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Impressions |
May 2006 |
"Between stick and barbecue" is the title of the chapter "serbian food" in Jelena Katičić book "how to eat in Yugoslavia" (Mladinska knjiga, Ljubljana 1971). The influence of the middle east has left his traces in the kitchen, be it the selection of food, the way to process it or the composition of the menu. It is a "slow food", everything is done slowly and takes time. Which might also mean that you would leave it in the oven or on the stove doing something else, like working in the fields.
| Ajwar | is preserved paprika. Paprika is grinded, cooked in water till no water is left, oil is added and the mix is boiled and salt is added. Ajwar is a way to keep paprika over winter. |
| Čorba | means browth and comes in many variations, meat or vegetable. |
| Djuveč | is a stew with fresh young vegetables and meat (specifically mutton), a summer dish. It used to cook for hours in a ceramic pot in the oven. |
| Flekica sa šunkum | Noodles and ham |
| Gibanica | Pastry filled with cheese or meat. |
| Kajmak | is the fat from the cooked milk collected in a wooden pot (Katschitze) and left to get sour. "Young" kajmak is mild, "old" kajmak after a longer fermentation is salty and harty. |
| Paprikaš | is a stew with meat and paprika |
| Proja | is a type of corn bread. Water, salt, egg and corn flower are mixed and made into small cakes. |
| Ražnjići | Meat and onions roasted on a stick |
| Sarma | or Podvarak are winter dishes made of cabbage. Larger quantities are prepared and reheated. Reheating several times makes it tastier. |
| Slatko | a sort of jam made with lots of sugar. Eaten with a spoon, it is a tradition when you welcome a guest: slatko and a glas of water. |
| Šopska Salata | is a salad of cucumber and tomatoes with cheese on top. |
| Šumaddija-Tee | is cooked Rakija with added water and sugar |
| Urnabes | is cream cheese with paprika and pickles |
| Užička prsuta | (smoked ham from Užice) is a traditional starter, together with cheese, Kajmak, paprika and of course Rakija |
| Žito | sweet dish made from wheat. The traditional dish for Slava. Wheat is soaked, cooked for 1 - 2 hours and let rest for 4 - 5hours. Than nuts, sugar, vanilla and rum is added. |