Characteristic products
The still local and traditional agriculture often guarantees vegetables harvested at perfect maturity and therefore very tasty. The king vegetable is the bell pepper, or spec, which is prepared in all forms and can be red, yellow, sweet or very hot. It is a basic ingredient of Kosovar cuisine. It can be caramelized for a long time and pureed as an appetizer. In autumn, families can it in vinegar to eat it during winter. It can be stuffed with meat and rice and served hot or topped with sour yogurt and eaten cold. Tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplant and zucchini are also available in summer. Not forgetting okra, which is shaped like a green pepper but has a slight zucchini taste.
Some vegetables are available most of the year, others are more seasonal, such as fresh spinach and cabbage, which are very popular in winter. Red or white, cabbage is one of the most consumed vegetables. As for fruit, it is easy to find apples, pears, kiwis, citrus fruits, strawberries, and in season, raspberries, blackberries, plums, cherries, blueberries and quinces.
Meat is present in many dishes. Beef, chicken and veal are the most common, but sheep and lamb are also found, especially in mountain areas. Although it remains very rare in this predominantly Muslim country, pork is common in the Serbian-speaking regions of northeastern Kosovo. Although Kosovo has no coastline, freshwater fish are popular, especially trout from mountain lakes. Improved road transport between Albania and Kosovo has allowed the import of fish and seafood from the Adriatic.
Dairy products play an important role in the local cuisine. Cheeses from the Rugova valley and the Šar mountains are particularly famous. There is also djath, a cow's or sheep's milk cheese similar to feta. It is widely used in many dishes and is often grated with cucumbers, onions and tomatoes in salads. Yogurt, which is liquid, is also widely consumed, either as a sauce or to drink during the meal. But it can also be used in cooking.The classic of Kosovar cuisine
Kosovo's cuisine is made up of a wide variety of pies and other savory pastries, which can be served as snacks to be devoured on the go at a market or as more hearty main courses. These pies and turnovers are usually made with a kind of filo dough, a thin dough like cigarette paper that becomes very crispy when cooked. In Kosovo, it is sometimes a little thicker than in Greece or Turkey where it is also very common.
For example, there is the unavoidable byrek or burek, a kind of puff pastry filled with meat (me mish), spinach (me spanaq) or cheese (me djathë). They can be individual or in a large format that is cut into quarters. The term pite is usually synonymous with byrek, and in both cases it is a puff pastry filled with vegetables, cheese or meat. The kollpite
on the other hand is recognizable by its particular shape. It is a pie made of filo pastry filled with meat, cheese and/or vegetables, rolled up in a spiral shape and brushed with butter, and then baked.In the markets and in the bakeries you can also taste the mantija. These are small balls of meat, wrapped in filo pastry. They are cooked in the oven, or more traditionally in the embers, with a lid covered with hot ashes. They are usually served with yoghurt which is brushed over them. The bakllasarm is a similar dish, made of plain filo pastry strands cooked and covered with garlic yogurt. Finally, the flija
is a kind of pancake. Rather neutral in taste, it can be served with both savory and sweet dishes. The layers of dough are added one by one, when the previous one is cooked. The flija is cooked in a dish placed directly on the wood fire. The dish is covered with a lid on which hot ashes are placed for cooking. It takes several hours to make.Corn flour is commonly used and one can enjoy the delicious leqenik, a kind of salted cake made of corn flour, which often contains spinach (leqenik me spinaq). Breads are often served with dishes in sauce or grilled meats. This is the case with pitalka, the local equivalent of pita bread, which is flat and often sprinkled with black cumin seeds. It is stuffed with meat and onions. Usually, restaurants cook it just before serving it. It is then just a delight. More robust, the pogaqe is a round bread, slightly flattened, with a very dense crumb. The kifle
is a kind of croissant made of brioche bread, both salty and sweet.Stews and soups are an integral part of Kosovar cuisine. To warm up in winter you can taste a paçe koke, a soup made of meat cooked with the bones. The meat is fried in a mixture of butter and flour with garlic and chilli. Water is then added to make a broth, neither too liquid nor too thick. Generally, the soup is served as a starter. The beans are very appreciated. Thus the pasul
is in a way the local cassoulet. The white beans are cooked in water with garlic, chili and tomato. Meat is added and left to simmer until it thickens. Some people put it in the oven before serving it.Another nutritious specialty often prepared in winter is sarma, a roll of white cabbage leaves filled with a mixture of meat, onion and spices - sometimes with a little rice - that is simmered or stewed. The preparation is sometimes enhanced with a dash of tomato sauce and often served with sour cream or yogurt. There is also a variant with vine leaves. The term tavë or tava refers to various types of gratins containing a wide variety of ingredients, usually cooked in an earthenware dish and covered with a yoghurt-beef mixture, which is then browned in the oven. The best known here is tavë prizreni, a gratin of okra, bell pepper, tomato, eggplant and onion. The tavë kosi - originally from Albania - contains lamb, sometimes chicken, and rice. Tavë krapi
consists of carp fillets simmered in a spicy tomato and herb sauce, but without yogurt. There are many restaurants in Kosovo that offer grilled food. The most famous is the qebap. This local kebab - not to be confused with the doner kebab made of strips of shredded meat - comes in the form of small, elongated croquettes or patties of spicy minced meat. They can be found everywhere, usually served with pita bread, hot and cold chillies, yoghurt, shredded cabbage and minced onion. Suxhuk is a sausage of Ottoman origin that is also sold in qebaptores. Usually made with beef, sometimes with lamb, it owes its reddish-brown color to its long maturation and its rich seasoning (chili, cumin, garlic and pepper).Desserts and drinks
Kosovo is not a country with a sweet tradition. There are however some desserts borrowed mainly from Turkey, and to a lesser extent, from Central Europe. Let's mention of course the unavoidable baklava made of thin sheets of dough stacked with crushed nuts. The whole thing is covered with honey syrup. Honey is common in Kosovo and many beehives dot the country. It replaces sugar here, especially to sweeten tea. Another specialty with oriental flavors, the hallva is a confectionery that looks like a dough made of sugar and flour rather dense, often served with coffee.
Trileqe is one of the few traditional desserts that can be found throughout the country. Originally from Turkey, it consists of a sponge cake soaked in milk and covered with caramel; a little sweet but pleasant to eat. Cremeschnitte is a kind of mille-feuilles with whipped cream. Rice p udding(tamëloriz) is flavored with vanilla and cinnamon. It is served for special occasions, especially in the region of Pejë. Finally, sheqerpare are almond cookies soaked in syrup.
Kosovars drink a lot of tea during the day, especially black tea. In every family, it is kept warm on the corner of the stove all day. When a guest passes by, he is immediately invited to drink tea, which is not to be refused. It is served in small glasses with a high rim, accompanied by lemon and honey. Turkish influence obliges, coffee is the other main drink, the one of the social life in the cafes in particular. It is consumed in different ways. Traditionally it is the Turkish coffee that predominates, especially in the homes, even if in the cities, young Kosovars also appreciate macchiato and other espresso. The dhallë (Albanian name forayran) is a refreshing drink made from yogurt and water with a touch of salt.
If the country is mostly Muslim, the consumption of alcohol is not banned, just discrete. Thus three brewers produce beer in Kosovo: Peja beer produced by the large agri-food group Devolli, Pristhina beer, and Sabaja beer from a small craft brewery. The Balkans have been producing wine for several millennia and Kosovo was famous for its red wine especially during the Yugoslav period. Until the end of the 1990s, Kosovar winemakers produced and exported Amselfelder, a blend of Pinot Noir and Gamay, to Germany. After the war, the production has slowly started again and we find interesting vintages. Visit the beautiful vineyard of Stone Castle in Rahovec.
Raki is the strong alcohol par excellence in the Balkans. This fruit brandy is present everywhere, made from grapes, apple, pear, quince, etc. It is also part of the tradition of hospitality, especially among Serbian speakers. Refusing a glass of raki is considered an offense. But it is advisable to be careful because it is a strong alcohol, at least 40°, even much more for the home-made. The locals are used to drinking it but not necessarily the tourists. In this case, it is better to politely decline and accept a tea or a coffee instead. Finally, the most curious will try rasoj, a kind of sauerkraut brine, with an intense taste, but very rich in probiotics, vitamins and minerals.
