We Turks think the Balkans very similar to us with the social similarities brought about by sharing the 500-year history that existed in the past. If you open the map and put Istanbul and Belgrade side by side, you will see similarities that you cannot imagine.
We will have a small gastronomic visit to Belgrade with our Turkish friends in the near future. So, we wanted to share with you our exciting preparations on food.
If you ever travel Belgrade, do not forget to get in touch with us!
1- Burek: Pie filled with cheese egg mix. Oil or oil and soda mixture is sprinkled while cooking. It is thought to be a flavor from Turkish times.
2- Krofne: It looks like a Berliner. We can say that it is the first European pastry of this Balkan region. Although it is estimated that it was produced in the 14th century in the Germans, it is known that it was found here in the 9th century.
3- Pazarska Mantije: We think it was originally from Novi Pazar. It is made with ground beef and served with yogurt.
4- Makowiec: In Polish, this word is used for poppy roll cake. It is a flavor brought by the Slavic people and is especially served in winter and even on New Year's Eve. A poppy puree is being prepared and wrapped in dough. Sometimes currants, almonds, honey or orange peel can be added preferably. It's not very sugary.
5- Ajvar Sos: We need a table to talk properly about this friend. Eggplant, tomato and pepper sauce. It can also be served as an appetizer.
6- Pljeskavica: It is obtained by cooking ground pork, beef and lamb prepared with spices in the form of burger patties. Burger is served with Yugoslavian lepinja bread instead of bun bread. It is thought that this product passed to Serbia from the Ottoman Empire to the Ottoman Empire, as well as the Assyrian and Persian people.
7- Sopska Salata: Like in every other region has their one significant salad, Serbians also have a salad that is available in almost every restaurant. Served with tomato, cucumber and grated cheese. Sometimes onions are also included, and the one without cheese appears in Bulgarian cuisine.
8- Punjene Paprike: Stuffed peppers. A dish from the Levant cuisine. It could be pork or veal minced meat
9- Sarma: Comparing to the Greek or Turkish culture, when they say sarma, they possibly mean cabbage rolls. So yummy as it is served hot and with minced meat.
10- Gibanica: A kind of pastry with dense cheese. It is also similar to another pastry called guzvara, which means wrinkled. It takes its name from the thin rolled dough being dipped in a mixture of cheese, egg, milk, salt and cream. The intense cheese gets its taste from sheep's milk.
11- Prebranac: We can simply call it Serbian beans. It is generally preferred in winter because it keeps it full for a long time. There is more than 30 bean dishes in Serbian cuisine cooked in same way with different ingredients.
12- Podvarak: It is made from fermented cabbage, which is called Sauerkraut in gastronomy. It is kept in the jar. It has a long shelf life as lactic acid ferments the sugar in cabbage. Podvarak is also made from this cabbage. For this reason, Serbian is referred to as "comfort food". We can compare it to our finely chopped kapuska. It is cooked with onions, garlic and spices and served plain, with pork or chicken.
13- Cevapcici / Cevapi: The most famous Balkan meatballs. It is mostly veal meat by the parts of the Balkans that do not usually eat pork. Mostly restaurants are serving it with veal, you might come across with pork meat. Must ask first.
14- Rostilj: If you eat pork and you are a carnivore, this is what you should order. It not only one type of meat on the plate. Grilled pljeskavica, cevapi, kobasice (sausage), raznjici (meat skewer) and vesalice (pork fillet) all come in one plate. When ordering, your order for 2 people can be for 4 people. Porsions are huge!
15- Cvarci: A snack sold in every market for those who can try pork. Roasted pork knuckles. Honestly, some of my Serbian friends don't like it because it's too oily. But if you like beer, you must try at least a bite
16- Karadordeva Snicla: It is obtained by frying pork or veal chops after making bread and meatballs. It takes its name from Kara Yorgi, who started an uprising against the Ottomans in 1804. It is said to have been found for the first time in the 1950s when a Serbian chef cooked it for a Soviet guest. It was previously made with chicken.
17- Muckalica: Stew meat or vegetable stew. It was made with vegetables and leftover meat. It is also made from 'rostilj' left the day before. It takes its name from the word “muckati” which means “to mix”.
18- Vanilice: As the name suggests, it means vanilla cookies. Actually, vanilice means exactly tiny vanillas. It is served with jam in between. There is vanilla and walnut in the main dough and vanilla is sprinkled on top.
19- Bannock (Pogacika): name has Scottish English origin.Pogacika looks fluffy in layers. It can always be found in pekaras.
20- Komadni Kolaci (Plazma Kocka): It gets its name from its dough. Kolaç or in other words immigrant kolac is actually the cake we know. Komadni means piece, Kolachi ( колаци ) means cake. You can buy "plasma kocka", which is like a soft biscuit, which is a biscuit version, in take-home supermarkets.
21: Wine and Sparkled: A lovely rising business of the country. There is a difference in quality between the wines of the country 5 years ago and now. The first brand I can recommend for the wine consumer will definitely be Kovacevic. It is especially delicious in white. In general, IDEA markets offer very reasonable options and prices for alcohol types and delicatessen products.
22- Local Coffee: Domaca Kafa! Means domestic coffee :) So, yes, local coffee. In other words, it is Turkish coffee. Yes, Turkish coffee is the local coffee of the country during the Ottoman Empire. To be honest, the biggest shopping for me is coffee from Belgrade. Especially the Grand Kafa brand is very delicious. You can choose red packs (Aroma) for a light drink, or green packs (Strong) if you want slightly strong – still not as strong as Turkish coffee – drinkable. You can also buy various other coffee crands. All will taste so delicious. 23- Najlepse Chocolate: Locally produced chocolate of Serbia. It is recommended to try before you buy. If the plain one is too basic, you can get it from the ones with different ingredients.
24- Bananica: The most affordable, childish snack in supermarkets, even next to the cash register. It is sold in different flavors with banana flavor. You can get it in boxes from maxi markets. The mint flavor is recommended to be consumed cold.
25- Rakija (org. Čokanjčiči) : The most famous brandy made from plums. If you like high alcohol consumption, you can definitely find a flavor that suits you. Although plum is the main thing, you can try varieties such as quince, honey, apricot, pear and find your own favorite. There are various brands in supermarkets. The most perfect is undoubtedly Stara Sokolova, of course the price is higher than the others, but it deserves every penny. The rakija called “Shamar” is also very popular among the people. Yes, indeed “shamar” means smack! You can also find the brand called Aleksandar. Especially the bottle will look very stylish on the table for your special days. As for other budget-friendly rakijas, you can find a rakija shop on every corner.
26- Vinjak: Let's meet again with a high alcohol level. A delicious, soft drink between cognac and wine that whiskey lovers can prefer. It is called vinjak because it is a cognac obtained from the winemaking process. Like French cognac, vinjak is depicted with some titles. When the Rubin company patented the product it produced in 1955, it became a monopoly. Are we sorry? We are not! Because it is both affordable and a very good product.
VS: very special
VSOP: Very Special Old Pale
XO: Extra Old
The name you can find in supermarkets: Rubinov Vinjak.
BONUS: Chocolate Truffles: In the 1920s, one of Chef Auguste Escoffier's assistants was trying to make cookies when he accidentally poured hot cream with chocolate chips into a bowl. When the chocolate and cream have cooled, the cook realizes that he can form balls from this mixture with his hands. Over time, modern technology enriches cocoa powder with luxurious mushrooms, and truffle chocolates are accidentally invented. The reason why Serbia has adopted this so much is the truffles, which are quite abundant in Serbian agriculture.
Sanem Yucesoy
foodandfashionmag@gmail.com
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