Bosnian Food

Bosnian cuisine is a special mixture of oriental, Mediterranean and continental European cuisine. Many of the traditional dishes have been made from the same recipes for hundreds of years.  Mostly based on meat, bread and dairy, it certainly can sound heavy, but its rich taste and extraordinary ingredients are definitely enjoyable for everyone’s taste buds! So, here are some of the most popular local dishes you have to try, while in Bosnia and Herzegovina;

1. Ćevapi

Cevapi are small, oblong-shaped kebabs from lamb and beef served in somun (Bosnian pita bread) with raw onions. Locals eat this for lunch, dinner, or as a snack. Chefs grill the meat and serve between five to ten individual kebabs on a plate with a sour cream sauce. Each restaurant cooks and seasons in a different way, making each cevapi slightly different. You can also find regional variances that use mutton or lamb.

2. Burek

The Burek comes from Turkey brought to the Balkans by the Ottoman. Bureks have a flaky pastry with a meat, cheese, or spinach filling. Almost every bakery in the country sells this  snack, which is sometimes sold individually or by weight. Bosnians and tourists tend to have a love relationship with it.

3. Dolma

Dolma is another dish found around the Balkans and Mediterranean, Bosnia adds its own delicious twist. Vegetables, such as eggplant, peppers and zucchini, are stuffed with either meat or rice and seasoning. Bosnians serve meat dolma warm, often with a lemon-based sauce and rice dolma at room temperature with a yoghurt-based garlic sauce. In Mostar, a regional speciality is the Sogan Dolma using an onion as the base vegetable.

4. Bosanski Lonac

Bosanski Lonac is said to be one of the national dishes. The stew is unique to Bosnia and uses a particular way to prepare the meal. Cooks put large chunks of both meat and vegetables in alternating layers until the pot is full. After simmering and cooking for what may feel like forever, the delicious broth and stew comes as a hearty meal.

5. Begova Čorba

Slow-cooked chicken mixed with vegetables boils into a creamy stew served in a clay pot with sour cream to form Begova Corba. This dish, also known as Bey’s Soup, is another Ottoman legacy. Bosnians often eat this meal on special occasions and during festivities.

6. Roast Lamb

Bosnians like their meat and, like their former Ottoman rulers, spit roast is a favourite. As you drive in the more rural areas, you’ll often see vendors selling roast lamb by the side of the street. Or, order at one of the grill restaurants.

7. Bosnian Coffee

Bosnian coffee may be a drink and not a dish, but it’s such an integral part of the culture it needs to be mentioned. Coffee comes strong and black in a small cup often with a cube of sugar or a sweet side. Bosnians of all ages spend hours sitting the café with their friends.

8. Baklava

Baklava is  traditionally a Bosnian food, the sweet dessert filled with nuts and honey is available around the country. Like similar treats in the region, the Ottomans introduced Baklava to Bosnia.