Food

The great variety in Serbias cuisine originates from its geographical, national and cultural
diversity, and the jigsaw of centuries of population changes. Influences on Serbian cuisine have
been rich and varied it first began as a mixture of Greek, Bulgarian, Turkish and Hungarian
cooking.
An old Serbian legend says that during the time of the 14th-century Serbian Empire, under the rule
of Stefan Uro IV Duan, meals in the Serbian palace were eaten with golden spoons and forks.
Historians say that mediaeval Serbian cuisine mainly consisted of milk, dairy produce and
vegetables. Not a lot of bread was eaten, but when it was, the rich ate bread made from wheat and
the poor ate bread made from oats and rye. The only meat consumed was game, with cattle kept for
agricultural use.
Beef prosciutto, kajmak, ajvar, cicvara (a type of polenta made from flour, eggs, butter and cheese),
rose-petal slatko (a sweet preserve) and other specialities made with dried plums are
considered native Serbian foods.
Dough-based foods, such as breads, strudels and pasta, and various kinds of processed meats
produced from healthy stocks of cattle and poultry are characteristic of modern day Vojvodina.
Spinach pies and spit-roast pork are characteristic of umadija. Smoked meat is the speciality
of western Serbiaand the lamb dishes of Zlatibor and Zlatar are not to be missed. The cuisine
of eastern Serbia is noted for its dry shepherds pies, lamb cooked in milk, smoked wild boar
meat, janjija with three kinds of meat and various vegetables, and Homolj kaamak (a regional type
of polenta made from cornmeal, potato and sometimes feta cheese). In southern Serbia grilled or
spit-roasted meat dishes, particularly the famous Leskovac grilled specialities, are very popular.
Hundreds of tasty dishes, both vegetarian and meat-based, are eaten in Kosovo and
Metohija: bingur, pirjanice, various pies and baklava, as well as lamb and mutton specialities.
It is not an easy task to introduce a foreign visitor in Serbia to the secrets of local cuisine. Many
dishes cannot be adequately translated into another language, while others are simply not eaten
anywhere else, even though they are made from ingredients commonly available in all European
countries. That is why if you are keen to investigate Serbias national cuisine, which has evolved in
a melting-pot of civilisations and ethnic influences, you should let the experienced hands
of Serbian restaurateurs guide you.
Starters
COLD STARTERS
If you want to try an authentic, traditional Serbian first course, after your aperitif of hladna
prepeenica (45-50 proof cold plum rakija brandy), you should ask for
some proja (cornbread), sir (soft cheese) andkajmak (kaymak similar to clotted cream). Do not be
surprised if you are also asked to choose a salad as they are eaten with both the starter and the main
course in Serbia. If it is winter, you should choosekiseli kupus (sauerkraut/pickled cabbage), and if
it is summer, opt for hladna bata (Cold Garden salad).
If you want to sample one of the meat specialities, the best combination to opt for is a srpska
zakuska(Serbian starter) with either proja (cornbread) or pogaa (a flat, round bread). Alongside
some kajmakand cheese, this dish includes prut (prosciutto dry-cured ham), peenica (smoked
pork tenderloin),srpska kobasica (Serbian sausages), dimljeni vrat (smoked ham), kuvana
jaja (hard-boiled eggs),papriice (chilli peppers) and mladi luk (spring onion). You should choose a
quality white wine or ros with this starter. During winter, the Serbian starter may also
include pihtije, prebranac, peenica andfeferone (chilli peppers).
Pihtije (pork cheese jellied pork) is a traditional Serbian winter starter that originated from the
need to make use of low quality cuts of pork (hocks and meat from the head). These are boiled in
water with pepper, bay leaves and salt. The meat is separated from the bone and the liquid is poured
into shallow bowls. Garlic is then added to taste and the bowls left in a cold place to set. Aleva, that

is ground red paprika, is sprinkled on top and then it is cut into cubes. Pihtije is served with pickled
vegetables (gherkins, peppers and green tomatoes).
Prebranac (Serbian baked beans) is prepared with a special variety of large white bean (tetovac),
onions and seasoning (pepper, salt and paprika). It is served cold as part of the Serbian starter. Of
course, some wine to go with this dish is a must. Try a white wine pricer (spritzer a mixture of
two parts white wine and one part carbonated water) it helps digestion.
For those of you who prefer lighter food, then cold posne sarmice (little low-fat sarma wraps) come
highly recommended. A stuffing made from sauted onion and rice, plus tomato, paprika and
parsley, is wrapped in cabbage or vine leaves.
During more formal occasions, fish lovers should not forget to try punjeni smu na golubaki
nain(Golubac style stuffed perch fillet). The perch the king of the Danube and Golubac a
fortress on the river have combined quality and a tradition of fine dining. Fish is always
accompanied with white wine, but straight this time!
WARM STARTERS
If you manage to resist the charms of the cold starters and delicious soups, you can begin your meal
with a warm starter. Of course, soft cheese and kajmak are still on the menu because no meal can
be complete without them, but as a warm starter they come as gibanica (cheese and egg pie)
or zeljanica(spinach pie). These pies are made with filo pastry and are filled with plenty of
cheese, kajmak and egg, and if you order a zeljanica, then it contains finely-chopped spinach and
dock leaves as well. These pies are especially good with some beer!
In the majority of good restaurants you can order peurke (mushrooms), which are usually button
mushrooms. They are served on a bed of rice, or more often with chicken liver. Dont forget to
drink some good rakija (local brandy) before starting this dish! Choose either klekovaa (juniper
brandy) or lincura(Yellow Gentian herbal brandy), as they will increase your appetite.
Punjene paprike sa sirom (peppers stuffed with cheese) is an interesting dish from southern Serbia.
It is cooked in two different ways, either fresh or breaded. They are best made from dried red
peppers, stuffed full of cheese and kajmak, and roasted in a fireproof dish. Pohovane
tikvice (battered courgette) orpohovani plavi patlidan (battered aubergine) are fantastic during
summer. These dishes are served with tartar sauce and are best washed down with a beer.
Soups and broths
There is a common saying in Serbia, If I havent eaten with a spoon, then I havent eaten at all!
Regardless of whether it is an everyday affair or a special occasion, without soup or a orba (broth)
lunch is just not complete. There are many different kinds of soups and broths to be sampled, the
common ones being:

Serbian veal broth (telea srpska orba)

Serbian chicken broth (pilea srpska orba)
Lamb broth (jagnjea orba)
Beef or chicken soup (govea or pilea supa).

orbe are full of meat and vegetables, and are often spiced or sour.
Supe (soups) are also made with meat and vegetables, but these are removed prior to serving and
replaced with noodles or dumplings.
However, there is a orba that is a bit of both: umadijska (ratarska) supa (umadija farmers
soup).This broth contains chicken strips, carrot, parsnip, celeriac and onion, cooked with a dash of
pepper and finely-chopped parsley to season.

Main courses
You can get all kinds of international cuisine in Serbias restaurants. Nevertheless, when we want to
eat well, we turn to local cuisine.
Serbian grilled meat dishes have become the symbol of Serbian cuisine, with one of the best known
being evapii (minced beef rolled into finger-size pieces on ice, grilled and served with finelychopped onion).
Meano meso (mixed grill) combines all the delights from the grill on a single plate: evapii,
pljeskavice (beef burgers), utipci (meatballs stuffed with cheese and smoked
ham), kobasice(sausages), krmenadle (pork chops), ranjii (shish kebab), evrek (doughnut-shaped
meatball withkajmak) and vealica (strips of smoked meat). As food from the grill is best eaten
freshly prepared and still piping hot, the so-called leskovaki voz (Leskovac Train) was
invented. The number of carriages this train has depends solely on the size of your appetite. Once
you have eaten two or three evapii, next to arrive is a pljeskavica, and then, before you can raise
your ice cold spritzer to propose a toast, steaming hot kobasice are placed on the table. The train
continues to chug along with the arrival of some home-made lepinja (flatbread). Keep in mind that
it is you who dictates when the last carriage has passed by!
The Karaoreva nicla (Karaore steak) is named after Karaore, the leader of the First Serbian
Uprising against the Turks. A veal steak is stuffed with kajmak, rolled up, and dipped in egg. It is
then covered with breadcrumbs and deep-fried. This dish is served with tartar sauce and a glass of
quality red wine suits it very well.
Serbs cannot imagine celebrating any important holiday without peenje na ranju (spit-roasted
meat).But why stop at holidays? Travelling through Serbia, you will notice that restaurants with
lambs or pigs revolving on the spit-roast in front of them are an integral part of the landscape. The
meat is sold by the kilogram and is eaten with salad, and in winter, with pickled winter salads. With
the roast, you can enjoy a glass of red wine.
Telei umadijski kotlet (umadija veal cutlet) is a cutlet of veal, served with Serbian cheese,
tomatoes, bacon, sour cream, potato, rice and hot chilli peppers. We recommend a quality red wine
to accompany this dish.
The tradition of preserving meat by smoking is illustrated by the large variety of smoked meats
served in restaurants. The best-known is dimljena vealica (a smoked, grilled strip of pork), served
with Serbian Salad as a side-dish. A quality red wine goes great with this meal.
As the cold makes way for spring, winter food is replaced by fresh food. Kapama od jagnjeeg
mesa(lamb kapama a stew) is a favourite springtime meal. Pieces of lamb are sauted with spring
onion and leek, together with young spinach, and then simmered on the stove or, alternatively,
cooked in the oven. Natural yogurt is the preferred drink with Lamb Kapama.
Srpski uve (a casserole) is prepared with tomatoes, bell peppers, potatoes, rice, hot chilli peppers,
diced pork and onion, which is first fried and then baked in the oven. It is has a piquant and
delicious taste. You will be thirsty, so do not forget to order some white wine.
Those of you who prefer milder dishes will not go far wrong with punjene tikvice (stuffed
courgettes).Courgettes are stuffed with rice and minced meat (lamb and pork), cooked with
tomatoes and herbs, and then served with a helping of natural yogurt. You should order some
quality ros wine to drink with this meal.
Pasulj (Serbian beans) is one of the most popular local dishes and comes prepared in many different
ways, such as a broth or a soup, a vegetarian version or an army version. Pasulj is cooked with
onion, bay leaves, and meat, such as diced bacon or smoked spare-ribs, and thickened with browned
flour to finish with. Pasulj is usually served with kobasica (sausage), krmenadla (pork chop) or
similar meat. You really should order a salad to eat alongside pasulj we recommend sweet
cabbage or roast peppers in oil, with a sprinkling of garlic. Beer or a white wine spritzer go hand-inhand with this dish.
Kiseli kupus (pickled cabbage/sauerkraut) is a traditional winter food. However, fresh cabbage is
also eaten raw, as a salad, or it is cooked in a variety of ways. One of these is podvarak (stewed

cabbage). Chopped sauerkraut and onion are fried, and then fat is added, often with finely chopped
pieces of bacon. This is then baked in the oven and served with turkey or roast pork. This dish is a
regular guest at the dining table during the winter holidays. A quality red wine should be drunk with
this dish.
Svadbarski kupus (Wedding Cabbage) is cooked slowly in a large clay pot for several hours. It is
prepared using pickled cabbage, mutton, beef, pork, and smoked meat as well, with generous
amounts of onion, pepper, salt and bay leaves. This dish is especially good when accompanied by
quality red wine.
Kuvana kolenica (cooked pork hock) is a gourmet dish, cooked together with spices and served
with horseradish. This dish cannot be eaten without some white wine or a cold spritzer.
Jagnjea sarmica (lamb sarma wraps) are made from lamb lung and liver. These are boiled, then
chopped with rice, egg, fried onion and spices added. This is then stuffed into lamb caul fat to form
small parcels, which are dipped in milk and egg. These parcels are then roasted in the oven. This
dish is served with sour cream and we recommend a quality white wine.
Fish
Riblja orba (fish broth) is an excellent way to start a meal. There are numerous competitions every
year to award a prize for the best fish broth, which suggests that there is no standard recipe, only
excellent chefs and their well-kept secrets. Riblja orba is prepared using a number of different
species of high quality fish, plus various herbs and spices.
aran sa srpskim pilavom (carp with Serbian pilaff) carp, rice, onion, tomato, white wine,
paprika, salt, pepper and lemon. A fish needs to swim best to let it do so in white wine.
Smu na smederevski nain (Smederevo style perch) fillet of perch prepared with onion, tomato,
peppers, parsley, a dash of white wine, lemon, salt and pepper. Of course, this dish should be
accompanied by white wine.
Punjeni smu (stuffed perch) fillet of perch stuffed with prut (smoke-dried ham), onion, rice,
grated potato, and a touch of salt, pepper, parsley and white wine. Again, white wine goes well with
this.
Prena somovina (fried catfish) for those who like to eat fish but find the bones off-putting, we
recommend you sample this dish. Catfish steaks are fried in oil and served with boiled potatoes and
lemon. You guessed it: white wine goes well with this dish, too.
Salads
Salads are commonly eaten as a side dish in Serbia. In the past, the type of salad eaten depended on
the season. Turija (pickled vegetables) was eaten in winter, while fresh vegetables were more
common in summer. These days it is not so strict, but the tradition has lived on. Tomatoes, peppers,
onion and hot chilli peppers are the most common ingredients in mixed salads.
Srpska salata (Serbian Salad) consists of the previously mentioned vegetables, plus fresh
cucumber, a pinch of salt and pepper and a drizzle of oil. If grated white cheese is added then it
becomes a opska salata.
Peppers are eaten fresh, but more commonly they are roasted. Peena paprika (roasted pepper) is a
salad made from a long, pointed variety of pepper, roasted, with garlic, oil and vinegar.
Urnebes salata is recommended for those who love their food hot. This salad is a paste made from
cheese mixed with powdered chilli peppers.
In some restaurants, hot green chillies, fresh or roasted with garlic in oil, will already be on the
table.
In the more cosy restaurants, you may be offered a salad called hladna bata (Cold Garden
salad). A whole tomato, peppers, peeled cucumber, spring onions and lots of ice cubes are placed in
a large bowl.

Kiseli kupus (pickled cabbage/sauerkraut) is mainly eaten during winter. A whole pickled cabbage
is chopped and served with oil and crushed dried peppers.
Ajvar is baked peppers and aubergines roasted, ground, mixed and then fried in oil. It is served
with oil and if you want garlic, it can be added.
Turija is a mixture of pickled gherkins, peppers, green tomatoes, cauliflower and carrots. This
salad is most often served alongside a roast dinner.
Do not be taken aback if you are offered a salad to eat with your aperitif which will probably be a
Serbianljivovica (plum brandy). Sauerkraut goes very well with a good rakija (brandy).
If you wish, you can also order salads made of fresh cabbage, cooked beetroot, lettuce, beans,
French beans, celeriac and potato.
Desserts
After a good lunch or dinner with cold wine, the waiter will ask if you would like something sweet.
The answer should of course be yes! Serbia is a major fruit producer and exporter, but in Serbian
restaurants you will not be served fresh fruit as a dessert, only as an ingredient in cakes.
Every good Serbian kafana (traditional restaurant) wishing to live up to its reputation ought to
have suvapita sa orasima (walnut pie), which has a layer of special rolled and lightly baked pastry,
then a layer of ground walnuts. It is very refreshing after a heavy meal, and with a glass of wine its
even better! Alternatively, you could try orasnice (finely chopped walnuts bound together with
sugar and egg in the shape of a horseshoe). Men in particular are fond of them!
If you do not like walnuts, then try trudla sa jabukama, trudla sa vinjama or trudla sa
makom(apple/sour cherry/poppyseed strudel), which are made from flour, oil, eggs, vanilla sugar,
raisins, yeast and either apples, sour cherries or poppy seeds.
You cannot overlook palainke (pancakes) which are made from flour, sugar, eggs, milk and oil.
You can eat them with walnuts, jam or chocolate, baked, flambed or in a wine chateau. On special
occasions, pancakes are eaten with walnuts, chocolate, butter, almonds, orange syrup, some
maraschino liqueur and a dash of cognac. This is set alight in front of you and then your flambed
pancakes are ready.
Once you have finished your meal, you will be offered some coffee before you settle the bill.
Should you have a Turkish coffee or an espresso? You really should try a Turkish coffee, which is in
actual fact Serbian coffee because this kind of coffee has never been drunk in Turkey. Simply say
how you like your coffee, with or without sugar, or simply ask for an ordinary coffee (obina
kafa), leaving the details to the cook.
Drinks
The range of both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks in Serbias restaurants is excellent and covers
drinks from all corners of the world. Restaurants that keep selected types of rakija and wines in
their own cellars are particularly highly regarded.
We suggest that you try some of Serbias own brands of drink:
Rakije (brandies) made from natural ingredients (fruits and herbs): ljivovica plum brandy,
kajsijevaa peach brandy, viljamovka pear brandy, dunjevaa quince
brandy, lozovaa grape brandy and travarica herb brandy
Wine
Beers: Lav, MB, BG, Jelen, Vajfert and Pils.
Fruit juices: Next, Nectar, Golf and La Vita
Sparkling water: Knjaz Milo, Vrnjci, Aqua Heba and Minaqua
Still water: Rosa, Aqua Gala, Voda Voda and Aqua Viva

Novi Sad is well-known for the abundance of good food and top rank gastronomic restaurants. The
most popular specialties include grilled meat (you must try Leskovaki evap (pronounced
Lehskovachky chevap). Another local feature is Karlovaki Bermet, red wine which was highly
acclaimed at the Viennese Court.
There are many restaurants in Novi Sad which serve international and national cuisine, Italian
specialties, Chinese food, fish and vegetarian food. The average price for a meal per person is 5 to
10. Local beer costs around 1, imported beer is 1.5 to 2.5, a cup of espresso coffee costs from
0.8 to 1.2 and juices are 1 to 1.5. Most restaurants close at 11 pm. Numerous fast food
restaurants and grill booths are open 24 hours, the average price for a meal is 1. We hope you will
enjoy your food here!