Serbian Food Recipes

Serbian food recipes have evolved with many influences from Austria, Hungary, Greece, Italy and Turkey; thus they show many similarities to others from the former Yugoslavian republics. This has its explanation in history.

A Brief History of Serbia
Tribed referred to as Thracians, Dacians and Illyrians had civilizations in the area when the Greeks colonized the southern part of modern Serbia in the 4th century BC. Celts arrived and settled themselves in the 3rd century BC. After that Romans gradually incorporated the region in their empire, in 106 AD emperor Trajan defeated the Dacians and could claim all of modern Serbia as Roman. In the late 4th century it became part of the East Roman Byzantine Empire. In the 5th and 6th century various Slavic tribes arrived and merged with the then domestic population. Up until the fall of Constantinopel and the Byzantine Empire in the mid 15th century, modern Serbia was only part of it during periods. Starting in the 8th century the first Serbian state was formed, this monarchy lasted until the year 940. A new Serbian autonomous entity was beginning to form in the mid 11th century, it expanded into a Serbian Empire under the king Dusan the Mighty during the 14th century; it disintegrated (much due to a heavy military defeat against the Turks) later in the same century into smaller kingdoms. In 1527 was the last of these small Serbian kingdom conquered by the Ottoman Turks. By then Hungarians and Italians also had annexed previous Serbian territories. The Turks held on, enduring several Serbian rebellions and Austrian military invasions. In the late 17th century, under the house of Habsburg, Austria claimed the northern regions. The other parts remained under quite abusive Turkish rule. Uprisings were constant. In 1867 the Ottomans were kicked out and in 1878 recognized as an independent state. The legacy of the Turks is still very visible in the Serbian food recipes of today. During the whole 19th century until the beginning of the Balkan Wars in 1912, there were several internal power struggles. The Balkan wars resulted in great territorial gain for the Kingdom of Serbia.

In 1914 a Serbian nationalist assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo Bosnia, then under control by Austria-Hungary. Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, it led to the start of the First World War. By 1915 the Serbs were defeated and their military forces had retreated to Greece where they fought on the Macedonian front. In 1918 The Allied forces defeated the Central Powers and liberated Serbia, more than 1.000.000 Serbs died during the war. After the peace a united Slovenian, Croatian and Serbian state emerged known as the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. It lasted until 1941 when German and Italian forces invaded. In concentration camps Jews, Romas and politically uncomfortable Serbs perished, across the border in the Nazi friendly puppet state of Croatia it was more than 300.000 that died. Resistance against the Germans was hampered by a bloody civil war between communist friendly partizans (lead by a certain Jozep Bros Tito) and royalists, Tito and his forces were eventually victorious. During 1943 and 1944 his partizans managed to drive the German forces back, with the help of Soviet forces Yugoslavia was liberated in October 1944. In the socialist federal Yugoslav republic that was formed (until 1980 headed by president Tito), Serbia was one of its republics. Yugoslavia was gradually dissolved in the early 1990's. From 1992 until 2006 together with Montenegro, after that just as the Republic of Serbia. Several extremely bloody conflicts with Bosnia and Croatia occurred. An internal conflict in the southern region Kosovo has led to a stand still that is a reality until today.

Serbian Cuisine
The ethnic composition of Serbia is quite homogenic since the big majority are Serbs. Thus the cuisine is less divided along ethnic lines than in many other former Yugoslavian republics. This is if you don't count the disputed Kosovo as a part of Serbia, that part has an Albanian majority. Like mentioned earlier, Serbian food recipes share many traits with those of other former Yugoslavian republics. The cuisines of Italy, Greece, Central Europe and Turkey have in history had great influence. The region is fertile and there is an abundance of fruits and vegetables. Various types of bread is consumed with most meals. A fresh salad almost always would go with lunch and dinner. Serbian food recipes have spread over Europe and the world with large scale emigration.

Some Examples Of Montenegrin Ingredients And Dishes

Feta cheese Hard white cheese in brine.
Kackavalj Yellow cheese, Italian style.
Sirenje A semi hard cheese in brine.
Kajmak Clotted cream.
Pavlaka Fatty sour cream.
Ajvar A relish made from red bell peppers, chillies, garlic and aubergine. Ranges from mild to hot. Has its origins in Serbia.
Pindur Another relish spread, similar to ajvar but most often aubergine based.
Tursija Pickled vegetables.
Pogaca Puff pastry.
Langus Origin in Hungary. Flatbread often served with garlic and pavlaca.
Pita This pita is a filled pie made from filo dough. Can be sweet as a starter, dessert or main course.
Kacamak Made from cornmeal, ie. Italian polenta. Can be prepared in various fashions; with mashed potatoes or cheese for example.
Proja A cornmeal dish.
Prsut Italian ham ie. prosciutto.
Sremsa kobasica Spicy sausage made of pork and beef.
Sudzuk Spicy sausage of Turkish origin.
Pasulj A meat and bean stew.
Mesano meso An assortment of grilled meats and sausages. very popular.
Cevapcici Is a kind ofa kebab served in flat bread, can be prepared from various types of meat.
Pljeskavica Minced meat served in the form of a hamburger, without the bread.
Tarator A cold yogurt soup, most of the time with cucumbers garlic and spices. Popular all over the Balkans an in the Middle East.
Burek A very popular fast food of Turkish origin, filo dough often filled with cheese and meat.
Sarma Grapevine or cabbage leaves filled with a either/and minced meat, rice and vegetables.
Gibanica Pastry filled with white cheese.
Corba A word for chowder, come in many forms.
Gulas The meat and vegetable soup&stew goulash has Hungarian origin.
Meze is a common appetizer assortment, many small dishes like olives, humus, feta cheese, vegetables and various types of meat and fish.
Gyros Thinly sliced roasted meat served in hollow wheat bread often with vegetables and tzatsiki. Greek origin.
Becka snicla Wiener scnitzel.
Musaka Oven baked aubergine, potato and minced meat dish of Middle Eastern origin.
Duvec A meat and vegetable stew.
Sataras A vegetable side dish based on roasted bell peppers, originally from Croatia.
Podvarak Sauerkraut.
Raznjici Charcoal grilled skewered meat, ie. shish kebab.
Palacinke Crepe
Tulumbe Deep fried dough tubes, filled or coated with sweet syrup. Similar to the Spanish churro.
Baklava Sweet bread made of filo pastry and often filled with walnuts and raisins. Sweetened with honey. Turkish origin.
Krofne A jam filled doughnut. Like a Berliner.
Slatko Fruit preserves.
Tufahije Walnut stuffed apples, of Bosnian origin.
Ratluk 'Turkish delight'.
Kompot Fruit jelly, popular all over Eastern Europe.
Princes krofne Puff pastry balls ie. profiterole.

Serbian Beverages
Like in so many other Balkan countries, rakija, a fruit brandy, is common. The national strong spirit is sljivovica which is a rakija brandy made from plums. Buttermilk, or Kiselo mleko, is quite popular. Serbs enjoy both beer and wine, there is domestic production of both. Traditionally coffee is enjoyed in the Turkish fashion.

Submitted Serbian Food Recipes
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