26
Jun-2015

6 Must Tries for the Real Serbian Experience

Travel blogger and freelance writer, Jenna here. I’ve just recently completed my exciting trip to Uzice, Serbia and have so much to share with you. It is not surprising that I say food and drink tends to be my favorite part of any travel experience. So if you’re planning a trip to Serbia soon, don’t leave until you’ve tried these 6 things.

rakija

1. RAKIJA

Rakija is a well-known drink across the Balkans and is enjoyed by many people across Serbia. It is so common to drink this strong plum schnapps that you’ll often see the old men sipping it from plastic water bottles on the trains and buses (as I did every day). You’ll find many variations across the Balkans, but Serbians are known for their delicious blackberry and honey flavored Rakija. The dangerous part about this delicious alcoholic beverage is that it can be distilled between 30 and 50 percent. I would now suggest you go out and enjoy your night…

pljeskavica

2. PLJESKAVICA

I won’t lie, I didn’t have the opportunity to try Pljeskavica while in Serbia due to some dietary restrictions, but that didn’t stop my travel companion from eating it everyday, twice a day. Not to mention as told by the locals, he had been eating this massive smoked beef patty from one of the ‘not so original’ shops the entire time – this didn’t stop him from going back for thirds or fourths. Pljeskavica is the perfect meal for breakfast, lunch or dinner (I mean many Serbs were buying them for breakfast too – despite the skyrocketing calories). It is usually prepared with beef or pork meat in a fresh, warm and toasted bun and then it’s your time to shine and pick any ingredient you want in the dish (reccommendations: kajmak, hot pepper cream, lettuce, tomato, mushroom cream, CHEESE).

burek2

3. BUREK

If you haven’t heard of Burek, you’re seriously missing out. I think I’ve eaten more Burek in one week than I should have in my entire life. Cheese filled, mushroom filled, meat filled, potato, cherry, plum, pear, apple… the list goes on! You’ll find plenty of this across the Balkans, as it is a traditional pastry from the Ottoman origin. Made of a many crispy flaky layers of fried delicious pastry, it will be hard to resist.

kajmak

4. KAJMAK

Pronounced ‘kai-mak,’ I once thought I was just being served a massive scoop of butter only to find out that it’s a very traditional creamy dairy dish served across Serbia. Similar to a young cheese or a heavy cream, Kajmak is typically served with almost anything, more popularly Pljeskavica, toast, and meat products.

palacinke

5. PALACINKE

My personal favorite, due to the incredibly large sweet tooth I have is Palatschinke. Similar to a French crepe, it is cooked on a crepe skillet and then filled with nuts, chocolate cream, honey and/or marmalade. If you’re not up for the sweets today, you can also find savory Palatschinke with different meats and cheese.

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komplet-lepinja

6. KOMPLET LEPINJA

You likely won’t find this anywhere else but in the region of Uzice, Serbia. It is a traditional and local dish, which is usually consumed at any hour of the day. Though most of us will likely consider it a ‘heart attack in a sandwich,’ it’s still something you’ve got to indulge in while travelling through Uzice. Delicious baked bread (similar to a pizza dough), cut open, oven baked and filled with meat drippings (lamb or sheep), egg and Kajmak.

Oh, ps. If you’re making your way through to the beautiful Uzice, look no further than Eco Hostel Republik for your accommodations: the only hostel in Uzice and the only eco hostel in Serbia.

Have fun and feast on!

Jenna Davis
Give for Granted
www.giveforgranted.com

lepinja
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