Although it sounds simple, not everyone can make Belmuž! There is no single recipe, and ancient techniques have been passed down from generation to generation.
Belmuž, a traditional speciality of the mountainous regions of eastern and southern Serbia, was born out of necessity. In the pastures, isolated for months from larger settlements, the shepherds had limited access to food but they always had excellent fresh cheese. They needed to prepare a high-calorie and tasty dish with it. It probably originates from the Middle Ages, and even today it is prepared in the same way using only two ingredients – young cow’s or sheep’s cheese that must not be older than two days and flour, usually corn. Belmuž can therefore only be made where high-quality, young and strong cheese is produced.
The best belmuž is made in large quantities, in a cauldron and over an open fire, where flour is poured into the carefully melted cheese – once only corn but nowadays often wheat. Then it is stirred over the fire for a long time, literally for hours, until all the ingredients are combined, and the fine milk fat floats to the surface.
This original dish also has its own festival, Belmužijada, which takes place every first weekend in August in Svrljig. Belmužijada started in 2005 in order to preserve this dish from oblivion, and the event itself put Belmuž on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Serbia in 2014.
It’s not baby food – it’s fatty, strong and filling. In the past, it served its purpose – heavy work could be done after even a small amount. That is why it is said to be the ideal food for grooms. Actually, Belmuž is traditionally prepared by men, because mixing it requires muscle power.
Today, Belmuž is no longer just a food providing energy for hard work, but a true delicacy. Its luxurious milky aroma evokes the breath of herbs, spices and medicinal herbs from the Homolje and Stara planina pastures. Its creamy and filling flavour lingers on the palate for a long time, and Belmuž is excellent with homemade slivovitz as part of an appetiser. Today you can often find it on the menus of good restaurants as an authentic local speciality.
Belmuž is a food for men, and that’s what its name says – “bel” as a localism for “white” and “muž” for “husband” or a man from whom much is expected. This original dish also has its own festival, Belmužijada, which takes place every first weekend in August in Svrljig. Each of the participants believes they have the best recipe, and the winner becomes the official “Master for Belmuž”.