A good bottle of rakija
Rakija is a traditional aged brandy, common to the whole Balkans. This plum spirit is made from many different fruits, including plums in the countryside ( slivovitsa). In Serbia, rakija is part of everyday rituals: it is the alcohol that symbolizes hospitality, present for all guests and at all celebrations. There is no time to drink it, if the occasion is right, you can drink it when you wake up, before going to work or before going to bed at night. It is consumed before, during and after meals. In short, this drink with at least 40% ABV is a must. Given its cultural importance, rakija is still widely made at home with the family. Homemade rakija is much better, but also much stronger (double distilled, it can go up to 90% ABV, the prepečenica). Homemade, you will find it on the markets, do not forget to declare it to the customs.A сardigan of Sirogojno
The small mountain village of Sirogojno is home to a reconstructed complex of peasant life. In this spirit, Dobrila Smiljanić, a talented entrepreneur and fashion designer, brought together local women in a cooperative to revive the local knitting and sewing tradition. Since then, Sirogojno's products have gained a European reputation for combining ancient Serbian designs with today's fashion trends. Sirogojno's handmade sweaters, cardigans and vests have been exhibited in Paris, Milan and most other capitals. We recommend you to take home one of his specimens, to make your neighbors jealous and participate in this Serbian success story.
A kilim of Pirot
The kilim is one of the oldest Serbian traditions that you can still find in souvenir stores. The women of the town of Pirot have been weaving these beautiful geometric rugs for almost four hundred years, making the town famous throughout the region. Today, Pirot carpets are famous, still handmade on a loom by rare craftsmen. Since 2002, it is a protected designation of origin, allowing to preserve the techniques and to guarantee the quality. A kilim can only be made in Pirot, with wool coming exclusively from Stara Planina and without industrial methods (even the threads used for weaving are measured by eye, without instruments). Traditionally, a kilim consists of two identical parts, with 95 patterns and 122 ornaments with various meanings. One kilim will bring you wealth and success, while another will ward off evil spirits.
A Licider heart
They are everywhere, decorated with care, accompanied by their affectionate message and sometimes embellished with a small mirror in its center: these are the unicorn hearts. This great symbol of Serbia is in fact a pastry, which is not eaten. Licider comes from the German Lebzelter, meaning the baker of gingerbread, a very famous specialty in Central Europe in the Middle Ages. Today's licider is a mixture of gingerbread, honey and... plaster, covered with a red icing which is also very inedible. This strange decoration comes from a gallant tradition, when the boys during the festivals presented this home-made cake to the girl of their dreams. Since then, the unicider has been used mostly in living rooms or as a thoughtful gift. We can still receive this little heart from a loved one, on which we find messages such as "I love you", "happy birthday" or "get well".
A pair of opanci
Theopanak (plural, opanci) is the peasant shoe of the Balkans. It is a mixture between a clog and a sandal, made entirely of woven leather with the tip pointing up to the sky. It is known that theopanak (or its ancestor) has been worn since at least ancient times, since very similar traces of shoes worn by the Dacians have been found. Theopanak being the peasant shoe par excellence, it knows very distinct styles depending on the region of origin. You can therefore find it in all its forms and for all tastes, from the shoe to the model to decorate windshields, key rings or vestibules.
A šajkača
You have certainly seen the Serbs, especially the older ones, wearing a military-style cloth cap in the style of the French beret, with a shape vaguely reminiscent of an upturned boat. This is the šajkača, a very strong symbol of the Serbian nation. Traditionally, the headgear of the Balkans is the red fez from Greece and associated with the Ottoman occupier. In Serbia, to replace it, we begin to adopt around 1860 a small gray hat, worn by the šajkaši, Serbian soldiers in the service of the Austro-Hungarians. At independence, the šajkača became the regulation hat of the army and peasants in Bosnia were forced to wear it. During and after World War II, the nationalist šajkača is opposed to the titovka of the partisans. In the Balkans today, the reputation of the headgear is somewhat tarnished by the abuses committed by Serbian paramilitaries who wore it.
The čuture
The čuture is one of the traditional containers for drinking rakija. This gourd, usually carved from wood, is carved with great care since it serves as a bottle for the whole family. Traditionally, this unique container is rotated in the countryside to drink from the neck during festivals. Not too many health risks, since the alcohol content of the homemade rakija is dangerously close to that of methylated spirits! The shape of this bottle, held by a leather strap, looks like the magic potion of Asterix, so you are sure to be a sensation back home. Alternatively, you can also find in the stores metal or porcelain čuture painted with the national colors or its region of origin.
A can of ajvar
You must have tastedajvar in a restaurant. Known as "Serbian caviar", which it has replaced in the posh restaurants of Belgrade, this traditional condiment can be found in all Serbian dishes, and even in all Balkan dishes! The origin of this mixture from the south of the country is not well known, nor its original recipe, which is not without creating lively debate. What is known is thatajvar is necessarily composed of peppers and chillies, garlic and oil. Some people add eggplant and others add herbs, which makes purists nervous. Althoughajvar is generally very spicy, it is possible to find light versions, even without chilies. Outside of the kitchen, it is usually served as a side dish on slices of bread as an appetizer. Bringing home a can ofajvar means bringing home the tastes and smells of Serbia.
An antique
As in many Eastern Bloc countries, the market for Soviet antiques is in full swing in Serbia. Experts often come from far and wide to examine the rich selection of items ranging from Soviet Union artifacts (watches in particular are the current craze) to Nazi and Tito's Yugoslavian items. There is still a lot of memorabilia representing the dictator: busts, posters, photos, books, dishes, etc. Many older souvenirs from monarchist Yugoslavia and the Ottoman era, as well as Persian and Arab artifacts, are also quite common. Finally, the coin that makes tourists happy is the famous 500,000,000,000 dinar bill, a souvenir of the hyperinflation of the 1990s that is sold well above its original value.
