Friday, September 30, 2011

Overview of Montenegrin Cuisine

Eating Balkan food is very rich experience since all countries’ cuisines mingle with each other. One of the Balkan’s countries that has diverse cuisine is Montenegro; and its cuisine could be divided into 3 types: Northern, Continental and Mediterranean depending of the region where it is served. Mainly this cuisine is influenced by Turkish, Serbian, Hungarian, Mediterranean and Austrian cuisines. Taken as a whole, all Montenegrin products are organic, therefore the meals are astonishing. Here is a list of the most popular and highly traditional Montenegrin meals:

First on you delicious list are soups which are the most common meals in Montenegro, and mostly they are made of meat and vegetables. The most famous Montenegrin soup is the fish soup made of dry fish with garlic and onion, and what is specific about this soup is that it is served cold. The second place comes for kačamak which is a strong, squashy meal that is prepared of wheat, barley, buckwheat or corn flour. This dish is served with sour milk and cheese. Also there is a wet kačamak in which cheese is added during the preparation. One of the most interesting variations of “kačamak” is the one made of potatoes. This meal is extremely delicious, and certainly will leave you breathless.

Next on my list is reserved for cicvara which is a kajmak, sort of young cow’s cheese, mixed with flour until the grease is released. This meal is being served with sour milk and cooked potato, and it has huge energetic value. Then comes rastan also known as wild cabbage which is a vegetable found in this region. In USA it is found under the name “collared greens”. This dish is cooked with potatoes, many spices and herbs. One more tasty meal is japraci which is one is the richest Montenegrin dishes. It is made of “rastan”, calf’s meat, peppers, rice and dry meat. The truly specialty of the house is Montenegrin Lamb in Milk. It is prepared of meat cooked in home-made milk with potatoes and spices, and this meal is served especially for solemn occasions. Moreover, Montenegrins have a very interesting method for cooking meat in “sač” which is a large metal cap used for baking meat and bread. The meal is covered with this metal cap, and ashes and goals are put above the cap. A mouth-watering dish cooked in this way is baked lamp; it keeps its natural aroma and the way of cooking is very exotic. Popeci is another amazingly good dish found in Podgorica. It is a roll made of veal’s meat, a piece of kajmak and smoked ham, then fried in deep oil. What you get is scrumptious meal with juice interiors and crispy exterior.

Every cuisine is not complete if there are not drinks served on the table; therefore our Montenegrin beverage list is made of few remarkable drinks unique for this country. Wine in Montenegro has long tradition due to the perfect climate, and all wines have single flavours. Like all Balkan countries, so does Montenegro is famous for rakija, strong brandy, made of different kinds of fruits. Moreover, Montenegro has only one, but very powerful brewery which produces the well-known beer among the Balkan’s countries, Nikšičko beer. Last but not least on over list is buttermilk which is a traditional drink similar to yoghurt with salty taste.

To conclude, food in Montenegro has many different styles which are very connected to the other Balkan’s cuisines. It holds variety of meals, unique in their region but similar to the neighbours’, tasty in every way of the word.


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Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Macedonian Skordalia

Ingredents:
  • 2 potatoes
  • 6-7 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 cup finely chopped walnuts
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • juice of lemon
Combine peeled potatoes, minced garlic, walnuts and salt in a food processor. Puree for some 30 seconds until everything is well blended. Slowly pour in lemon juice, oil and vinegar, alternating between them. Continue pureeing about 3 minutes until mixture is a smooth paste a little looser than mashed potatoes in texture. Enjoy

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