The combination of fresh ingredients, traditional methods of production and spicy spices produces sweet and salty delicacies that will satisfy the tastes of even the most picky gourmets. A variety of salty snacks made from meat, milk, vegetables and fruit are served as appetizers, to whet the appetite, as a snack or as a side dish with main dishes. But a meal in Serbia is not complete until something sweet is served with it, which is why jams, sweets, cakes and other fruit delicacies occupy a special place on the table of every host.
If you are currently visiting Belgrade, do not miss the following delicacies!
Cream cheese/Kajmak
A delicious and creamy dairy delicacy from Serbia, made in the same way for centuries. The milk is boiled over low heat, and the milk fat that collects on the surface is skimmed off, salted and deposited in layers.
It is eaten with bread and bread for breakfast or as an appetizer, and is served with barbecue, potatoes, meat, and even fish, and is an inevitable ingredient in gibanica.
Ajvar
When juicy red peppers are fried with oil and salt, and then mixed with vinegar, a spicy ajvar spread is obtained. Depending on the type of pepper used, ajvar can be mild or hot, and it is usually eaten with bread or crackers, for breakfast or as a side dish with the main course.
Cheeses
The production of milk and milk products in Serbia goes back a long way. It is known that cheeses and other dairy products were a frequent delicacy in medieval Serbia, and the Serbian love for cheese has not faded a bit over time. Therefore, it is not surprising that every region in Serbia has a special recipe for making hard and soft cheeses. The natural conditions for cattle grazing resulted in a unique taste and high quality of cheese, which cannot be replicated in other regions and under different conditions. That is why there are several cheeses of protected geographical origin in Serbia – Staroplaninski and Pirotski cheese, Sjenički and Zlatarski white cheese.
Cured meat specialties
Nothing whets the appetite as well as numerous dried meat specialties. Made from the best pieces of red meat and seasoned according to family recipes, Serbian cured meat products are dried in smoke or draft, which ensures their extraordinary taste and long shelf life.
- Ironed sausage
The region of Pirot gave birth to another Serbian delicacy – the famous ironed sausage, which attracts the attention of gourmets both with its extraordinary taste and unusual appearance. Sausage made from the best cuts of beef, mutton and goat meat with spices and medicinal herbs is dried in a draft. It owes its interesting flat appearance to daily ironing with a glass bottle in order to squeeze the air out of the sausage. - Užice prosciutto
The trademark of the village of Mačkat and its surroundings, Užice prosciutto is made from pure beef. Apart from its impressive pink color and taste, you will recognize Užice prosciutto from afar by the smell of beechwood, which is due to the traditional way of drying in the smoke of beech wood. - Kulen of Srem
Sausage made of finely chopped meat seasoned with red pepper is ideal for whetting the appetite of hosts and guests, which is why it is often served as an appetizer. Kulen differ in shape and spiciness, and the Petrovac kulen, a protected geographical origin that is also called “dragon sausage” due to its high spiciness, is especially appreciated. - Sjenica sudžuk
Sjenica sudžuk is made from the best pieces of mature lamb from the Sjenica-Pešter plateau. It smells of smoke from the open hearth where it is dried, and the taste of mature beef is complemented by salt, garlic and red allspice. You will easily recognize Sjenica sudžuk by its horseshoe shape, which distinguishes it from other sausages at first glance. - Duvan cvarci
When pork meat is mixed with bacon and cooked in a huge pot, they become thread-thin – duvan cvarci. They say that “the drier the better”, and they are usually eaten with hot bread and fresh onions.
The sweetest flavors
In addition to numerous salty diakonies, irresistible sweets are also made in Serbia, which are served for breakfast or snack, or at the end of a hearty meal, as a delicious finale.
Fruit
Fruit growing in these regions is very developed, which is why Serbia is one of the world’s largest exporters of raspberries, apples, plums… Juicy and tasty, full of vitamins, fruit from Serbian orchards is a popular food on tables all over the world. In order to make the best use of everything that fruit can provide, in Serbia fruit is eaten fresh, processed into sweets and jam, and various pies and cakes are made from it.
Sweet
An authentic Serbian delicacy, sweet is obtained by cooking fruit, water and sugar over low heat. The sweet must be mixed carefully so that the pieces of fruit do not fall apart, and the final product, a syrup with pieces of fruit floating on it, looks like candied fruit. In Serbia, it is customary to welcome guests with sweets and water to invigorate them after a long journey, and sweets are also used as an ingredient in numerous cakes.
Jams
Homemade Serbian jams are made from freshly picked ingredients. They are cooked in large quantities, packed in jars and consumed slowly throughout the year. Do not miss the opportunity to try plum jam, which is eaten with butter and bread, but is also often added to cakes for better taste. In Serbia, you can also try delicious jams made from figs, raspberries, apricots, pears… prepared according to a traditional recipe without additives.
Raspberry cake
Serbia is one of the largest exporters of raspberries in the world. Raspberries from the Aril region, whose geographical origin is protected, are especially valued on the domestic and world markets. Due to the large profit it brings to fruit growers, raspberry is also known as “red gold”. Fruit juices, jams and sweets are made from it, and a light, fragrant cake made of juicy Serbian raspberries is a delight for all the senses.
Plum cake
Plums have a special status among people in Serbia, many consider it a trademark of Serbia. A Serbian table cannot be imagined without plum brandy (šljivovice), and plums are used in food in various ways – fresh, dried, as jam, sweet… According to a recipe that is passed down from generation to generation, in Serbia, a cake is made from plums, unique taste.
Apple pie
Kožara, kolačara, šumatovka, petrovača, budimka… these are just a few of the many local varieties of apples grown in orchards all over the country. In Serbia, many believe that one should eat at least one apple a day in order to strengthen immunity and fill the body with vitamins, and apples are used to make juices, cakes and delicious cakes, often with the addition of cinnamon.
A special place among apple desserts is a dry pie consisting of a thin dough stuffed with grated fruit and cinnamon. Crispy apple pie is a favorite delicacy of the local population and can be found everywhere – in restaurants, bakeries, and even in large supermarkets.
Homolje honey
“Liquid gold” – top quality honey – is produced in the Homolje mountains, in the east of Serbia. In Serbia, they like to start the day with a spoonful of honey and a glass of cold water, because here honey is considered a source of health and vitality. Numerous medicinal, rare and honey-bearing species of plants that grow on the Homolje mountains give this honey a special quality – which is why Homolje honey is a trademark of protected geographical origin.
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