The way to a man's heart is through his stomach

Balkans food, strongly influenced by Mediterranean cooking, you can taste in all ex-Yugoslavian countries. In general speaking, you can find the same dishes, sometimes a bit changed in different regions.

Bosnian cooking is closely related to Turkish, Greek, Middle Eastern and Central Europe cuisines. It’s called slow food, because you can’t be in hurry to prepare the dish, which is light, healthy, mostly cooked in lots of water, without any creamy souses. In Sarajevo, it’s quite hard to find a pork (of course, except East-Sarajevo, where Serbian people are living). Mostly, you eat beef and lamb here.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It needs to make you strong for all day long, so mostly you eat bread, eggs, butter, honey, jam. It’s also good to know that you can eat pita or chicken with potatoes in the country side. 

Of course, you can’t forget about strong Bosnian coffee.

Meze is a selection of the small cold dishes, typically home-made bread, kajmak (delicious white cheese), green salad and smoked beef,  served before the diner. Don’t be amazed if you receive rakija as a drink. It’s completely normal and that’s the way of hospitality.

Diner time is a moment of entering to the paradise. The choice is big, between delicious sarma (meat and rice rolled in pickled cabbage leaves), ćevapi (Bosnian kebab, small grilled meat sausages, served with onion), grilled calamari or pljeskavica (a beef steak served with onion, paprika and green salad). You can’t leave Balkans without knowing a taste of dolme (little onions or paprikas stuffed with minced meat) and čobanski lonac (18 different vegetables mixed with 4 different types of meat, picture below, my number one). 

Traditional Bosnian deserts are also something to try. 

The real taste of Bosnia you can also find in the different kinds of bread (lepina, kukuruzara, bosanski pogač) and herbal teas. Local people believe in the powerful benefits of herbal infusions. Bosnian drink them as a medicine. Be careful when you order water,  sometimes you can receive running water.

Animals voice

I remember one  of my very first days in Bosnia and Herzegovina, when I realize quite a lot of stray animals on the streets.  In fact, there is something mysterious, because you can’t meet only one dog or cat. They are always with company. Sometimes, especially at night, you can meet team of few dogs who are simply going to the city.

They aren’t aggressive,  just hungry. There is a lot of people who take care of homeless animals as much as they can. I’m always touched to see some meeting points when at special hour (every day at the same time) someone comes and gives food. 

Unfortunately there is also quite a lot animal abuse… really sad things can take place in country like Bosnia, few years after the war, where are more serious problems than putting animals rights on the most important place. 

Today, I simply can’t not to react and close my eyes. Homeless animals from Bosnia and Herzegovina need our help. So, the time is now. I signed the petition. Hope some of you will join me…

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year !

Yep, it’s just beginning of this special month, but I’m already in Christmas mood. Gifts are packed, tickets are bought and I just need to pack my bag and take direction of my family home. Europe is coved by snow, so… I just hope to drive safely this 2000 kilometers and not to be obliged to be back or stop in the middle of the road.

Driving home for Christmas
Oh, I can't wait to see those faces
I'm driving home for Christmas, yea
Well I'm moving down that line
And it's been so long
But I will be there
I sing this song
To pass the time away
Driving in my car
Driving home for Christmas…

Thank you Chris Rea for this beautiful song ! It always makes me good to listen in on the road ! Do you have your special song ?

Probably it’s my last post of this year, so let me wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year !  Let’s enjoy this special season. Hope each of you will get a really nice time with family and friends, you’ll smile and get many sunny days ! This holiday season is also the opportunity to say thank you for being a part of my blog, my life… So happy to meet you and hope you’ll stay with me next year.

Warmest thoughts and best wishes to you all! 

Bosnian cakes…

Who doesn’t like cakes, desserts, tarts, cookies and other delectables?

It’s really something obvious to connect France with its tarts or Belgium with chocolates, but… what exactly you should try in Bosnia and Herzegovina ? Knowing about all different traditions from the region, it’s simply impossible to find only one taste.

For me, there are two groups: sort of Balkan cakes, like baklava, ružica etc… 

 and… dessert dishes based on fruit and cream as main ingredients.

Surly you should try both to get your own opinion. Unfortunately, I can’t say I’m big fan of them. Balkan cakes are really sweet. Don’t be amazed if you receive a really small part of it on your plate.  Others, in my opinion, are terribly fat… Somehow I feel really sad to speak not so positively about Bosnian desserts. It’s simply not my taste… but maybe yours ?

Homemade RAKIJA

Let’s start from the beginning… 

RAKIJA is kind of brandy, which is produced of fermented fruits, like plums (the most popular), apricots, grapes, peaches, apples, pears or it can be also done with herbs. Its alcohol content is about 40% ABV, but home-made rakija is much stronger, typically 50-60%.

Rakija has no color, unless herbs are added. It’s supposed to be drunk in small glasses. Attention: you drink it slowly and celebrate the taste ! Take a breath, a quick sip directly down your throat right to the stomach, long breath and you should feel the burning in your chest. 

Rakija is considered as a national drink in the Balkans. Drinking it has also a traditional meaning. People drink it during weddings, baptisms, joining the army. It’s offered to guests no matter what time of day it is and in the end of the orthodox funerals, people drink it “for a soul” of the deceased, some spill some rakija on the ground before drinking the rest.

During winter, especially during open-air festivities it’s very popular to drink “cooked” rakija which is heated and sweetened with honey, sugar, added spices.  

According to the local people if you haven't tried homemade Rakija, then you just haven't tried Rakija at all. It’s also very interesting to see this productions…  So, enjoy it !