Serbian cuisine

Breakfast in Serbia is an early but hearty meal, rich in calories and carbohydrates, meant to provide one with enough energy to start the day well. Bread is frequently eaten, served with butter, jam, yogurt, sour cream or cheese, accompanied by bacon, sausages, salami, eggs or kajmak. Many people would stop by a bakery in the morning to enjoy fresh pastries, such as pogačice, paštete, kifle (which in Serbian usage may or may not be crescent-shaped and may be sweet, but may also be sprinkled with salt crystals), kiflice, perece, buhtle, pletenice, štapići, zemičke, djevreci, mekike and uštipci. Other common breakfast dishes include burek, kačamak and cicvara (types of polenta), popara, proja (cornbread) and čalabrca. Before breakfast most people usually have a cup of coffee, or perhaps espresso. With the breakfast itself either a tea, milk, milk coffee, or chocolate milk is served.

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  Proja
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  Burek with yogurt
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  Kiflice
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  Kačamak
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  Popara
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  Kajgana

Meze is an assortment of small dishes and appetizers, though, unlike the Middle Eastern meze, it does not usually include cooked dishes, and is therefore more similar to Italian antipasto. A Serbian meze typically includes slices of cured meats and sausages, cheeses, olives, fresh vegetables and zimnica. Meze is served either to accompany alcoholic drinks or as a starter before a soup on bigger meals.

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  Meze
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  Zimnica
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  Meze
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  Zimnica
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  Meze

Soups are eaten as an entrée at almost every lunch. They are considered to be very important for good health. There are two types of soups in Serbian cuisine: thin soups called supa, and thicker soups with roux or eggs called čorba. The most common ones are simple pottages made of beef or poultry with added noodles. Lamb, veal and fish soups are considered delicacies.

Type	Image	Serbian Cyrillic	Serbian Latin	Notes
Consommé		Домаћа супа	Domaća supa	A simple chicken or beef soup with noodles or dumplings. The most common entrée in home cooking.
Veal soup		Телећа чорба	Teleća čorba
Lamb soup		Јагњећа чорба	Jagnjeća čorba
Fisherman's soup		Рибља чорба	Riblja čorba	A paprika-spiced fish soup, common in the Panonian region.
Green soup		Чорба од зеља	Čorba od zelja
Tomato soup		Парадајз чорба	Paradajz čorba
Cauliflower soup		Чорба од карфиола	Čorba od karfiola
Egg drop soup		Супа с јајима (супа с дроњцима)	Supa s jajima (supa s dronjcima

The main course is most commonly a meat dish. Besides roštilj (barbecue) which is very popular, braising, stewing and roasting in an oven are the most common cooking methods.

Type	Image	Serbian Cyrillic	Serbian Latin	Notes
Rotisserie		Печење	Pečenje	A whole pig or lamb roasted on a skewer over a fire.
Gyro	Гирос,гира (giros, gira)
Đuveč		Ђувеч	Đuveč	A vegetable dish similar to ratatouille. Either stewed or baked as a casserole.
Karađorđeva šnicla		Карађорђева шницла	Karađorđeva šnicla	A breaded rolled steak stuffed with kajmak, sliced ham and cheese.
Kavurma		Кавурма	Kavurma	Pig intestines, not to be confused with Turkish kavurma.
Moussaka		Мусака	Musaka	A mince and potato, zucchini or eggplant casserole, common through the Balkans.
Mućkalica		Мућкалица	Mućkalica	A spicy stew of pork, tomatoes and peppers. Typical of southern Serbia.
Goulash		Гулаш	Gulaš	A paprika-spiced meat stew originating in Hungary that is popular throughout Central Europe and the Balkans.
Rinflajš		Ринфлајш	Rinflajš	A beef dish from Vojvodina. Similar to Tafelspitz.
Podvarak		Подварак	Podvarak	A fresh cabbage with grape vinegar casserole, usually with meat and other vegetables (tomatoes, aubergines,mushrooms,olives and legumes. Can be made with sauerkraut, but that is not authentic. Black vinegar can be used.
Prebranac		Пребранац	Prebranac	A bean casserole. Called "tavce gravce" in Macedonia
Sarma		Сарма	Sarma	Cabbage, chard or vine leaves, stuffed with rice and minced meat. In northern Serbia, cabbage leaves are also used.
Škembići		Шкембићи	Škembići	A tripe stew.
Beans		Пасуљ	Pasulj	A bean stew.
Stuffed peppers		Пуњене паприке	Punjene paprike	Peppers stuffed with rice and minced meat.
Stuffed zucchini		Пуњене тиквице	Punjene tikvice	Zucchini stuffed with rice and minced meat.
Peas		Грашак	Grašak	A pea stew.
Green beans		Боранија	Boranija	A green bean stew.
Noodles with rice		Флекице с рижом	Flekice s rizom
Vrsnjik		Вршњик	Vrsnjik	Meat and vegetables cooked under a sač.

Grilling is very popular in Serbia. Grilled meats are the primary main course dishes offered in restaurants. They are commonly served as mixed grill on large oval plates. They are often also eaten as fast food. The cities of Leskovac and Novi Pazar are especially famous for their barbecue.

Type	Image	Serbian Cyrillic	Serbian Latin	Notes
Pljeskavica		Пљескавица	Pljeskavica	A ground pork or beef patty; National Dish
Ćevapi (ćevapi)		Ћевапи (ћевапи)	Ćevapčići (ćevapi)	Ground pork or beef meat sticks; National Dish
Pork loin		Вешалица	Vešalica	Grilled strips of pork loin.
Skewers		Ражњићи	Ražnjići	Chunks of meat and vegetables grilled on skewers.
Sausages		Кобасице	Kobasice	Various sausages, usually with spices

Bread is the staple of Serbian meals and it is often treated almost ritually. A traditional Serbian welcoming is to offer the guest with bread and salt; bread also plays an important role in religious rituals. Many people believe that it is sinful to throw away bread regardless of how old it is. Although pasta, rice, potato and similar side dishes did enter the everyday cuisine over time, many Serbs still eat bread with meals.

In most bakeries and shops, white wheat bread loafs (typically 0.5 kg) are sold. In modern times, black bread and various graham bread variations regain popularity. In many rural households, bread is still baked in ovens, usually in bigger loafs.

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  Đevrek
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  Soda bread
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  Bread
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  Pogača

In Serbia, salads are eaten as a side dish with the main course. The simplest of salads are made of sliced lettuce, cabbage, tomato, cucumber or carrot, olives with oil, vinegar salt and spices.

Type	Image	Serbian Cyrillic	Serbian Latin	Description
Serbian salad		Српска салата	Srpska salata	Diced tomatoes, cucumbers and onions with a simple dressing of oil and vinegar.
Shopska salad		Шопска салата	Šopska salata	Similar to the above Serbian salad, but topped with white cheese.
Greek salad		Грчка салата	Grčka salata	Diced tomatoes, cucumbers and onions, topped with olives and feta cheese, and dressed with olive oil. Originally from Greece, but quite popular in Serbia.
Cabbage salad		Купус салата	Kupus salata	Shredded cabbage with a vinegar dressing.
Zimnica		Зимница	Zimnica	Pickled vegetables.
Russian salad		Руска салата	Ruska salata	Diced boiled potatoes, carrots, pickles, green peas, eggs and ham, dressed with mayonnaise.
Tarator		Тартар	Tartar	Yogurt with cucumber.

Dairy products are an important part of the Serbian diet. Fermented products such as sour milk, kajmak, yogurt and pavlaka are common breakfast foods, consumed daily. White cheese, called sir are much more common in Serbia than yellow cheeses. There are numerous varieties, some of which have been awarded for their quality, such as the white cheese with walnuts from Babine, which won the 2012 "best autochtonic cheese" award.[11] Serbian Pule cheese, made from donkey milk, is the most expensive cheese in the world.[12] Although less common, several yellow cheese are locally produced.

Every autumn or early winter, on an event called svinjokolj pigs are slaughtered and meat is dried in the cold air, cured and preserved for winter. Cured meats, bacon, salo, čvarci, Sausages such as krvavica and kulen are produced. Offal and cheaper cutts of meat are utilized as well, made into processed products such as švargla.

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  Smoked meat
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  Kulen
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  Cured meat
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  Feta
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  Šar cheese

In Serbia, pies are very popular. They are eaten either for breakfast, dinner, or as a snack. Most commonly they are made with thin layers of phyllo dough. There are several preparation methods and numerous types of fillings, both sweet and savory. Usually, pies are named after either the preparation method, or the filling.

One pie variety that is not made with phyllo is the štrudla, which, in turn, isn't similar to strudel, but rather to a nut roll.

↓ Filling	Form →	Ruffled phyllo	Rolled phyllo	Layered phyllo	Rolled dough
	↓ Serbian name →	Бурек	Савијача		Штрудла
white cheese	Пита са сиром/Сирница	Y	Y
white cheese and eggs	Гибаница		Y	Gibanica	Y
meat	Пита с месом	Y	Y
potatoes	Пита с кромпиром/Кромпируша	Y	Y
spinach, greens	Пита са зељем/Зељаница	Y	Y
mushrooms	Пита с печуркама	Y		Y
sour cherries	Пита са вишњама	Y	Y		Y
apples	Пита с јабукама	Y	Y		Y
pumpkin	Пита с бундевом/Бундевара		Y		Y
poppy seeds	Штрудла с маком/Маковњача				Y
walnuts	Штрудла са орасима/Орасница		Y	Česnica (in Vojvodina)	Y
no filling		Y

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  Gibanica
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  Meat pie
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  Mushroom pie
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  Pumpkin pie
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  Cherry pie
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  Vanilla filling pie

Sweets are served at the end of meals. Sweets and desserts enjoyed in Serbia include both typically Middle Eastern and typically European ones, as well as some authentically Serbian ones. Besides the ones mentioned here, pies with sweet fruit fillings are also commonly eaten as desserts.

Type	Image	Serbian Cyrillic	Serbian Latin	Description
Plazma cake		Плазма торта	Plazma torta	A cake made with ground Plazma biscuits as the primary ingredient.
Vasa's cake		Васина торта	Vasina torta	A walnut and chocolate cake. Amongst the more popular Serbian desserts.
Dobos cake		Добош торта	Doboš torta	A five-layer sponge cake, layered with chocolate buttercream and topped with thin caramel slices.
Reforma cake		Реформа торта	Reforma torta	A layered cake with chocolate butter-cream filling.
Slatko		Слатко	Slatko	A fruit preserve.
Ratluk		Ратлук	Ratluk	Turkish delight.
Halva		Алва	Alva	Dense flour or nut-based sweet confections.
Baklava		Баклава	Baklava	Sweet pastry made from layers of phyllo dough, filled with chopped nuts and sweetened with syrup or honey.
Tulumbe		Тулумбе	Tulumbe	A fried batter soaked in syrup.
Tufahije		Туфахије	Tufahije	A dessert made of walnut-stuffed apples stewed in water with sugar.
Kompot		Компот	Kompot	Kompot is a non-alcoholic sweet beverage, that may be served hot or cold. It is obtained by cooking fruit in a large volume of water, together with sugar or raisins as additional sweeteners.
Quince cheese		Сир од дуња	Sir od dunja	A sweet, thick jelly made of the pulp of the quince fruit.
Knedle		Кнедле са шљивама	Knedle sa šljivama	Boiled potato-dough dumplings filled with plums. Called gomboce in Vojvodina.
Krofne		Крофне	Krofne	Airy doughnuts filled with chocolate or jam.
Krempita		Кремпита	Krempita	A chantilly and custard cream cake dessert.
Orasnice		Ораснице	Orasnice	Walnut cookies.
Palačinke		Палачинке	Palačinke	Crêpes.
Šampita		Шампита	Šampita	A whipped marshmallow-type dessert with fillo dough crust.
Ruske kape		Руске капе	Ruske kape
Vanilla cookies		Ванилице	Vanilice
Uštipci		Уштипци	Uštipci	Doughnut-like fried dough balls.

Domestic coffee (or Serbian coffee) is the most commonly consumed non-alcoholic beverage in Serbia. It is mostly prepared at home, rather than bought in coffee shops, and preferably consumed in the company of friends or family. Slatko, ratluk and raki may be served alongside coffee. The majority of the Serbian population starts a day with a cup of coffee in the morning. Herbal teas are consumed as a medication, rather than a beverage. Yogurt and kefir are commonly consumed dairy beverages. They frequently accompany savory pastries. A beverage made from maize, called boza or kvas, used to be popular in the past. Today it is rarely consumed.

A number of fruit juice and mineral water brands are produced locally. The Knjaz Milos mineral water is considered a national brand.

Raki in special bottle, as the national drink of Serbia

Rakija/Raki is a general term for distilled beverages made from fruits. There are numerous varieties, which are usually named after the type of fruit they are made from. Comparatively many people brew their own rakija. Loza, made from grapes, is considered the national drink.

Beer has become recently popular and is enjoyed in Serbia, event outpacing the traditional raki and wine. The largest brewery in the country is Apatinska pivara.

There are nearly 110,000 hectares of vineyards in Serbia, producing about 645,000 tons of grapes annually, with South Serbia producing the most. Because of that, Serbia has great international recognition as a wine producer.

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  Coffee being served
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  White Serbian wine
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  Various Serbian beer brands
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  Boza
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  A cup of coffee