Balkan cuisine

Last updated
Easter breakfast is popular in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania and Serbia for Orthodox Easter. A similar Easter breakfast is popular in Croatia, Hungary and Slovenia. Easter breakfast in Serbia (close-up).jpg
Easter breakfast is popular in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania and Serbia for Orthodox Easter. A similar Easter breakfast is popular in Croatia, Hungary and Slovenia.

Balkan cuisine encompasses a collection of national cuisines that combine characteristics of European cuisine with some of those from West Asia. In its broadest sense, Balkan cuisine encompasses the native cuisines of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Hungary, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia and Slovenia. [1] [2] Except for Slovenian cuisine, these cuisines have a notable Turkish influence due to Ottoman occupation. [3] [4] [5] Except for Hungarian, Moldovan, and Romanian cuisine, Balkan cuisines have considerable Mediterranean influence, mostly present in Greek and Albanian cuisine. [3] [6] [7] Romani cuisine, the traditional food of the Romani people, includes dishes from traditional Balkan cuisine. [8]

Contents

Balkan cuisine is available in Vienna, Austria, due to post-WWII migration to the city. [9] Germany has restaurants serving Balkan cuisine, which were often called Yugoslavian restaurants until the outbreak of the Yugoslav Wars. [10] Balkan Grills have been present in West Germany since the 1960s, popularizing ćevapčići in the country, but these establishments have become rarer since the late 1980s, and those that survive are often now called "Croatian" instead. [11]

History

The Balkans have a history of foreign rule and internal power struggles, resulting in a diverse cuisine shaped by cultural exchange. [12] The historical foundation of modern Balkan cuisine is Ottoman cuisine, which itself was heavily influenced by Arabian Levantine cuisine and the medieval Byzantine cuisine. [13] The Ottoman Empire introduced peppers to the region and also brought börek, a filo pastry whose origins may trace back to Ancient Roman cuisine. [12] During the Ottoman presence, dishes such as ćevapi and pljeskavica were introduced along with Turkish coffee. [14] At the same time, pork became popular in northern Serbia as pigs were not taxed under Ottoman Islamic law. [12]

Balkan cuisine also draws on the traditional cuisines of Greece, Persia, the Arab countries, and Turkey, and the region itself, [15] and has borrowed from Mediterranean cuisine, Armenian cuisine, and the cuisines of Northwest Africa and Central Europe. [16] Commonalities also appear in German and Slavic cuisines. [17] Austria and Italy's involvement in the Balkans introduced breaded-meat dishes and an emphasis on seafood. [14] Persian cuisine influenced the use of yoghurt in meat dishes. [18] Jewish cuisine also contributed, such as patišpanja, a sponge cake found in Bosnia and Herzegovina. [19]

Characteristics

Balkan cuisine is characterised by diverse, strong, and sometimes spicy food. [20] [21] Pickled vegetables are common ingredients. [22] Peppers appear in ajvar spread, [12] and small hot peppers are also common. Feta cheese is a popular ingredient in southern parts of the region. [2] Dishes often use stuffed vegetables, [14] such as sarma, made with stuffed vine leaves. Moussaka, a dish made from eggplants or potatoes, is also popular. [2] Dishes may be served with a thick cream known as kajmak, [23] and egg-and-lemon sauce avgolemono, is widely used. [24] Meze are often served as appetizers, similar to the Levantine and Caucasian cuisines. [25] Popular desserts include baklava and halva, [2] and people often drink fruit brandy rakia. Cooking is typically done using a sač, a type of baking lid covered with hot coals or ashes, [14] a technique dating back to Ancient Greek cuisine. [26]

Diversity

The similarities within Balkan cuisine partly stem from the Balkans' shared natural environment, which provides similar ingredients. [27] Many dishes and recipes across the region use similar terms, albeit with national variations. [28] The common features of Balkan cuisine are most evident in haute cuisine . In contrast, meals prepared domestically reveal the cuisine's geographic variation, [2] [29] including a series of intermediate cuisines ranging from Northern and Mediterranean Europe to the Middle East. [30] Different nationalities in the region create their own variations, [29] and a dish by the same name may have different ingredients and preparation methods in different countries. [14] Chocolate, cakes, and sweet confections are popular in the northern Balkans, but in the south, seafood, honeyed sweets, and pastas reflect the region's more Mediterranean style. [29]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Janakievska, Irina (2024). The Balkan Kitchen: Recipes and Stories from the Heart of the Balkans. pp. 6–29. ISBN   978-1784886851. To my mind, it is most helpful to think of the Balkans as a mutable region, and one which, in current global-map terms comprises nation-states born out of the demise of the former Yugoslavia — Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Slovenia, as well as Albania, Bulgaria, and parts of Greece, Romania, Hungary and Turkey.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Bradatan, Cristina E (January 2003). "Cuisine and Cultural Identity in Balkans". Anthropology of East Europe Review. 21 (1): 43–47.
  3. 1 2 Enard-Hauger, Amandine (2025-03-14). "The 5 best culinary specialities to try on a trip to Albania". EN-VOLS. Retrieved 2025-03-22.
  4. ↑ Koç, Adem (2016-01-01). "Food, Culture and Identity On Turkish and Hungarian Cuisine". World of Similar Tastes: Comparison of the Turkish and Hungarian Culinary Culture.
  5. ↑ Erizanu, Paula (2023-12-25). "From birch-tree juice to Christmas bread, our food tells the story of who we are". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2025-03-15.
  6. ↑ "Greek cuisine". World Food and Wine. Retrieved 2025-03-22.
  7. ↑ STO. "The flavours of Slovenia – highlights of Slovenian national cuisine". I feel Slovenia. Retrieved 2025-03-15.
  8. ↑ Sullivan, Meghan Collins (16 May 2014). "Introducing Roma Cuisine, The Little-Known 'Soul Food' Of Europe". NPR.
  9. ↑ Brook, Stephen (2012). DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Vienna. Dorling Kindersley Ltd. p. 200. ISBN   9781409384397.
  10. ↑ Heinzelmann, Ursula (2008). Food Culture in Germany. ABC-CLIO. p. 124. ISBN   9780313344947.
  11. ↑ Stefanov, Nenad; Radović, Srdjan (2021). Boundaries and Borders in the Post-Yugoslav Space: A European Experience. Walter de Gruyter. pp. 265–7. ISBN   9783110712766.
  12. 1 2 3 4 Garcevic, Srdjan (31 December 2018). "Delicious Histories of Favourite Balkan Foods". Balkan Insight.
  13. ↑ Gostin, Alina-Ioana; Bogueva, Diana; Kakurinov, Vladimir, eds. (2021). Nutritional and Health Aspects of Food in the Balkans. Academic Press. pp. 21–22. ISBN   9780128207864.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 Bills, John William (29 August 2018). "7 Things You Didn't Know About Balkan Cuisine". The Culture Trip. Archived from the original on 22 September 2022. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
  15. ↑ Miljkovic, Ema (2020). The Balkans: Everyday Life and Culture. Livre de Lyon. p. 3. ISBN   9782490773459.
  16. ↑ Gostin, Bogueva & Kakurinov (2021), p. 10.
  17. ↑ Byrd, Melanie; Dunn, John P. (2020). Cooking through History: A Worldwide Encyclopedia of Food with Menus and Recipes. ABC-CLIO. p. 302. ISBN   9781610694568.
  18. ↑ Roufs, Timothy G.; Roufs, Kathleen Smyth (2014). Sweet Treats around the World: An Encyclopedia of Food and Culture. ABC-CLIO. p. 24. ISBN   9781610692212.
  19. ↑ Goldstein, Darra; et al. (2005). Culinary Cultures of Europe: Identity, Diversity and Dialogue. Council of Europe. p. 384. ISBN   9789287157447.
  20. ↑ Gostin, Bogueva & Kakurinov (2021), p. 11.
  21. ↑ Gostin, Alina-Ioana; Bogueva, Diana (2021). Gostin, Alina-Ioana; et al. (eds.). Nutritional and Health Aspects of Food in the Balkans (1st ed.). LIT Verlag. pp. 9–20. ISBN   9780128207826.
  22. ↑ Dalby, Andrew; Dalby, Rachel (2017). Gifts of the Gods: A History of Food in Greece. Reaktion Books. pp. 155, 184. ISBN   9781780238630.
  23. ↑ Carman, Tim (22 January 2013). "Prepping Balkan cuisine for its Capitol Hill debut". Washington Post.
  24. ↑ Kaneva-Johnson, Maria (1995). Balkan Food and Cookery. p. 349. ISBN   0-907325-57-2.
  25. ↑ Coxall, Malcolm (2014). "1.1 History of the tapa". Traditional Vegetarian Tapas Recipes of Spain. Malcolm Coxall. ISBN   9788494178337.
  26. ↑ Sparkes, B. A. (1962). "The Greek Kitchen". The Journal of Hellenic Studies. 82: 121–137. doi:10.2307/628548. JSTOR   628548. S2CID   162981087.
  27. ↑ Gostin, Bogueva & Kakurinov (2021), p. 21.
  28. ↑ Jianu, Angela; Barbu, Violeta, eds. (2018). Earthly Delights: Economies and Cultures of Food in Ottoman and Danubian Europe, c. 1500–1900. Brill. p. 4. ISBN   9789004367548.
  29. 1 2 3 Roufs & Roufs (2014), p. 24.
  30. ↑ Anderson, E. N. (2005). Everyone Eats: Understanding Food and Culture. NYU Press. p. 193. ISBN   9780814707401.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.