Traditional Foods of the Balkans !

The Balkan Peninsula includes the state of Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Greece, Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Montenegro, and European Turkey. These regions were once a part of the Roman & Byzantine Empire. The peninsula is very mountainous and blessed with thick forests and natural resources. Most areas of this Balkan region are very rich in history and contribute goods and services to the rest of the world. The people of the Balkan Peninsula make up several racial groups and you will find distinct ethnic and cultural groups following their own tradition of food, style and architecture. I’m a big fan of Balkan cuisine and traditional foods. Along my travels, I’ve noted a few small details about the varying dishes in the Balkan region:

• The best part of the Greek cooking is olive oil. Olives are a huge part of Greek culture, and can be associated with their cuisine from the ancient times. The region is rich in olive trees and the olive oil is frequently used in many Greek dishes. Wheat and Barley are the basic grains in Greek region, and major vegetables include tomato, eggplant, potato, green beans and okra. Dried oregano seeds are commonly used in Greek food to add flavors to the dish prepared.

• Bosnian dishes are rich in spices and cooked with lot of vegetables. Typical meat dishes include beef, lamb and pork. Some of the best wines are available from many of the large vineyards in and around Herzegovina, as the climate is quite suitable for growing grapes. Some of the local specialties include ajvar, burek, cevapcici, dolma, goulash, pilaf sarma, and delicious Eastern sweets.

• Montenegro’s cuisines are largely influenced by the Italian and continental European recipe. The coastal area of Montenegro yields Mediterranean dishes entirely different from the northern highland region’s recipe.

• Macedonia is famous for its rich Shopska salad, an appetizer and side dish which accompany almost every meal. This region is better known for diverse milk products, wines and ‘local beverages’. Pork is the preferred meat in Romania, but beef, lamb and fish is also used in many local dishes. Mamaliga is a common dish; cornmeal mush served separately or along with a side dish.

• Before Christmas, a pig is slaughtered by rural families of Romania, and variety of dishes are prepared from the meat and served with spicy sausages.

• A typical breakfast of Turkey consists of cheese, butter, olive, eggs, tomatoes, cucumbers and green peppers. Black tea is served along with breakfast in turkey.