Balkan Bites

Our foraging foray of South-Eastern Europe began as we crossed into Slovenia. In the capital, Ljubljana, we discovered Žlikrofi; beautifully simple little potato dumplings served with a meat sauce. So proud are the Slovenians of these little ravioli ‘hats’ that in 2010 Žlikrofi were the first foodstuff in Slovenia to be awarded a ‘protected geographical status’ to legally safeguard their regional reputation and authenticity (along with the likes of Champagne, Camembert cheese and Melton Mowbray Pork Pies).

In Slovenia we also had our first flaky bite of what would be a snack staple over the coming weeks- Burek. Fried or baked, these individual pastries were cheap and filling and quickly became a convenient adventure fast-feed at any time of the day. Slovenian Burek were a substantial roll of fatty filo, packed with mystery sweet or savoury filling and folded into a chunky ‘Z’ shape.

In Bosnia, the Börek spirals got so big they became communal, with bakeries selling individual slices of the filo giants from round baking pans. In Sarajevo we also sampled Filovana paprika; peppers stuffed with meat and rice then slow-cooked in an oily, tomato sauce and served with a dollop of sour cream floating on top. Delicious comfort food to warm us on our chilly Sarajevo evening.

In Croatia, the Burek were neater and made from a length of layered filo pastry stuffed with meat, spinach, cheese or potato, then compactly wound into a pin-wheel spiral. At only a few Kuna’s each (about 50p) they filled the stomach without emptying the travel purse. In this region, red capsicum grows abundantly and the locals have turned their favourite produce into much-loved Ajvar, a fine chutney of minced, grilled peppers with olive oil and a touch of chilli. Piled onto just about anything edible, this regional relish became a picnic staple for us, a piquant, addictive addition to jazz up bland cheese and bread.

In Serbia, Bureks were now morphing into a solid ‘communal circle’ of pastry sharing- a hefty ‘pie wheel’ which was generously sliced into wedges of oily loveliness. They dominate bakery windows, with several varieties in massive circular metal dishes. In a small Serbian hill town we pulled over outside a bakery and stood in the street at a wooden bench eating our cheese Burek, attempting to wash the greasiness down with Ayran thick drinking yoghurt. 

Stranded with a broken car in a bleak town in Kosovo on the second day of Eid we were restricted to only two take-out eateries which were open. The sustenance of speed here was more dough-based and we were faced with a whole array of stodgy rolls, each one topped or stuffed with a similar white, salty, bland soft cheese similar to ricotta. 

It was in Bosnia that we had our first taste of the famed Ćevapi, a fast food legend we began hearing mouth-watering whispers about back in Croatia. Stopping at a roadside café, a huge grill smoking away, the waitress delivered two heaving plates of these cylindrical minced beef kebabs. Covered with a huge Somum flatbread soaked in the BBQ juices, these delicious meat tubes are bursting with flavour and need only to be served simply with chopped onion and Kajmak sour cream.

The Montenegrins were not fussed with precise spiralling and left their Burek in the earlier straight pastry ‘pipe’ form. Our Albanian Byrek experience was more refined with the spinach pastries cut neatly into squares and a sweet variety of apples introduced. In the historical Ottoman town of Girokaster we sampled Qifqi, a local speciality of the town. Lovingly hand-crafted compact balls of rice and egg, flavoured with fresh herbs and mint, they offered a delicate alternative to our routine stodgy snacks.

… and then there was Gyros! A bargainous perfection of fast food in Greece, technically covering all main food groups; protein, carbohydrate, dairy, vegetables (tenuously) and fruit (tomatoes are officially fruit, right?). The round flatbread is deftly halved and briefly toasted on the hot grill, then lathered with Tsatziki, yoghurt and cucumber. Fresh tomatoes, lettuce and chips are piled on top. Succulent marinated chicken is expertly carved from a rotating spit and swiftly delivered on top of its awaiting accompaniments. The bread is wrapped tightly inside a napkin and delivered into your expectant hand in minutes. A fistful of delicious. 

And what about something sweet? Ice-cream. Everywhere. From Slovenia to Greece, winding all the way through Southern Europe’s cities, towns and villages, the ubiquitous Sladoled shop proudly displays its chilled counters full of frozen delights on every Balkan street. Tubs were a work of art, piled high with a creative display of their ingredients. Flavours spanned from the standard chocolate, strawberry and vanilla to the adventurous hazelnut, Kiwi and Tiramisu through to the crazy Hello Kitty, Red bull and blue Facebook flavour?!? 

Our tasting travels of the Balkans; unlikely to want to eat pastry for a while again but overall a unique culinary experience of the regions cheap eats. Who needs fine dining and fancy restaurants when the real specialities of new countries are found in stalls, takeaways, markets and roadside cafes.