In my last post, I referred to the Serbian food as delectable. Let me tell you, it is nothing short of that. Many of you have requested that I write a post about the cuisine over here in Serbia. Here you go!
Initially, when I looked into Serbian cuisine I was skeptical. I saw that the Serbs enjoy a meat-centric lifestyle. I knew this would not be an issue for me but I still was not completely sold that this semester would be a walk in the park in terms of diet.
I have quickly come to learn that Serbia boasts a variety of food from all over the world as well as food from right at home. So yes, they have Italian, Japanese, Mexican and all other types of food, but let’s get into the Serbian specials!
Kajmak
I mentioned this in my first post but it is such a staple of Serbian cuisine that it deserved to be first this list. Liz, a student studying in Serbia with me, had been to the Balkan region before and talked about how we would all love kajmak once we got to Serbia. Boy was she right. Kajmak has quickly become a group favorite. It is a creamy dairy product that is widely used as a spread for bread and other foods. The easiest way to describe its taste is as a cross between cream cheese and butter. Whenever we go to a traditional restaurant we make sure that it is on the list of things we order. We almost always have extra remaining at the end of the meal; no one hesitates to take home the leftovers because we are all such big fans.
Pictured: Kajmak (with a side of rakija 😉 )
Rakija
Rakija is a fruit brandy popular throughout the Balkans. It is actually the national drink of Serbia. In addition to drinking more rakija per capita than any other country, Serbia is also the world’s largest rakija producer. Though I did not possess the palette for it initially, I have come to enjoy rakija.
Pictured: Rakija
Ćevapi
Think minced meat. Ćevapi is a delicious main course and seems to be a favorite in this part of the world. It is even considered the national dish in Serbia. You can get this famous dish in almost any traditional restaurant here in Belgrade or throughout the region.
Pictured: Ćevapi (left) & Chicken (right)
Serbian Salad
Now I’m not a huge salad eater, but I could eat Serbian salad every day for the rest of my life. Serbian salad is a mix of mostly tomatoes, cucumbers, and onions. It is commonly tossed in olive oil. Like any restaurant, the ones here in Serbia like to add their own twist. Sometimes there are even peppers and cheese on the salad (yum!) Each time we have a group meal, we always insist on ordering Serbian salad. The students I am here with love veggies so we must always be sure to order enough to go around. We often even order a second round of salad because we all seem to love it so much.
Pictured: Serbian Salad
Bread!
Though it is not strictly a Serbian dish, we enjoy bread at almost every meal. It’s never the same kind though. Each restaurant has their own unique bread and trust me it’s all delicious and always fresh! I have yet to hold myself back from overindulging in the bread served here. One specific restaurant’s bread stood out to me. During the first weekend here we stopped in a traditional Serbian restaurant to start off the semester. They served us a mouth-watering fried bread with kajmak. I wish I had taken a picture of that bread, but instead I dug right in.
Pictured: Not the fried bread (sadly) but instead a delicious piece of bread the size of a frisbee along with some awesome veggies!
All in all, the food here in Serbia has yet to disappoint. I have enjoyed being a bit more adventurous with my eating. As the semester presses on, I know that I will continue to venture out of my comfort zone. I challenge you, whether it be at home or abroad, to always say yes to trying something new.
Thanks for reading ! 🙂
“People who love to eat are always the best people.” – Julia Child
My Serbian Sojourn 