Bosnian gastronomy – Gastronomy of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Besides the cultural and historical landmarks of Bosnia and Herzegovina, visitors will very likely love the Bosnian cuisine featuring lots of impacts left from the rule of the Ottoman Empire that lasted for almost 500 years. Bosnian cuisine is about the food, cooking, and eating habits balanced between the Western and the Eastern influences. Bosnian food is closely related to Turkish, Greek, and other Mediterranean cuisines. However, due to years of Austrian rule, there are many influences from Central Europe. Meze – starter – makes special joy and pleasure of visitors to Bosnia and Herzegovina and also locals which is actually slow enjoyment in food and relaxed drink consumption with ‘merak’ /joy/, along with conversation. That is truly art of life which often lasts the whole day while tasting of ‘pite sirnice’ /cheese pies/ and ‘zeljanice’ /spinach pies/, smoked meat, ‘sogan dolma’, ‘ćevapi’ and ‘sudžukice’ sausages, young or matured cheese, pickled vegetables, homemade bread and other delicious specialties of Bosnia and Herzegovina….

Bosnian cuisine uses many spices but usually in moderate quantities. In most occasions only the Christian population eats pork. You should not go through or go out of Bosnia without trying delicious ćevapi or tempting “Bosnian pitas” or the chopped burek under the iron pan in number of bakeries all over Bosnia and Herzegovina. In Bosnia and Herzegovina burek is exclusively meat pie, with other pies are sirnica – cheese pie, zeljanica – spinach pie, krompirusa – potato pie, while in other parts of the Balkan region and Turkey from where burek origins – burek is everything filled in pastry. Original places where traditional food is served in Bosnia and Herzegovina are ‘aščinicas’, ‘ćevabdžinicas’ and ‘buregdžinicas’. In preparation of traditional dishes in Bosnia and Herzegovina special dishes and pots are used, such are ‘sač’, ‘peka’, ‘dagara’, ‘pršulja’, ‘lonac’, ‘tepsija’ etc.

People like eating meat in Bosnia and Herzegovina as well. Most of meat is fresh and comes from mountains, so visitors immediately taste the difference. Here are specialties of the Bosnian cuisine not to be missed : Sogan Dolma /fried onions stuffed with minced meat/, Ćimbur sa suvim mesom /slightly baked mixture of minced meat and spices/, Aščikadumine sarmice /pancakes filled with chicken meat and cheese and kaymak/, Begova čorba /the most popular soup made of veal and vegetables/, Bosanski lonac /famous meat stew cooked over an open fire/, jagnjetina /roasted lamb/, sudzuk /smoked beef or sausages similar to pepperoni/, pilaf /rice cooked with onions and meat/, bamija /okra with veal/, balkava, tulumba, urmasica, tufahija /traditional sweets flaky pastry with a filling of nuts, drenched in sugar syrup or honey, …..mmmmmmm…./ The story of the Balkan baklava is actually confirmation of good neighboring relationship…

At the moment there are 21 food products with protected geographic origin or traditional specialties registered in Bosnia and Herzegovina. This category includes cevapcici, cheese, honey, cabbage, olive oil, pastries, kaymak, even potato ! but not wines and rakijas /brandies/. However, it is not only story about food products, but also stories on the country, people who live here and their customs and heritage.
Protection of geographic origin of food products potentially brings some benefits, from the higher costs that those products can gain, to the region from they come from and preserve the authenticity and identity, to the fact that they are protected from simulation or imitation and misuse, because those products contribute to development of the rural areas and become more competitive in the market which respects much more those soulful products. The traditional does not mean old, but contrary – it is worth keeping and deserves smart branding.

The best local wines come from Herzegovina where the climate is suitable for growing grapes. Plum brandy – sljivovitza or apple rakija are produced in Bosnia and renown for thier taste and quality.

BEY’S SOUP /delicious traditional Bosnian Soup/

500 gr chicken meat
200 gr carrot
celery and parsley
50 gr okra
20 gr rise

200 gr sour cream, 3 eggs-yolks, lemon juice, salt

Cut meat and vegetables and put in water, add salt and boil. When ready, filter the soup and cut meat and vegetables into small cubes. Cook further adding rise and okra. Before serving add mixture of sour cream and eggs-yolks. Prijatno!

BOSNIAN DJULBASTIJA /meet balls – julbastiya/

550 gr minced lamb or beef
140 gr onions
60 gr garlic
1 egg
100 gr dry bread
150 gr oil
150 gr flour
paprika, salt, pepper, cinnamon, Indian cloves and pimento, lemon juice

This is traditional dish which originates from south of Serbia where it is called culbastija but it is widely prepared along the whole Balkans. Slice garlic and onions and add to minced meat. Add egg and soaky bread and salt and pepper, and other spices. Form round bolls – djulbastije to be wide as your palm. Roll djulbastije in flour and fry in hot oil. Fried meatballs-djulbastije put on plate and pour over them sauce of cooked onions and paprika. Before serving put some lemon juice on top of djulbastija.