Although Bosnia and Herzegovina may not be acknowledged on the map of culinary tourism, its ćevapi may not be as famous as Italian pizza, its rakija not mentioned as often as the Greek ouzo, this Balkan jewel offers its own specialties that tickle the taste buds for tourism.
Fresh produce straight from the countryside is available throughout Bosnia. Succulent pork sausages, shredded dried pork, soft white cheese, fresh sour cream, vegetables right out of grandmas garden, are just some of the perks of visiting this part of Europe.
Bosnian cuisine tends to be very rich, so make sure you loosen your belt before you sit down for a meal.
Bosanski lonac, a rich potato dish, a slow roasted pot of meat and vegetables, and sarma, cabbage rolls stuffed with meat and rice filling, are famous traditional dishes perfect for the cold winter months. Jagnjetina or lamb grilled over an open fire with roasted potatoes is another specialty mastered by the B&H folk while filovane paprike or peppers stuffed with minced meat and spices enrich almost every special occasion.
Ćevapi are undoubtedly the most famous addition to the Bosnian menu, they are small grilled meat sausages made of lamb and beef mixture served with onions, fresh sour cream and Bosnian pita bread. Apart from being delicious, ćevapi date back more than 400 years, so whilst tasting this dish you are in fact having a piece of Bosnia tradition. Another Turkish influence is burek, a type of pastry stuffed with meat, traditionally rolled in a spiral and cut into sections for serving.
Meat under šač, a traditional way of cooking lamb, veal, or goat under a metal, ceramic, or earthenware lid on which hot coals and ashes are heaped, is another Bosnian cuisine waiting to impress tourists.
The menu in this part of Europe is also enriched by tasty deserts, among them Turkish inspired baklava, flaky pastry with a filling of nuts drenched in sugar syrup or honey; šampita, a whipped marshmallow-type dessert with fillo dough crust; krempita a creamy pudding like cake similar to cheesecake but with lost of additional sugar…
When it comes to drinks, locally-produced wines and brandies spoil any connoisseur for choice. Sample the rakija, which is available in lots of fruit flavors like plum and grape.
As you can tell food in this region of Europe tends to be rich, with emphasis on dairy products and meat, but if you are concerned for your figure don’t threat there are alternative vegetable dishes.
