Montenegrin cuisine
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Montenegrin cuisine is a result of Montenegro's geographic position and its long history.
The traditional dishes of Montenegro's heartland and its Adriatic coast have a distinctively Italian flavour which shows in the bread-making style, the way meat is cured and dried, cheesemaking, wine and spirits, the soup and stew making style, polenta, stuffed capsicums, meatballs, priganice, Raštan, etc..
The second large influence came from the Levant and Turkey, lately largely via Serbia: sarma, musaka, pilav, japraci, pita, burek, Ćevapi, kebab, Turkish sweets like baklava and tulumba etc.
Hungarian dishes goulash, satarash, djuvech are also very common.
Last but not least, continental Europe made its mark mostly in the desserts department. crêpes, doughnuts, jams, myriad types of biscuits and cakes, all make a contribution to the average Montenegrin's waist-line. Vienna-style bread is the most prevalent type of bread in the shops.
Montenegrin cuisine also varies geographically; the cuisine in the coastal area differs from the one in the northern highland region. The coastal area is traditionally a representative of Mediterranean cuisine, with seafood being a common dish.
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[edit] Classic Montenegrin Dishes
[edit] Cold Antipasto (a.k.a Meza)
It is usually the welcoming guesture offered to any respected guest. Classic style Meza platter includes:
- Njeguška pršuta - local type of Prosciutto.
- thinly sliced Cacciatore-style smoked Salami.
- Kastradina (smoked and dried mutton).
- Njeguški cheese and
- Pljevaljski cheese.
As a side, it is accompanied with pickles (green tomatoes, capsicums or gherkins) and green olives marinated in olive-oil and garlic. Roasted capsicums marinated in olive oil with garlic are also very common offering.
Inevitably, a glass of Loza will follow, accompanied with a glass of water. It should be sipped slowly, completely opposite of the way it is drunk elsewhere i.e. bottoms-up. It is there to be slowly enjoyed and appreciated.
[edit] Bread (Hljeb)
Homemade bread style prepared in Montenegro is closest to what is known in Italy as Panne di Casa. It is served with every meal.
[edit] Breakfast
- Cicvara - stewed corn meal in Skorup (salted and then compressed fresh cream).
- Pita with Kiśelo mlijeko (buttermilk or yoghurt).
- Popara
- Bread with Skorup
[edit] Soups
Montenegrin language distinguishes between a clear soup (Supa pronounced as soop-uh) and a thick soup-stew (Čorba, pronounced as chore-buh). Soups are usually served as the first course of Lunch, the largest meal of the day:
- Kokošija Supa (Chicken Broth)
- Goveđa Supa (Beef Broth)
- Jagnjeća Supa (Lamb Broth)
Traditionally, after the broth is made, a handful of rice is added to the pot to make the soup more substantial. Nowadays, pasta took over as the preferred addition.
- Čorba od koprive (Nettle soup)
[edit] Main Course
- Kuvani Brav (Boiled Lamb), akin to the Irish stew.
- Brav u Mlijeku (Lamb cooked in Milk), a national dish of Catholic Albanians from Montenegro.
- Kačamak (Polenta) - buttered potato and corn meal in Skorup (fresh salted cream), served with cold milk, buttermilk or yoghurt.
- Kuvana Krtola (boiled potato halves), served with cold Yoghurt, cheese or fresh cream.
- Ukljeva (Smoked and dried bleak)
- Krap (Smoked and fresh carp, from Skadar lake (Skadarsko Jezero)).
- Pastrva (Fresh water trout)
- Raštan (pronounced ruh-shtun) - a slightly bitter, sturdy dark-green vegetable from the Cabbage family, grown in the region for over 2000 years. It is deliciously cooked into a stew with smoked pork ribs or Ham hocks.
- Japraci - Dolma made with Raštan leaves, served with Mashed potato.
- Čorbast Pasulj - Bean stew with smoked ribs and various types of salami and sausages. The style is quite similar to French Cassoulet, Fabada and Feijoada from the Iberian cuisine.
- Maune (Green Bean Stew).
- Grašak (Peas and beef stew).
- Balšića tava - Fried veal with an assortment of vegetables and dairy products.
- Paštrovski makaruli - A type of homemade macaroni with olive oil and cheese from brine.
[edit] Seafood Dishes
- Lignje (Squid)
- Salata od hobotnice (Octopus)
- Tunj (Tuna)
- škampi (Prawns)
- Mušle (Common mussels)
- Prstaci
[edit] Salads
The most common salads served in Montenegrin homes:
- Paradajz Salata (Tomato Salad) - similar to Bruschetta topping: tomato, onion, olive oils and rock sea salt.
- Zelena Salata (Green Salad) - spring lettuce and spring onion combination, with olive oil, salt and vinegar dressing
- Ajvar (fried or roasted Capsicum relish)
- Kiśeli Kupus (Sauerkraut)
[edit] Dessert
A piece of seasonal fruit is the most common way to end the meal, again typical of Mediterranean cuisine. The proper sweets are usually served on their own, around tea-time or at any time coffee is served.
- Priganice (Fritters - flat Doughnuts) served with honey, cheese, jam etc.
- Sun dried figs with walnuts and honey.
- Oriz na vareniku - (Rice Pudding)
- Slatko od Dunja - Quince relish.
- Džem od Šljiva - Plum Jam.
- Sok od Šipka (Pomegranate Syrup) - Homemade syrup made from wild Pomegranate, that grows just about everywhere in the southern half of Montenegro, can be found in almost every home.
[edit] Dairy Products
- Kiśelo mlijeko - Buttermilk.
- Jogurt - slightly thicker version of Buttermilk.
- Povlaka - homemade Sour Cream.
- Skorup - a.k.a Kajmak , salted Cottage cheese
- Pivski Kajmak - a type of salted Cottage cheese from the Piva region.
- Maslo - homemade butter.
[edit] Other Common Dishes
[edit] Breakfast
- Burek - the most popular fast food in the country.
[edit] Main course
- Punjene paprike - stuffed Capsicum
- Ćufte - Meatballs
- Đuveđ (cooked vegetables, similar to Ratatouille)
- Musaka od Krompira (Potato Moussaka with minced meat)
- Sarma - Sauerkraut rolls filed with minced pork meat and rice, served with Mashed potato.
- Pilav
- Gulaš (stew), served with Mashed potato.
- Sataraš (minced and roasted vegetables)
- Risotto
- Roasted meat - most commonly pork or lamb
[edit] Dessert
- Padobranci
- Baklava - Montenegrin version often has raisins and finelly chopped walnuts.
- Tulumba, same as Churro in shape, soaked in sweet syrup like Baklava.
- Krempita, similar to Vanilla slice
- Šampita
- Domaca Torta - homemade Torte
- Španski Vjetar
- Čupava Kata
- Lenja Pita
- Keks Torta (Biscuit Torte)
- Štrudla - Apple Strudel
- Palačinke - Crepe
- Krofne (Doughnuts) served with jam in the middle
- Bajadera
[edit] Grill based dishes (Roštilj)
Affordable fast food:
- Ćevapi
- Pljeskavica, served in a local form of hamburger
- Ražnjići
[edit] Beverages
[edit] Non-alcoholic
Most common non-alcoholic drink in Montenegrin homes is the famed Pomegranate syrup. Turkish coffee is also almost unavoidable in any but the most brieff meeting or a visit.
Mineral water Rada is produced in Bijelo Polje, in North-Eastern highland district of the country.
- Kiśela voda (Mineral water)
- Turkish coffee (Turkish coffee)
- Espresso
- Sok od Šipka (Pomegranate syrup)
- Sok od Grožđa (Grape syrup)
- Boza
- Mezgra (Beech cream)
[edit] Spirits
Montenegrin alcoholic products are some of the best kept secrets of former Yugoslavia. After its breakup, it didn't take long before Stella Artois bought the Nikšić brewery. Thankfully, it continued to produce "Nikšićko" beer, otherwise, it would possibly have risked another revolution on the streets.
The continental and mountainous region of Montenegro, full of apple and plum orchards, is a heartland of aromatic fruit flavoured rakija (a generic name for brandy/spirits). Plum brandy - Šljiva and the apple brandy are the most common.
In the vinegrowing region, grape brandy Loza is the favoured one over Šljiva.
Plantaže's Grape brandies "Montenegrin Loza", "Prvijenac", "Kruna" or home made grape brandy (Lozova rakija, Lozovaca, Loza) is a must-try.
[edit] Wines
Montenegrin wines, made in perfect conditions in a country aboundant with the sun and red soil, are good old-fashion dry and earthy reds rich in tannin.
Vranac, a wine from the grape sort growing only in southern Montenegro, similar in aroma to Italian Chianti is a class act and highly recommended.
The best known Montenegrin wines are the ones produced by "Plantaže": premium "Vranac", "Pro Corde", "Krstač", "Cabernet", "Chardonnay" and the locally-famous home made Crmničko red wine.
[edit] Beers
"Nikšićko" beer is the most popular and most consumed beer in Montenegro. It is served as a draught beer, or bottled, in both "Nik Gold" and lighter "Nik Cool" variant. Dark variant, "Nik tamno", is praised among beer lovers.
