Kosovar cuisine

Last updated

The cuisine of Kosovo is a representative of the cuisine of the Balkans and consists of traditional dishes by ethnic groups native to Kosovo. Due to ethnic connections with Albania, it has been significantly influenced by Albanian cuisine and has adopted elements of other Balkan countries.

Contents

Bread, dairy, meat, fruits and vegetables are important staples in Kosovan cuisine. With diversity of recipes, the Kosovan daily cuisine adjusts well to the country's occasional hot summers and the frequent long winters. As a result of its continental climate, fresh vegetables are consumed in summer while pickles throughout autumn and winter. [1]

Breakfast in Kosovo is usually light, consisting primarily of a croissant with coffee, sandwiches, scrambled eggs, omelettes, petulla or toast with salami, processed cheese, lettuce and tea. Cereals with milk, waffles, pretzels and homemade pancakes with honey or marmalade are also frequently consumed especially by children.

Dishes

Common dishes include pies, flija, stuffed peppers, legumes, sarma, and kebab/qebapa.

The most common dishes in wintertime in Kosovo contain pickled items like sauerkraut, green tomatoes, cucumbers, cauliflower, and condiments such as ajvar (hot or mild red peppers) which is usually seasoned in early autumn. These foods are used in appetizers throughout the year.

Bread

Varieties of bread are available throughout the country. Notably: pitalka, pita, cornbread (also known as "Leqenik"), kifli and whole wheat bread among others.

Pies

Pies in Kosovo are known as "trejte", [2] or "pite". A variety of pies are common:

Flija Flija.png
Flija

Salads

Tarator TaratorBg.jpg
Tarator

Typical salad ingredients include tomatoes, onion, garlic, pepper, cucumber, potato, cabbage, lettuce, carrots, and beans.

Main dishes

Tava e Prizrenit Tava e Prizrenit.JPG
Tava e Prizrenit
Sarma in cabbage leaves Sarmale.jpg
Sarma in cabbage leaves
Sarma, peppers filled with kefir and cottage cheese, and pite. Kosovar Lunch.jpg
Sarma, peppers filled with kefir and cottage cheese, and pite.

Tavë Prizreni is a traditional regional casserole from the southern city of Prizren. It is made with lamb, eggplants, green peppers, onions, tomatoes and is served hot. Sarma is also another popular lunch dish which (although not limited to) consists of minced meat wrapped with cabbage or vine leaves. [11]

Fish

The most popular fish dishes constitute of fried freshwater fish like zander and carp. A speciality is considered the tavë krapi, carp cooked in a pot, more widely used in cities around the Dukagjini valley, notably Gjakova because of its relation with Shkodër. The garnish is composed of garlic, bay leaf, tomato, parsley.

Desserts

Havell UnHelvasi.jpg
Havell

Traditional Kosovan desserts are often made with sorbet which is enhanced with lemon or vanilla flavour. The mainstream pastries include Baklava (regional), Cremeschnitte, Pudding, Crêpe, Tulluma, Tespishte, Rovani, etc.

Drinks

Drinking coffee is part of a big tradition in Kosovo. [13] It is widely consumed and served everywhere at cafés, bars or restaurants. There are several varieties of coffee popular in Kosovo, which include instant coffee, brewed coffee, Turkish coffee and espresso. [14]

The most popular traditional drink in Kosovo is Rasoj which is made of a fermented red cabbage. Another popular beverages include boza, lemonade, kompot (usually drank during the autumn and made with seasonal fruit such as quince), beer, as well as coffee and teas.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Turkish cuisine</span> Culinary traditions of Turkey

Turkish cuisine is the cuisine of Turkey and the Turkish diaspora. Although the cuisine took its current rich form after numerous cultural interactions throughout centuries, it should not be confused with other cuisines such as Ottoman cuisine or Seljuk cuisine. Turkish cuisine with traditional Turkic elements such as yogurt, ayran, kaymak, exerts and gains influences to and from Mediterranean, Balkan, Middle Eastern, Central Asian and Eastern European cuisines.

Albanian cuisine is a representative of the cuisine of the Mediterranean. It is also an example of the Mediterranean diet based on the importance of olive oil, fruits, vegetables and fish. The cooking traditions of the Albanian people are diverse in consequence of the environmental factors that are more importantly suitable for the cultivation of nearly every kind of herbs, vegetables and fruits. Olive oil is the most ancient and commonly used vegetable fat in Albanian cooking, produced since antiquity throughout the country particularly along the coasts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Polish cuisine</span> Culinary traditions of Poland

Polish cuisine is a style of food preparation originating in and widely popular in Poland. Due to Poland's history, Polish cuisine has evolved over the centuries to be very eclectic, and shares many similarities with other national cuisines. Polish cooking in other cultures is often referred to as à la polonaise.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Russian cuisine</span> Culinary traditions of Russia

Russian cuisine is a collection of the different dishes and cooking traditions of the Russian people as well as a list of culinary products popular in Russia, with most names being known since pre-Soviet times, coming from all kinds of social circles.

Romanian cuisine is a diverse blend of different dishes from several traditions with which it has come into contact, but it also maintains its own character. It has been mainly influenced by Turkish but also a series of European cuisines in particular from the Balkan Peninsula and Hungarian cuisine as well as culinary elements stemming from the cuisines of Central Europe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bulgarian cuisine</span> Culinary traditions of Bulgaria

Bulgarian cuisine is part of the cuisine of Southeast Europe, sharing characteristics with other Balkan cuisines. Bulgarian cooking traditions are diverse because of geographical factors such as climatic conditions suitable for a variety of vegetables, herbs, and fruit. Aside from the variety of local Bulgarian dishes, Bulgarian cuisine shares a number of dishes with its neighboring countries, in particular with Turkish and Greek cuisine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Salvadoran cuisine</span> Culinary traditions of El Salvador

Salvadoran cuisine is a style of cooking derived from the nation of El Salvador. The indigenous foods consist of a mix of Amerindian cuisine from groups such as the Lenca, Pipil, Maya Poqomam, Maya Chʼortiʼ, Alaguilac and Cacaopera peoples. Many of the dishes are made with maize (corn). There is also heavy use of pork and seafood. European ingredients were incorporated after the Spanish conquest.

Serbian cuisine is a Balkan cuisine that consists of the culinary methods and traditions of Serbia. Its roots lie in Serbian history, including centuries of cultural contact and influence with the Greeks and the Byzantine Empire, the Ottomans, and Serbia's Balkan neighbours, especially during the existence of Yugoslavia. Historically, Serbian food develops from pastoral customs that involved the keeping of sheep in mountain highlands, in a climate and regional context that favoured animal husbandry over vegetable farming; Serbian food is therefore traditionally richer in animal products and basic grains—corn, wheat and oats—than fresh vegetable dishes. Following the abandonment of widely practiced pastoral lifestyles, Serbian food emerged through the Middle Ages heavily dependent not on lamb or mutton, but on the keeping of pigs for the annual cull and the production of various cured meats, such as sausages, bacon and ham products.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iraqi cuisine</span> Culinary traditions of Iraq

Iraqi cuisine is a Middle Eastern cuisine that has its origins in the ancient Near East culture of the fertile crescent. Tablets found in ancient ruins in Iraq show recipes prepared in the temples during religious festivals—the first cookbooks in the world. Ancient Mesopotamia was home to a sophisticated and highly advanced civilization, in all fields of knowledge, including the culinary arts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Czech cuisine</span> Culinary traditions of the Czech Republic

Czech cuisine has both influenced and been influenced by the cuisines of surrounding countries and nations. Many of the cakes and pastries that are popular in Central Europe originated within the Czech lands. Contemporary Czech cuisine is more meat-based than in previous periods; the current abundance of farmable meat has enriched its presence in regional cuisine. Traditionally, meat has been reserved for once-weekly consumption, typically on weekends.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Levantine cuisine</span> Cuisine of the Eastern Mediterranean

Levantine cuisine is the traditional cuisine of the Levant, in the sense of the rough area of former Ottoman Syria. The cuisine has similarities with Egyptian cuisine, North African cuisine and Ottoman cuisine. It is particularly known for its meze spreads of hot and cold dishes, most notably among them ful medames, hummus, tabbouleh and baba ghanoush, accompanied by bread.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Assyrian cuisine</span> Regional cuisine

Assyrian cuisine is the cuisine of the indigenous ethnic Assyrian people, Eastern Aramaic-speaking Syriac Christians of Iraq, northeastern Syria, northwestern Iran and southeastern Turkey. Assyrian cuisine is primarily identical to Iraqi/Mesopotamian cuisine, as well as being very similar to other Middle Eastern and Caucasian cuisines, as well as Greek cuisine, Levantine cuisine, Turkish cuisine, Iranian cuisine, Palestinian cuisine, and Armenian cuisine, with most dishes being similar to the cuisines of the area in which those Assyrians live/originate from. It is rich in grains such as barley, meat, tomato, herbs, spices, cheese, and potato as well as herbs, fermented dairy products, and pickles.

Bosnian cuisine is the traditional cuisine of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is influenced by Ottoman, Austro-Hungarian and Balkan cuisines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palestinian cuisine</span> Types of food in Palestine culture

Palestinian cuisine consists of foods from or commonly eaten by Palestinians, whether in Palestine, Israel, Jordan, or refugee camps in nearby countries, or by the Palestinian diaspora. The cuisine is a diffusion of the cultures of civilizations that settled in the region of Palestine, particularly during and after the Islamic era beginning with the Arab Ummayad conquest, then the eventual Persian-influenced Abbasids and ending with the strong influences of Turkish cuisine, resulting from the coming of the Ottoman Turks. It is similar to other Levantine cuisines, including Lebanese, Syrian and Jordanian.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Israeli cuisine</span> Culinary traditions of Israel

Israeli cuisine primarily comprises dishes brought from the Jewish diaspora, and has more recently been defined by the development of a notable fusion cuisine characterized by the mixing of Jewish cuisine and Arab cuisine. It also blends together the culinary traditions of the various diaspora groups, namely those of Middle Eastern Jews with roots in Southwest Asia and North Africa, Sephardi Jews from Iberia, and Ashkenazi Jews from Central and Eastern Europe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Algerian cuisine</span> Culinary traditions of Algeria

The cuisine of Algeria is influenced by Algeria's interactions and exchanges with other cultures and nations over the centuries. It is based on both land and sea products. Conquests or demographic movement towards the Algerian territory were two of the main factors of exchanges between the different peoples and cultures. The Algerian cuisine is a mix of Arab, Berber, Turkish and French roots.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Middle Eastern cuisine</span> Regional cuisine

Middle Eastern cuisine or West Asian cuisine includes a number of cuisines from the Middle East. Common ingredients include olives and olive oil, pitas, honey, sesame seeds, dates, sumac, chickpeas, mint, rice and parsley, and popular dishes include kebabs, dolmas, falafel, baklava, yogurt, doner kebab, shawarma and mulukhiyah.

References

  1. "FOOD". beinkosovo.com. Pristina. p. 1.
  2. "Kuzhina Kosovare Fjala kuzhinë thuhet... - Kultura dhe Tradita Shqiptare". Web.facebook.com. 2014-07-30. Retrieved 2017-01-24.
  3. "Kollpite | Traditional Savory Pastry from Kosovo | TasteAtlas".
  4. "Bakllasarëm - Kosovar Cuisine - Kosovo". KosovoGuide.com. Archived from the original on 2016-04-07. Retrieved 2017-01-24.
  5. "Pite me spanaq". 4 April 2013.
  6. "Leqenik i shijshëm i butë dhe i thjeshtë!". Femra.net. 2014-06-20. Archived from the original on 2017-07-18. Retrieved 2017-01-24.
  7. "Kryelanë misri me hithra - Recetat e Cekës". Recetatecekes.com. Archived from the original on 2016-11-19. Retrieved 2017-01-24.
  8. "Rasenik – Pite me lakër të bardhë - Receta + Fotografi". Kuzhina Shqiptare. 2017-01-03. Archived from the original on 2018-02-23. Retrieved 2017-01-24.
  9. "Byrek me purri e qumësht". Telegrafi. 2010-02-24. Retrieved 2017-01-24.
  10. "HITHENIK - Receta + Fotografi". Kuzhina Shqiptare. 2017-01-03. Archived from the original on 2018-07-26. Retrieved 2017-01-24.
  11. "Kosovo Kosovar Cuisine". KosovoGuide.com. 2014-08-24. Archived from the original on 2016-04-02. Retrieved 2017-01-24.
  12. "1000 receta per cdo familje". Scribd.com. Retrieved 2017-01-24.
  13. Verena Knaus, Gail Warrander, Larissa Olenicoff , Bridget Nurre Jennions (5 October 2017). Kosovo. Bradt Travel Guides, 2017. p. 68. ISBN   9781784770587.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  14. "2 Turkish coffees + 3 macchiatos + 4 cups of tea = 1 day in Kosovo". brittanyinkosovo.wordpress.com. 19 July 2016.
  15. "Cabbage Winter Drink (rasoj)". Instructables.com. 2014-12-21. Retrieved 2017-01-24.

Graham, Adam (20 August 2015). "In Kosovo, a Thirst for Progress, and Beer, Too". The New York Times .