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| Jun 30, 2008 - 3:12 pm |
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Long time no see, huh? Well, I was thinking of going back into the game again (for this summer it is, and for later we'll see), so just wanted you guys to inform that you can expect my KnowHowToSurviveInBosnia blogs XD... Seriously, I'll be back in couple of days, so wish me welcome, and wish me luck adopting these new changes PJ made...
Looking forward smashing your asses XD
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| Feb 16, 2008 - 1:11 pm |
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Jelen Pivo (Deer Beer, Jelen, serb. = Deer), a Serbian core lager market leader, is a very strong and recognizable national brand, becoming the part of national tradition. Being recognizable as a beer for male company, Jelen Pivo is equally popular among all social groups. Jelen Pivo is a symbol of masculinity, strength and power.
As one of the most popular national brands, Jelen Pivo has been establishing strong relations with its consumers for years, offering only the best: starting from the quality and service up to intensive engagement in enriching cultural and sport life in Serbia. Thanks to its high-quality, tradition, attention devoted to its loyal consumers, Jelen Pivo remains a market leader amongst many other national and international brands.
Bottle of Jelen Pivo
Market
Apatinska Pivara brewery celebrated 250 years of experience and tradition in brewing top-quality beer in 2006. Centuries of knowledge and experience are woven in with the contemporary technologies in leading core lager brand production? Jelen Pivo, both on our market and in the Balkans. A national market leader, Jelen Pivo launched its successful campaign on international markets, too. It is mainly focused on the markets of neighboring countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina (there being a market leader as well), Macedonia, Croatia, Austria, Switzerland, and remote Australia.
Even though competition on the Serbian market has become increasingly keen due to beer industry privatization, Jelen Pivo stands out for its stabile production growth, meeting the market demands among many other national brands, justifying the epithet of being the most popular core lager brand in Serbia. Based on the latest production and sales figures, Jelen Pivo proved to be a market leader on the national beer market.
Achievements
Not only is Jelen Pivo a leading core lager brand of Apatinska Pivara brewery, but also an absolute market leader in Serbia as well. Brewed from the finest ingredients, this beer has been refreshing for decades generations of beer-drinkers due to its taste and pleasant bitterness both in the country and abroad. Many prizes awarded to Jelen Pivo by the expert public and leading economic institutions on numerous national and international fairs speak volumes about the results achieved on the market and top-quality of Jelen Pivo. In 1999 Jelen Pivo won a gold medal and a diploma for geographic origin label on a fair Brussels Eureka ? World Exhibition of Innovation, Research and New Technologies. From 1999 up to 2005 Jelen Pivo was winning gold medals at the Monde Selection. Jelen Pivo won the International Monde Selection High Quality Trophy in 2004. This trophy is awarded to brands that have won gold medals during three consecutive years.
At the very beginning of the last year?s Football World Cup, a German magazine Stern organized the Beer Mundial with Jelen Pivo as first runner up. Due to a one-goal difference Czech beer Budvar beat Jelen Pivo in that alternative Mundial final. Stern journalists organized that beer tournament so that every country whose national team took part in the World Cup had a beer brand representative, too, while the basic groups were classified in line with the World Cup match schedule. Jelen Pivo was Serbia?s representative. Journalists who tasted the beer, assisted by Austrian wine expert, a journalist, Conrad Sajdl, were pleasantly surprised that Jelen Pivo beat the Dutch Heineken in its group with the result 6:1. Firstly, journalists assessed beer in terms of taste, without knowing the beer brand. Only after getting the final result, were the brands of the winning beers disclosed. ?Only in the final did the winning campaign of Serbian Jelen Pivo cease?, stated ?Mlada fronta Dnes? pointing out that Czech ?Budvar? managed to win with only one goal difference. Once again, Jelen Pivo proved its top-quality. Apart from expert public awards, this brand enjoys the privilege of being strongly connected to its faithful consumers who recognized its genuine value and quality, perceiving Jelen Pivo as a loyal companion during big sport and music events.
Not many beers has it own trafic sign... This one say: Drive under influence of Deer Beer (Jelen Pivo)
History
There is an old bell on one of the gates of Apatinska Pivara brewery, an item obviously opposed to sophisticated state-of-art technology. A long time ago that bell chimed every day five minutes before the workers started working and at exactly 2 o?clock p.m., announcing the end of a working day. That only illustrates the manner in which the work in Apatinska pivara brewery was organized from the very beginning. Apatinska pivara brewery celebrated 250 years of its existence in 2006.
The beginning of brewing in the town on the bank of the river Danube is related to migrants coming from the territory of today?s Austria and Germany whom the Austro-Hungarian queen Maria Theresa populated in this area in 1748. The first written documents in Vienna on production of 12 thousand hectoliters of beer in Apatin date from 1756. That amount is today produced in one day only, while the annual capacity of Apatinska pivara brewery amounts to 4.5 million hectoliters.
Product
Thanks to the improved brewing process, its intensive control from the very beginning up to launching the product on the market and usage of the finest ingredients: water, malt, hop and ale yeast, Jelen Pivo is of finest quality. You can find Jelen Pivo on the market in several different packaging solutions: 330 mL and 500 mL return-bottles, Q-pack bottles of 1 L, 1.5 L and 2 L, 330 mL plastic packaging, half-liter can, 6 x 330 mL packaging, 5 x 330 mL plastic packaging with a free glass ? an exclusive promotional packaging Apatinska pivara brewery launched on the market on the occasion of celebration of 250th birthday. Jelen Pivo is available on the market in 30L and 50 L burrels, as well.
Apart from regular beer bottles and cans, Apatinska pivara brewery successfully launched Jelen Pivo in Q-pack packaging on the market last year. Owing to Q-pack packaging, Jelen Pivo can preserve the same freshness and taste regardless the duration of consumption, only confirming this packaging prolongs the expiery date of the beer and is of the same quality as beer in glass bottles. Due to successful launch of Jelen Pivo in 1L and 2L Q-pack packaging, Apatinska pivara brewery managed to update Jelen Pivo and preserve its unique taste.
The latest trends
Since 2003, InBev, the world?s largest beer company, has been the majority stakeholder in Apatinska pivara. When some three years ago InBev company became majority stakeholder in Apatinska pivara brewery, the best was combined: local craft and expertise on one side and successful global practice on the other side. For the last three years more than EUR 100 million has been invested in Apatinska pivara brewery, incuding modernization of brewery and works, improved product quality as well as services, investments in infrastructure and brands development, with special accent on Jelen Pivo being a market leader and a recognisable national brand.
Promotion
Apatinska pivara brewery as a big company and one of the most important economic stakeholders in Serbia, pays full attention to corporative responsibility towards environment and overall Serbian economy. Jelen Pivo as company?s leading core lager brand has already been well-known to the public due to its active social role which includes support to numerous sport and music events.
Within the field of sport Jelen Pivo is completely dedicated to secondary but the most important thing in the world ? football. On the occasion of the World Cup, Jelen Pivo organized big contest for its consumers, while the luckiest among them had the opprtunity to travel to Germany, where the Mundial was held.
Wanting to be fully devoted to all football fans, Jelen Pivo and Apatinska pivara brewery prepared one additional big surprise: the first specialized national football web portal where you can find all foodball news. Apart from every day news on our national football league as well as on the most important European football leagues, you can find updated information on all qualifying matches for European Cup and other football news on jelenfootball.com portal.
In 2006 Jelen Pivo organized a five-a-side football tournament ?Jelen Pivo Futsal Cup?. In the first year that tournament was organized in the territory of Vojvodina, aiming at being further on expanded to all other Serbian regions, and even beyond Serbian borders.
Being oriented towards support to top-level football, Jelen Pivo has been a partner of Serbian most successful football club ? Crvena Zvezda, for more than 10 years.
Jelen pivo is an exclusive beer of the biggest reality show in Serbia ? the Big Brother that drew big attention of the audience in its first season.
Apart from top-level sport, above all football, Jelen Pivo is an organizer and main sponsor of the biggest music events in the country. The most famous is national Brass Bands Music Festival in Guca, which has become national trademark Serbia is famous for not only in the region but in the whole Europe. It?s impossible to imagine the Festival in Guca without Jelen Pivo. Jelen Pivo has been a leading sponsor of the movie ?Guca?, as well.
In 2006 Jelen Pivo organized big music festival ?Jelen Pivo LIVE?, with the most popular bands performing. Jelen Pivo is indispensable when already well-known Beer Fest is in question, winning excellent results and best beer prizes for 4 years in a row.
Through numerous activities and an active social engagement, Jelen Pivo proved to be within hand?s reach of all its loyal consumers each time they are having good fun.
The best way to keep your beer
Trivia
At the Beer Mondial organized by German Stern Magazine at the very beginning of 2006 World Cup, Jelen Pivo was first runner up, thus beating among others the Dutch Heineken with the result 6:1.
At the Belgrade Beer Fest in 2005, Jelen Pivo won the title of the ?best beer?.
jelenfootball.com forum gathers from day to day growing number of members, while the contest ? Jelen Football Manager gathers hundreds of ?football selectors?, who have the opportunity to read and make comments on ?Blaza B(L)OG?.
People from Czech Republic and Germany drink the biggest amounts of beer, approximately 155 liters and 138 liters, respecitvely. The beer consumption in Serbia amounts to 80 liters annually per capita. On average 27 liters of Jelen Pivo are drunk annually per capita.
It is said that drinking beer (moderate amounts of beer) makes people smarter.
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| Feb 8, 2008 - 11:20 am |
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Čvarci or pork rind (known as pork scratchings in the United Kingdom) is the skin of a pig. Cooked, this may be either eaten warm with a meal, or served cold as a snack. In both forms any fat attached to the skin at the time of frying is absorbed in the process.
The artistic look of čvarci
Pork rind as a snack
When used as a snack food, chunks of cured pork skins are deep-fried and puffed into light, irregular curls, and often seasoned with chili pepper or barbecue flavoring.
Microwavable pork rinds are sold which pop like popcorn and can be eaten still warm. Pickled pork rinds, on the other hand, are often enjoyed refrigerated and cold. Unlike the crisp and fluffy texture of fried pork rinds, pickled pork rinds are very rich and buttery, much like foie gras. Unfried pork rind is also processed into colorful and appealing shapes for use as fish bait.
When he was in the White House, U.S. President George H. W. Bush said that pork rinds were his favorite snack.
Health issues
There is some interest in pork rinds as a alternative snack food due to the Atkins diet, since pork rinds contain no carbohydrates (unless flavored). They are, however, high in fat and sodium. The fat content of pork rinds is similar to that of potato chips, but the amount of sodium in a serving of pork rinds is nearly five times that of a serving of potato chips. For example, a 14 gram serving of Utz Regular Pork Rinds contains 5 g of fat and 230 mg of sodium, whereas the same serving of Utz Regular Potato Chips contains 4.5 g of fat and 47 mg of sodium. Pork rinds generally contain 8 g of protein in a 14 g serving, more than most foods except dried meats such as jerky. The fat content of jerky, however, is much lower. Microwaveable pork rinds are lower in fat than the deep-fried variety, with only 2 g of fat per 14 g serving and no saturated fat, although the sodium level may be as high as 350 mg per serving. The high protein content of pork rinds makes them more nutritious than some low-fat snack foods, such as fat-free pretzels.
This babe has nothing to do with čvarci, but i used the opportunity to show you how girls form here look like
Variations
Canada
Scrunchions is a Newfoundland term for small pieces of pork rind or pork fat-back fried until rendered and crispy. They are often used as a flavoring over other foods, such as salt fish and potatoes. It is mainly used as a condiment for fish and brewis.
In Quebec, they are often called "Oreilles de Christ" (christ ears) or "Oreilles de crisse", and are eaten almost exclusively as a condiment for traditional meals with maple syrup.
United Kingdom
Pork Crackling is the British name for the salted crunchy pork rind produced when roasting a joint of pork. The heat of the oven causes the fatty pork skin to dry, bubble up and become crunchy. The layer of fat underneath is retained, and can be eaten with the skin or removed. Some supermarkets now sell just the layer of skin and fat (no meat), in a raw form for home grilling or roasting.
Pork Scratchings is the British name for deep fried salted crunchy pork rind with fat produced separately from the meat. This is then eaten cold.
Pork Scratchings are typically heavy, hard and have a crispy layer of fat under the skin, some still retain the hair of the pig, and are flavored only with salt. The pig hair is usually removed by quickly burning the skin of the pig before it is cut into pieces and cooked in hot fat. Hair removal is not 100% effective which is why some retain a few hairs. The hairs are what usually makes people question the desirability of these pub snacks, but to some, these can also be highly desirable[citation needed].
In the United Kingdom, pork scratchings (though not crackling ? see above) are sold as a snack food in the same way pork rinds are in the USA. Unlike the physically large, but relatively light bags of 'deep fried skin without the fat' sold around the world, in the UK they are sold in relatively small bags which usually weigh between 42g and 90g. Traditionally they are eaten as an accompaniment to a pint of beer in a pub, just like crisps or peanuts. Fewer and fewer pubs stock scratchings as the years go by. One sign of a traditional pub is the availability of Pork Scratchings. Scratchings can also be bought from butchers, supermarkets or newsagents.
In some parts of South Staffordshire they are known as the "Food of Athletes". They have been taken to both the North Pole and South Pole on various expeditions, this is due to their lack of weight and high amount of energy which is essential on these types of trips.
They have been popular in the UK and especially in the Black Country since the times when families would fatten up a "tunkey pig" (This is a pig fattened especially for Christmas), then slaughter it for meat and slice the skin with the fat into strips which they would then deep fry. Some believe that their popularity grew in the early 1800s when new uses were found for offcuts from pigs.
In the UK, the term 'pork rind' usually refers to the uncooked layer of skin on bacon or a joint of pork. Many people choose to cut the raw rind off their bacon before cooking it.
United States
Cracklings is the American name for pork rind produced by frying or roasting, though it can be expanded to include the skin of a goose or another animal. Pieces of fried meat, skin, or membrane produced as a byproduct of rendering lard are also called cracklings.
As a snack, cracklings is usually understood to consist of cooked pork rind that has had salt rubbed into it and that has been scored with a sharp knife. This produces a crisp, bubbly outer surface with a layer of cooked fat on the underside. Crackling is considered by some to be an essential part of joint of roast pork. However, the term in cooking also applies to a variety of fatty materials, fried to crispness, such as poultry skin or the remains of trying out for fat of a number of animal products [beef, lamb, etc.].
A cracklin is a fried piece of pork fat with a small amount of attached skin. Cracklin is generally considered to be part of soul food or Cajun cuisine. Cracklins are not frequently served as part of a regular meal unless they are served in cracklin bread, which is cornbread in which cracklins have been placed in the batter prior to its being baked or fried. Rather, they are a snack item which would typically be served at times other than regular mealtimes, and are regarded as more of a delicacy or treat.
Cracklins are naturally very high in fat and cholesterol, which is to be expected considering what they are composed of and the fact that they are generally prepared by being deep- or skillet-fried in lard. Cracklins prepared by persons who conduct the home butchering of hogs, which is still occasionally conducted in the rural South although with decreasing frequency, have a decidedly different taste from those which are distributed nationally or internationally.
In the early 1960s the FDA implemented new rules regarding the commercial preparation and sale of cracklins, and the availability of the traditional cracklins diminished rapidly. Today's commercial versions, which are light and airy, bear little resemblance in either appearance or taste to the old-fashioned cracklins which used to be available from local butchers and supermarkets. The new version is heavily fried and light in taste compared to the older cracklins, which are greasy and occasionally have hair still attached to the fried flesh and fat combination.
Many aficionados much prefer the original variety of cracklins which today sometimes can be found in small enclaves, such as the Amish, who still prepare the product using traditional methods. But the Amish are reluctant to sell them to outsiders, unless they know them personally, due to the newer federal rules.
Europe
In France they are known as grattons. In Spain they are called cortezas de cerdo when they don't have any solid fat attached and chicharrones or torreznos when they do. In Portugal, you must distinguish between torresmos (like the picture in the top of the article) and couratos, these ones are normally on sale from stands near large popular gatherings, such as football stadiums, usually in a sandwich presentation, and are accompanied with a well chilled beer. In The Netherlands dried pigskins are generally regarded as dogfood and are not considered for human consumption. In Denmark they are known as "fl?skesv?r" ("fl?sk" means pork, "sv?r" means rind) and can be found in most grocery stores and kiosks.
Serbia and Croatia
In these countries, pork rinds are called čvarci and they are a popular home-made peasant food in the lowland, Pannonian regions. They are not cooked but fried in a lot of fat instead. The skin may or may not be attached, but any hair is generally removed.
Čvarci are most often made during the traditional slaughter of pigs in Croatia and Serbia, when they are also first tasted by the participants.
A special kind of čvarci exists in Serbia called duvan čvarci (lit. "tobacco cracklings"): it is made by pressing čvarci during the preparation so that at the end they have appearance of tobacco.
Proces of making čvarci begins with slaughtering pig and removing its hair by burning it
Entry Edited 1 time - Edited on Feb 8, 2008 - 11:21 am
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| Feb 6, 2008 - 2:38 pm |
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Turkish Delight, lokum, loukoum or rahat lokum is a confection made from starch and sugar. It is often flavored with rosewater and lemon, the former giving it a characteristic pale pink color. It has a soft, jelly-like and sometimes sticky consistency, and is often packaged and eaten in small cubes that are dusted with sugar or copra to prevent sticking. Some types contain small nut pieces, usually pistachio, hazelnut or walnuts. Other common types include flavors such as cinnamon or mint.
Home-made rahat lokum
Origin
Reay Tannahill suggests that the Persian confection ahbisa (jelly) was the ancestor of Turkish rahat lokum (Corrupted from the Arabic name Rahat al-halkom راحه الحلقوم'contentment of the throat' and shortened to raha or halkom), the long name for the sweet.
According to the Ali Muhiddin Hacı Bekir Company of Istanbul, founded in 1777, lokum was popularized by them during the 19th century.
Lokum was introduced to the west in the 19th century. An unknown Briton became very fond of the delicacy during his travels to Istanbul, and purchased cases of lokum, to be shipped back to Britain under the name Turkish Delight. It became a major delicacy not only in Britain, but throughout continental Europe.
Name
The Turkish word lokum may come from lokma in Turkish or لقوم lukuum, the Arabic plural of لقمة luqma(t) 'morsel' or 'mouthful'. Alternatively, it may have derived from Ottoman rahat hulkum or Arabic راحة الحلقم rahat al-hulkum 'contentment of the throat'. In Libya, for example, it is known as حلقوم ḥalgūm.
In English, it was formerly called "lumps of delight".
Around the world
In North America, Turkish Delight is not especially common, but it forms the basic foundation of the Big Turk and Fry's Turkish Delight chocolate bars. It is also the basis for most of Liberty Orchards' line of confectionery, including Aplets & Cotlets and is the state candy of Washington. It is known in Brazil (called rahat) due to Lebanese immigration.
Armenian, Cypriot, Greek (called "λουκούμι", loukoumi), Albanian, Bulgarian, Macedonian (Albanian: "llokum", Bulgarian and Macedonian: "локум", lokum), Romanian (called "rahat"), Russia as well as in some former Yugoslav states like Bosnia and Herzegovina (called "rahat lokum"), or Serbia ("ратлук", ratluk), Iranian and other Middle Eastern cuisines also have sweets similar to Turkish delight. In Cyprus, Turkish Delight is marketed in English as Cyprus Delight, in resentment to the Turkish invasion of Cyprus.
Jelly desserts are also common in Asia, but they are entirely different from the composition of Turkish Delight and that of other Middle Eastern cuisines: Korean chapssaeltteok, similar to Japanese mochi, is a sweet cake made from sticky rice and usually filled with sweet red bean paste. China has a similar cake too, usually using sesame paste as well as red beans. The Indonesian version, the sticky 'dodol' is made with rice flour, palm sugar and santan (coconut milk). It is sometimes flavoured with the durian fruit.
In India there are sweets known as halwas which have a similar texture, though they taste quite different. Types of halwa are identified by the region from which they are believed to originate such as Bombay halwa and Tirunelveli halwa.
In Ex-Yugoslav countreys, especialy in Bosnia it is a common to eat Rahat lokum while drinking coffee
In popular culture
Turkish Delight is the addictive confection to which Edmund Pevensie succumbs in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis. Sales of the confection rose following the theatrical release of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
Entry Edited 3 times - Edited on Feb 6, 2008 - 2:43 pm
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| Jan 30, 2008 - 2:13 pm |
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Baklava or baklawa is a rich, sweet pastry featured in many cuisines of the former Ottoman countries. It is a pastry made of layers of phyllo dough filled with chopped walnuts or pistachios and sweetened with syrup or honey.
Baklava was chosen to represent Cyprus in the presentation Sweet Europe of the cultural initiative Caf? Europe in 2006.
Ordinary baklava
History
The history of baklava is not well-documented; but although it has been claimed by many ethnic groups, the best evidence is that it is of Central Asian Turkic origin, with its current form being developed in the imperial kitchens of the Topkapı Palace.
Vryonis (1971) identified the ancient Greek gastris, kopte, kopton, or koptoplakous, mentioned in the Deipnosophistae, as baklava, and calls it a "Byzantine favorite". However, Perry (1994) shows that though gastris contained a filling of nuts and honey, it did not include any dough; instead, it involved a honey and ground sesame mixture similar to modern pasteli or halva.
Perry then assembles evidence to show that layered breads were created by Turkic peoples in Central Asia and argues that the "missing link" between the Central Asian folded or layered breads (which did not include nuts) and modern phyllo-based pastries like baklava is the Azerbaijani dish Bakı pakhlavası, which involves layers of dough and nuts. The traditional Uzbek puskal or yupka and Tatar yoka, sweet and salty savories (boreks) prepared with 10-12 layers of dough, are other early examples of layered dough style in Turkic regions.
The thin phyllo dough as used today was probably developed in the kitchens of the Topkapı Palace. Indeed, the sultan presented trays of baklava to the Janissaries every 15th of Ramadan in a ceremonial procession called the Baklava Alayı.
Other claims about its origins include: that it is of Assyrian origin, dates back to ancient Mesopotamia, and was mentioned in a Mesopotamian cookbook on walnut dishes; that al-Baghdadi describes it in his 13th-century cookbook; that it was a popular Byzantine dessert. But Claudia Roden and Andrew Dalby find no evidence for it in Arab, Greek, or Byzantine sources before the Ottoman period.
One of the oldest known recipes for a sort of proto-baklava is found in a Chinese cookbook written in 1330 under the Yuan (Mongol) dynasty under the name g?llach (Buell, 1999). "G?lla?" is found in Turkish cuisine. Layers of phyllo dough are put one by one in warmed up milk with sugar. It is served with walnut and fresh pomegranate and generally eaten during Ramadan.
Home-made baklava made for last Ramadan by my friend
Etymology
The word baklava entered English from Turkish; it is sometimes connected with the Arabic word for "bean" (بقلة /baqlah/), but Wehr's dictionary lists them as unrelated. Akın and Lambraki state that the word baklava entered into Arabic from Turkish. Buell (1999) argues that the word "baklava" may come from the Mongolian root baγla- 'to tie, wrap up, pile up' composed with the Turkic verbal ending -v. Baklava is found in many cuisines, with minor phonetic variations on the name.
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| Jan 27, 2008 - 10:31 am |
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This will not be about food (but i will not stop writing about food), but about national drink rakija. I played AAT many times under effects of rakija and now i feel it is time to write you something about this culture.
Rakia or rakija (Bulgarian: ракия, rakia, Bosnian: rakija, Croatian: rakija, Greek: ρακί, Macedonian: ракија / rakija, Serbian: ракија / rakija, Hungarian: p?linka, Albanian: raki, Romanian: rachiu (reg. răchie), Slovenian: ?ganje, Slovak: p?lenka, Turkish: rakı ) is similar to brandy, made by distillation of fermented fruits, popular throughout the Balkans, Italy and France. Its alcohol content is normally 40%, but home-produced rakia can be stronger, typically 50 to 60%. Prepečenica is double-distilled rakia, with alcohol content sometimes exceeding 60%.
Rakia is considered to be the national drink among some of the South Slavic peoples: in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro, and the Republic of Macedonia. Its most common form, slivovitz, is produced from plums. The most common fruits are peaches, apricots, apples, figs, and quinces. In Istria, however, rakija is made exclusively from grapes, where the drink is also known by the more local names of trapa and grappa (the latter name also being used in Italy). Plum and grape rakia is sometimes mixed after distillation with other ingredients, such as herbs, honey, sour cherries and walnuts.
On this picture you can see what our people think about foreign products
Home-made sljivovica
Ritual use
Although wine is the essential part of the Eucharist rite in the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches in the region, rakia has found uses in certain religious and related rituals across the Balkans.
At the end of the Orthodox Christian burial service, at the exit from the cemetery, visitors are offered a piece of soda bread (pogača) and a glass of rakia. When drinking "for the soul" of the deceased, one spills some rakia on the ground, saying (in Romanian, "Dumnezeu sa-i primeasca" (May God receive this for her/him), before drinking the rest.
During wedding ceremonies, the groom's father goes around all tables and offers a glass of rakia to all guests, sharing a toast for the happiness of the newlyweds. In general, in the Balkans, rakia is offered to guests of the home as a welcoming gesture.
Often, "cooked" (kuvana or greyana) rakia, heated in large kettles, is offered to visitors of various open-air festivities, especially in winter days. It is somewhat similar to mulled wine, as weaker brands of rakia are used (or stronger ones diluted with water), with added honey, sugar and spices.
Entry Edited 1 time - Edited on Jan 27, 2008 - 10:31 am
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| Jan 26, 2008 - 7:36 am |
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Ćevapčići (formal diminutive) or Ćevapi (pronounced [ʨɛ'va: pi]) in some parts, is a Balkan dish of grilled minced meat, of oriental origin, found in the countries of the Former Yugoslavia. They may be served on a plate or in a flatbread (lepinja or somun), often with chopped onions, sour cream, kajmak, ajvar, cottage cheese, and so on.
Serbian ćevapčići from Leskovac are made of beef (usually of three mixed types of cuts) and served on a plate with a lepinja. The only proper traditional way of grilling ćevapčići is to use glowing coals beneath a grill. Both expressions ćevapčići and ćevapi are common in Serbia. In Belgrade, from where ćevapčići spread all over the world, this is the only traditional expression. In other parts of Serbia ćevapčići are often made of both pork and beef. Although ćevapčići is a formal diminutive, ćevapčići from Leskovac are longer (10-12 cm) then Bosnian ćevapi (5-8 cm). The Leskovac-recipe was the one that became popular in Belgrade during the 19th century and then spread all over Yugoslavia (except Bosnia and Herzegovina) and Europe and United States.[1]
Bosnian ćevapi from the Ba?čar?ija district of Sarajevo and Banja Luka are probably the most famous ćevapi. Travnik and Tuzla are known for their ćevapi made of beef stewed with spices. This dish is very popular in some parts of former Yugoslavia as well. The stew is poured on lepinja or somun flatbread and few chunks of meat left there. Banja Luka is known for ćevapi which are multiple rolls (usually four) joined together. Bosnian ćevapi are made from two types of minced beef meat, hand mixed and formed with a funnel. Formed ćevapi are grilled. Some people consider that the best ćevapi are found in "Ba?čar?ija", Sarajevo.
Macedonian kebapi ( ќебапи ) are made of both pork and beef. A serving usually consists of 5-10 pieces, served with white bread, minced red pepper, salt and onions.
Ćevapi from ćevabd?inica
The word comes from the Arabic kebab, sometimes with the South Slavic diminutive ending -čići (Serbian: Ћевапчићи/Ћевапи, ćevapčići/ćevapi; Macedonian: Ќебапи, ćebapi; Slovenian: čevapčiči), Croatian and Bosnian: ćevapčići/ćevapi).
Entry Edited 2 times - Edited on Jan 26, 2008 - 7:41 am
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| Dec 5, 2007 - 4:46 pm |
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Sarma (Turkish, sarma; Southern Slavic, сарма or sarma; Romanian, sarmale; Arabic يبرق yabraq) is the name of a grape, cabbage or chard leaf roll common to Southeastern Europe and adjacent areas. It is traditionally prepared in the former Ottoman countries or neighboring countries such as Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Hungary, Macedonia, Montenegro, Moldova, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Ukraine.
Sarma is a verbal noun derived from Turkish verb "sarmak" meaning "wrapping" or "rolling" in Turkish. It is also similar to its cousin dolma.
The popular Russian version is called "голубцы" (golubtsy), and is usually made of cabbage leaves.
Minced meat (usually beef, pork, veal, or a combination thereof), rice, onions, and various spices, including salt, pepper and various local herbs are mixed together and then rolled into large plant leaves, which may be cabbage (fresh or pickled), chard, patience, vine leaf (fresh or pickled) or broadleaf plantain leaves. The combination is then cooked together in boiling water for few hours. While specific recipes vary across the region, it is uniformly recognized that the best cooking method is slow boiling in large clay pots. A special ingredient, flour browned in fat, is often added at the end of the process. Other fine-tuned flavors include cherry tree leaves in some locations; other recipes require the use of pork fat?the number of minor differences is virtually innumerable across the region. Vegetarian variants as well as those made with fish exist.
In continental parts of Croatia sarma is identical to Bosnian type and includes rice and minced meat. But in Dalmatia, there is a special subtype aramba?ići (named after Turkish soldiers - haramba?e) typical for Dalmatian hinterland. Stuffing of aramba?ići does not include rice, meat is diced and spices include lemon, cinnamon, cloves and muscat nuts. Unlike in muslim cultures, sarma in Croatia is cooked in a same pot with dry pork, prosciutto bone or sausages. It's a typical meal of New Year's Eve. It's also cooked by Italians who exiled from Dalmatia after World War II, specially those who live in the Italian Northwest.
Unlike other eastern European cultures, the peoples of Southeastern Europe overwhelmingly use sour cabbage as opposed to fresh cabbage. At the end of the autumn, families traditionally prepare the sour cabbage (as whole cabbage, or as individual leaves, but not shredded) for sarma-making.
Sarma is normally a heavy dish (though families are increasingly using healthier options such as olive oil or other oils instead of the traditional pork fat). Thus, it is usually eaten during winter. Traditionally, they are served along with polenta or potatoes, which are sometimes mashed. Other optional add-ons include sour cream, yogurt and horseradish.
It is virtually impossible to make sarma for a small number of people, unless they are willing to help themselves to huge servings. Traditionally, a pot filled with sarme/sarmale is usually prepared for an entire family. Sarma is often served as a one of the main dishes during wedding ceremonies. In diasporic communities, it is often cherished as a reminder of their former homelands.
In Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia and the Republic of Macedonia sarmale (сарма is a traditional meal for Christmas (in Romania also for Easter), and in Serbia it is almoust part of every Slava (day when serbs celebrate one of their saints).
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| Dec 4, 2007 - 5:25 am |
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Pogača or Pogacha (Cyrillic: Πогача is a type of bread eaten in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Republic of Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Montenegro and Turkey (where it is called poğa?a) with variations. It is called pog?csa in Hungary and pogatschen in Austria. A more flat bread, with the same origin in terms of its name is called focaccia in Italy, fougasse in France, and hogaza in Spain.
The origins of the word go back to ancient Rome, where panis focacius was bread baked in the ashes of the hearth.
Pogača is sometimes served hot as an appetizer instead of bread. Hot pogača filled with sour cream is considered a particularly delicious specialty.
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| Dec 3, 2007 - 1:05 pm |
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B?rek originated in Turkish cuisine (cf. Baklava) and is one of its most significant and, in fact, ancient elements, having been developed by the Turks of Central Asia before their westward migration to Anatolia. B?rek in Turkish refers to any dish made with "yufka", the Turkish word for phyllo pastry. The Turkish language is unique in having an extensive semantics associated with the word b?rek. Consequently, most of the time, the word "b?rek" is accompanied by a descriptive word referring to the shape, ingredients, technique for cooking or a specific region where it is typically prepared, for example, kol b?reği, su b?reği, talaş b?reği, tatar b?reği or sarıyer b?reği.
Other languages, which have borrowed the word, use it in a specific and narrow sense, where it refers only to dishes prepared with yufka/phyllo. In Turkish, the word has a wider range of meanings, however, and can refer to puff pastry, known as nemse b?rek in Turkish, and other types where the dough is processed somewhat differently from the standard yufka recipe. Some exaples are su b?reği, where the sheets are boiled briefly before layering, and saray b?reği (palace b?rek) where butter is rolled between the sheets.
The name comes from the Turkic root bur- 'to twist', (similar to Serbian word savijača (from savijati - to twist) which also describes a layered dough dish) or possibly from Persian būrek.
B?rek (Turkey)
B?rek is the name used for pastries made with phyllo dough. Su b?reği ("water b?rek") is the most common type. Layers of dough are boiled in large pans, then, between the boiled dough layers, a mixture of cheese, parsley and oil is scattered. Sigara b?reği ("cigar b?rek," named for its shape) is often filled with feta cheese, potato, parsley and sometimes with minced meat or sausage. A variety of vegetables, herbs and spices are used in b?reks such as spinach, nettle, leek, potato, eggplant, courgette, ground black pepper, etc.
K?rt b?reği ("Kurdish b?rek") is a fillingless b?rek, often served with powdered sugar sprinkled on top.
Burek (former Yugoslavia)
In the former Yugoslavia, burek is not used in a hyperonymous sense (like pie, cake, etc.), as in Turkish.
Burek is regularly on offer at all bakeries, and usually eaten as "fast food". It is often consumed with yoghurt. Apart from being sold at bakeries, burek is sold in specialized stores selling burek (or pitas) and yogurt exclusively (buregd?inica). Those shops were actually the only type of bakery to exist before the 1800s
Serbian and Macedonian (round) burek
In Serbia and the Republic of Macedonia, burek is made from thick dough layers, pressed with layers of stuffing and a lot of fat in a circular baking pan and topped with one final big layer. Traditional stuffings are stewed ground meat and cheese. Prazan burek ("empty burek", i.e. without filling) is also made. Additional variants include fillings of apple, sour cherry, mushrooms, and a modern variant of "pizza" burek.
The recipe for modern "round" burek was developed in the Serbian town Ni?, where it was introduced by a famous Turkish baker, Mehmed Oglu, from Istanbul in 1498.
"Serbian" burek became popular in Croatia and in Slovenia in the 2nd half of the 20th century. The first burek in Zagreb was made by famous Albanian bakers near the main railway station (Kolodvor) after World War II. There it's known simply as burek, too.
Ni? hosts an annual burek competition called Buregd?ijada. In 2005, a 100 kg/200 lb. burek was made, with a diameter of 2 meters / 6 feet and it's considered to have been the biggest burek ever made.
Bosnian (rolled) burek
In Bosnia and Herzegovina the word burek refers to pastry dish only when it's filled with meat. Thin dough layers are stuffed and then rolled and cut into spirals (resembling an American cinnamon bun). The same dish with cottage cheese is called sirnica, one with spinach and cheese zeljanica, one with potatoes krompiru?a, and all of them are generically referred to as pita (trans. pie). This kind of dough dish is also popular in Croatia, where it was imported by Bosnian Croats, and is usually called rolani burek (= rolled burek).
In Serbian towns Bosnian pastry dishes were imported by war refugees in the 1990s, and are usually called sarajevske pite or bosanske pite (Sarajevo/Bosnian pies). Similar dishes, although somewhat wider and with thinner dough layers are called savijača or just "pita" in Serbia. However, these are usually homemade and not traditionally offered in bakeries.
In Bosnia, burek only refers to one special dough dish filled with meat. There is a tendency in Croatia, to use the word burek only for cheese preparations unless modified by some descriptor. In Serbia, one always specifies the type of stuffing (burek sa mesom - 'burek with meat', for instance).
Entry Edited 2 times - Edited on Dec 3, 2007 - 1:07 pm
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| Dec 3, 2007 - 1:01 pm |
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I realy got tired of writing shit about n00bs, so from now on I will talk about what I like best: FOOD!!!
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