Green markets

Slatko is a traditional product made of fruit and sugar. When you come to someone’s house, you will usually be served slatko in small bowls, with a glass of cold water, or maybe you have some directly after waking up, with your morning coffee. Specialities include slatko made from Rainier cherries, quinces, figs, wild strawberries, etc. Quinces are also used to make pelte (jelly) and kitnikez (quince cheese with walnuts). Jams and marmalades are another way to preserve the summer fruit flavours during the winter. These are fruits that have been cooked with sugar, but unlike slatko, their texture is thinner and more spreadable, so they are used as fillings for pancakes and other desserts or simply spread on pastries for a sweet breakfast. Jam is obtained from chopped fruits, while marmalade is made from fruit pulp. Favourite flavours include plum, apricot and dog rose.

Ajvar

You know that the winter is over when the last jar of ajvar from the pantry is opened. Ajvar is a speciality made from red peppers, which are roasted over an open fire, then peeled, ground and fried in oil until a thick mass is obtained that is stored in jars. The most famous is Leskovac ajvar, and that is no accident because the best and highest quality peppers grow in the Leskovac region. The best ajvar is made using the large fleshy peppers of the kurtovka variety. One kilogram of ajavar requires about three kilograms of fresh peppers. Aubergines or hot peppers can be added to red peppers ajvar. Variations include pinđur and chopped pepper. There is a national competition in the preparation of ajvar with the cute name Izađi mi na teglu (Go Out and Fill a Jar), which gathers a large number of visitors, lovers of “Serbian caviar”, who can try it on the spot.

Kaymak

Kaymak from Čačak, Užice and Kraljevo are gastronomic specialities that are mainly made using cow’s milk. Some like it strong and salty (aged kaymak) while others like it mild, milky and sweet (young kaymak). It goes best with fried dough-balls (uštipci) or hot bread, but it is also an ingredient in specialities such as pork fillet with kaymak, Karađorđe’s schnitzel and fried dough-balls with pepper and kaymak. Ćevapi are also eaten with kaymak here…

Honey

Fortunately, Serbia still has areas with untouched nature that allow different types of medicinal plants and trees to grow, far from pollution. One such area is the Homolje Mountains in the east, which is the origin of the first certified honey from Serbia – Homolje honey. It is obtained from acacia flowers and medicinal plants, the mixing of which in a certain proportion creates the recognisable aroma of this honey. It is characterised by its density, which makes it easy to wind up on a spoon, and its colour varies from light yellow to dark amber. The aroma is floral and if you’ve ever visited this mountain, you’ll carry this aroma with you every time you open a jar of honey from this area.

The largest linden forest in Southeast Europe is located in the Fruška Gora National Park, so it is no surprise that the Fruška Gora linden honey is unique in the world. This honey proudly carries the designation of geographical origin, recognised outside the borders of the country, if it contains a minimum of 60 percent linden pollen in its composition and it is packaged on the territory of Fruška Gora. This honey is bright, almost transparent, with a recognisable and intense linden aroma and a characteristic taste. It belongs among the best quality monofloral honeys from Serbia.

Kačerski honey carries a designation of geographical origin from the Šumadija region. It is obtained from acacia flowers, which makes up its largest part with the addition of linden and medicinal plants. It belongs among the flower honeys and has a mild aroma and a golden yellow colour.

For centuries, the junction of the mighty Danube and the grandiose Đerdap gorge has been known for its diverse plant life that is a source of food for bees. Although honey has been produced in this area for centuries, it is only recently that Đerdap honey has received a designation of geographical origin. Acacia flowers, linden and more than 70 types of plants, some of which grow only in this area, are specific to this honey. The result is an extremely high-quality honey and an authentic product of this region.

Honey production in monastery estates has a long tradition in Serbia. Back in the 19th century, the beekeeping department of the Karlovac Seminary was among the best in the world. Even today, the monks engage in beekeeping and make their own honey, and among the most famous are the honeys from the monasteries of Kovilj, Lelić, Fenek, Duljevo, Bukovo, etc. The Visoki Dečani monastery, whose property is home to the only chestnut forest in Serbia, produces medicinal chestnut honey with a specific and slightly bitter taste.