Religious art
For its churches and monasteries, North Macedonia attracts pilgrims and tourists from all over the world. Many take home an Orthodox icon as a souvenir. Specialized stores can be found in Ohrid and Skopje. But it's the icons from the small monastery of Vodoča, near Strumica, that are the most beautiful. Gold-leafed and hand-painted, they retail from €650 each. At more affordable prices, the nuns of the Matka monastery, near Skopje, offer embroidered icons, as well as handbags with folk or modern motifs.
Ohrid pearls
If you like jewelry, head for Ohrid. Similar to oysters, these pearls are not natural, but obtained from shell nacre and endemic bleak scales. But beware of scams: only two Ohrid families, the Fiveli and the Taveli, know the secret of making authentic Ohrid pearls. In their stores, you'll find these pearls mounted in filigree (silver filaments). Alternatively, in Skopje, the Deko jewellers are better suited to smaller budgets. It works with and sells "Macedonian ruby", a semi-precious stone whose color ranges from pale red to pink.
Wines
Renowned for its wines since antiquity, today's Northern Macedonia has no legislation governing the wine industry. As a result, large estates and small winegrowers do as they please in terms of grape varieties, pesticides, vinification and so on. Most production is concentrated in Povardarie, particularly in the Tikveš wine region. This is where the biggest producers are based, the Tikveš, Bovin and Stobi wineries. These wineries operate on an industrial scale, producing mainly inexpensive bottles for the domestic market and foreign supermarkets. They also produce top-of-the-range wines selling for over €20 a bottle. Some are quite decent, but there's nothing to justify such prices. Fortunately, in Kavadarci, the country's wine capital, a number of independent winemakers have decided to go back to basics, producing wines from local grape varieties and without pesticides. We particularly recommend two organic mini-domains: Badi Winery and Vinarija Peškov. You can only find their (excellent) wines on the spot, at tastings.
Rakija
This brandy made by distilling fermented fruit juices is very popular in the Balkans. Many families in Northern Macedonia produce their own rakija. But the most popular are those made by monks in Orthodox monasteries. We particularly recommend the rakija from Marko Monastery, near Skopje, and from St. Naum Monastery, on the shores of Lake Ohrid. Alternatively, all wineries offer rakija. Among them, we prefer the rakija from Badi Winery in Kavadarci.
Ajvar and pindžur
These two condiments, one based on peppers, the other on chillies and eggplants, are served in almost every restaurant in the country. They are easy to find canned in supermarkets. In fact, ajvar is also sold in some supermarkets in France. But the best ajvar and pindžur are homemade, made by families and certain restaurateurs. A few farmers also sell them in markets. Alternatively, the very good Tutto restaurant in the village of Janče, in the Mavrovo National Park, has a whole range of products to take away: ajvar, pindžur, jams, honey, candied fruit, cheeses, infusions, and so on.
