, and although the original recipe does not suggest pouring sour milk or yoghurt over it, we usually eat them that way. Mantije are a symbol of Novi Pazar. They have a unique flavour and appearance, and this may be why very few people will reveal their mantija recipe to you. Basically, they are made from flour and ground meat and it takes a lot of effort to make them. They consist of twelve layers of yufka dough, are served hot, and must be crispy. In the past, girls could not get married until they had learned how to make mantije.

Samsa

Samsa is one of those dishes that have travelled a long way from Central Asia to Europe, retaining both the name (“somosa” or “samosa” also exists in India and Iran) and the original taste. Vranje samsa is a specific dish of this region that is very commonly made at home. People used to say that the art of making samsa is proof that a girl is ready to get married. It is somewhat reminiscent of gibanica and has related ingredients – dough sheets, eggs, yoghurt, oil and cheese – with the exception that the sheets are wrapped into a roll, baked, and, after browning, coated with mixed sour milk and garlic, a combination that makes this dish so unique.

Belmuž

Have you experienced how hunger will catch up with you after working from dawn to dusk tending to cattle in the mountains? Probably not. Therefore, if your journey takes you to Stara planina and the hosts offer you belmuž, do not take too much because this is one of the most calorific dishes in southern Serbia. For centuries, it has been prepared in households on Stara planina using young, day-old cow’s or sheep’s cheese with corn or wheat flour. Full-fat cheese is melted over a low heat and flour is slowly added until a compact dish with a unique taste is obtained.

Vurda

It’s not cream, nor mileram, nor sour milk… Actually, vurda is hard to describe to someone who has never tried it. And whoever has tried it will not forget it. For some, it may be a reason to visit the Lužnica-Babušnica region again. Vurda (or urda) is made in Southern Serbia (as well as in Ukraine, Bulgaria and Turkey), and the vurda prepared by housewives in the Babušnica region is so good that it has the potential to become a real gastronomic attraction of Serbia. They get it by squeezing sour cow’s milk – only full-fat – and leaving it to ferment for several weeks, often with the addition of peppers that give it a unique character.

Vanilice

This is the most famous and popular biscuit, without which it is impossible to imagine a patron’s day celebration, festivity or feast at home in Serbia, though it is also often found in homes as an everyday sweet. The best homemade vanilice are served with your coffee. These are small, round and snow-white biscuits that can be eaten in one bite. This traditional Serbian sweet gained world fame when the culinary site food52.com declared vanilice the best biscuit in the world, overshadowing much more complicated desserts. As they are small, sweet and melt in your mouth, it’s hard to stop eating them once you start, but no one will blame you here.

Rose petal preserve

People in Serbia usually serve their guests slatko and a glass of water while homemade coffee is being prepared. If you could imagine a gentle, fragrant and aromatic welcome, then it would be rose petal preserve. This is made from the petals of Rosa damascena or the Damask rose, small and tufted flowers with a far stronger and more intoxicating scent than their hybrid cousins. The result of the subtle preparation of these delicate petals is an enchantingly intoxicating flavour and unique aroma.

Dumplings and strudels

When the plum season comes around, everyone knows which delicacy is being prepared – plum knedle dumplings. This is a dessert made from potato dough with a plum (or apricot) placed in the centre, then boiled and fried in butter with breadcrumbs and sugar. In Vojvodina, these dumplings are known as gomboce, and in recent years, there have been real arguments on social networks from those who believe that only one of these names is correct. Generally, traditional recipes are for knedle/gomboce with plums and apricots, while modern cuisine experiments with various flavours – from various fruits to pistachios, chocolate, vanilla cream, etc. Speaking of Vojvodina specialities, we cannot fail to mention strudel with poppy seeds. The secret of Vojvodina strudel is the rich filling (it is said that you can never have enough poppy seeds!), and to make the dough thin and spongy so that the strudel is crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside.

Gugelhupf

You will recognise Gugelhupf by its specific shape, which it has probably always had because it is said to be one of the oldest modelled cakes that are part of the tradition of many European countries. The most famous in Serbia is the Karlovac Gugelhupf, and there is a group of women in Sremski Karlovci who nurture the tradition of this sweet bread and hold a festival in honour of this delicacy every year. There are different types of Gugelhupf for different occasions: festive, wine, Christmas and with various combinations of flavours – chocolate, orange, lemon, walnut, espresso coffee, carob, etc. Roughly, there are about 400 recipes! It is an unwritten rule that chocolate Gugelhupf goes best with coffee or red wine, and white Gugelhupf with white wine or tea.