Secrets of Serbian Cuisine

Serbia has a strong culinary culture that developed in surroundings rich in nature, under the influence of a moderate continental climate, but also of many historical attributes and co-mingling of cultures, starting from the neighboring Balkans, through the peoples and cultures that historically occupied this area. The Byzantine, Turkish and Austro-Hungarian influences on food in Serbia were crucial in the process of creating what we now call Serbian cuisine.

According to the report from Taste Atlas for 2023/2024 Serbian cuisine is in an enviable 20th place, with an average rating of 4.45 out of 5. The top ten places are Italy, Japan, Greece, Portugal, China, Indonesia, Mexico, France, Spain, and Peru. Of the former Yugoslav republics, Croatia ranks 19th, Bosnia and Herzegovina 27th, Macedonia 61st, Slovenia 64th, and Montenegro only 80th. Same source states that the most popular Serbian dishes are: pljeskavica (Serbian burger), beans, ajvar (roasted red pepper spread), gibanica (a pastry made with feta cheese and egg, burek (pastry) with cheese, sarma (cabbage rolls), Karađorđe schnitzel ( a breaded, fried and rolled cream stuffed cutlet), prebranac (a casserole of caramelized onion and white bean), donuts, urnebes ( feta cheese,roasted red peppers oil and garlic spread), etc.

There is no report, blog, recommendation, or impression of tourists who visit Serbia that does not include praise for Serbian food. Good, tasty and largely "clean" food is eaten in Serbia not only in the best and most famous restaurants, but also in lesser-known ones and even in fast food restaurants. One of the reasons for this is that Serbia has around five million hectares of agricultural land with relatively small farms where food production takes place without genetic modifications. And on the table in every family, mostly healthy and clean food is served, thanks to the markets where you can buy vegetables, fruits, dairy products, and meat directly from farmers. Markets are always there regardless of the time of year and offer their irresistible products every day, and they are widespread in every town and settlement in Serbia.

For a long time, I thought about what I, as a Serbian woman, and a cook in my own home, would single out as the main characteristics of Serbian food and cuisine. One characteristic is certainly that you don't eat much fast food in Serbia. Three meals a day are eaten, breakfast is usually strong and usually consists of savory pastries, which are another Serbian specialty, and lunch, which is usually eaten in the early afternoon, is the most important and substantial meal, while dinner is usually light. We should not only mention those Serbian dishes that are famous in the world and are served in restaurants as exclusive, but also those typical dishes and delicacies that are eaten every day. For example, for an ordinary meal, the family will certainly not serve Carađorđe schnitzel (rolled veal or pork schnitzel filled with cream, then breaded with breadcrumbs and fried in hot oil), but rather one of the cooked dishes with or without meat, such as boiled peas, stewed green beans , stuffed peppers, boiled beans, moussaka, podvarak (Sauerkraut), sataraš (stewed tomatoes, peppers and onion) , sweet cabbage, đuvec (stew). Or on the menu is a clear chicken or beef soup, a side dish of boiled or stewed vegetables, baked, fried, or grilled meat and the obligatory salad. And the common denominator is that in almost every home-made dish, which is served as the main dish in Serbian families, a spoon is used! There is also a popular Serbian proverb that says: There is no meal without a spoon.

Food preparation was and remains a part of Serbian tradition and culture. Recipes for preparing food were passed down from generation to generation by our mothers and grandmothers, and we will also pass them on to our children.