Some food you should try in Macedonia

The Macedonian recipes are very diverse. This fact is the consequence of the great number of ingredients that are found in this country.

Burek

Börek (also burek and other variants) is a family of baked filled pastries made of a thin flaky dough. In Serbia, Macedonia, Croatia and Slovenia, burek is made from layers of dough, alternating with layers of other fillings in a circular baking pan and then topped with a last layer of dough. Traditionally it may be baked with no filling (prazan), with stewed minced meat and onions, or with cheese. When I arrived in Macedonia people told me to try Burek “so meso” (with meat) or Burek “so sirenje” (with cheese). There are two teams, those who prefers with meat and those with cheese. Modern bakeries offer cheese and spinach, potato, mushroom, and pizza-burek as well. After a party in Prilep you can try Pizza-Burek, it’s perfect!

Shopska salata

It is a Bulgarian cold salad popular throughout the Balkans and Central Europe. It is made with onions, tomatoes, cucumbers, and topped with lots of Sirenje (white cheese). You can add olive oil if you want. It’s one of my favorite dishes of Macedonia. In general you drink Rakija with it. Rakija is a typical alcoholic beverage (a fruit brandy) of the Balkans. Many Macedonians do homemade Rakija, which is really good.

Toplo Sirenje

When you are really hungry and you don’t want a light but fat dish, here is the Melted cheese ( Toplo Sirenje in Macedonian). Inside a big bowl you have melted cheese and you dip bread in it. It’s really yummy and for sure you will ruin your diet!

Ajvar

Aјвар is a type of relish, made principally from red bell peppers, with garlic. It may also contain eggplant and chili peppers. It is nowadays popular in the Balkans.

Original homemade ajvar is made of roasted peppers. Depending on the capsaicin content in bell peppers and the amount of added chili peppers, it can be sweet (traditional), piquant (the most common), or very hot. The ajvar can be consumed as a bread spread or as a side dish.

Tulumba

Тулумба in Macedonian is a popular dessert found in the cuisines of the former ottoman Empire. It is a fried batter soaked in syrup, similar to churros.It is made from unleavened dough lump (about 10 cm long) given a small ovoid shape with ridges along it using an 'icing' bag with a special nozzle. It is first deep-fried to golden colour and then sugar-sweet syrup poured over it when still hot. You eat it cold.

Tavce Gravce

is one of the most popular Macedonian meals and is prepared in two main ways baked and cooked/stewed beans. Tavce gravce (literally meaning beans cooked in a skillet) is a thick and chunky bean stew that is cooked in the traditional Macedonian earthenware. Tavce gravce has a variety of different spices and vegetables that enhance its flavour, including fresh Macedonian paprika. I haven’t tried it yet, but I must do it before I leave the country.

Kachkaval

It is a type of yellow cheese made of cow milk, sheep milk or both (kashkaval preslav). In many countries of the Balkans (as Macedonia) the term is often used to refer to all yellow cheeses. Once we tried grilled Kashkaval in a restaurant, if you like salty dishes and cheese you should try it.

Ćevapi

It’s is a grilled dish of minced meat, a type of skinless sausage, found traditionally in the Balkans. They are considered a national dish in Macedonia. They are usually served of 5–10 pieces on a plate or in a flatbread often with chopped onions, sour cream, ajvar …, minced red pepper and salt. Macedonian, Croatian, Bulgarian and Romanian varieties are often made of both pork and beef.

Pastrmalija

It is a Macedonian bread pie made from dough and meat. Pastrmalija is usually oval-shaped with sliced meat cubes on top of it. Its name derives from the word pastrma, meaning salted and dried meat of sheep or lamb. In its honor, the city of Štip organizes an annual festival called "Pastrmajlijada".

Thanks to my friends who show me all the Macedonians specialties!

Bérénice Kermoal.