A Gastronomic Adventure
Touring the Balkans Through Food
If you follow me, you know I love food. Quite honestly I have the healthiest relationship I have ever had….with food. buwahaha. I appreciate it, I don’t take it for granted, it makes me happy and healthy (when I make smart decisions) Who doesn’t want a relationship like that?
Of course, I always try to take a cooking class in every country I visit. I love it because I love to cook, you get to use local ingredients that you wouldn’t always get to play with, you make authentic local meals, usually you get to keep the recipes to share with your friends back home. It’s a win win all around.
Naturally I have several food and drink related tours planned while I am in Serbia and this is just the first.
A Cooking Class
Oh to be a real Belgradian
I signed up on AirBnB experiences for the food tour. I met Pedja, the host, at the main entrance to the Bajloni open market and we explored the stalls, met the farmers, drank Rakia with the farmers, tasted some farm fresh local cheese, and generally speaking spent the morning as many Belgradians do.
After we selected the ingredients for our lunch, we stopped at the oldest bakery and grabbed a couple Burek’s for breakfast. We followed the hidden path that winds behind the buildings on the main street and found ourselves surrounded with hidden cafes, bars, nightclubs…all in a secret alley. It was super cool. We took a break to enjoy our breakfast with a beer. LOL
As we strolled around Belgrade making our way back to the chef’s house he shared local history, his personal stories of communist rule, life in Serbia, life during war after war. He shared so many curiosities of the Dorcol area and Belgrade in general.
Once we arrived at his house, all I had to do was enjoy the conversation with Pedja and his son, Fedja, as he prepared plate after plate after plate of amazing fresh fresh fresh food. Cheese plates, watermelon salad, smoked chicken with the fresh mushrooms, grilled chicken with the fresh berries made into a compote, pork medallion with blue cheese sauce…I had to draw the line with the food intake. Let’s be honest, I didn’t wear my expansion pants and it’s not lady like to undo a button. hahaha.
An amazing day, well spent being a Belgradian. A life I could get used to quickly.
Fresh Farmers Market
Local produce from local farmers, rows and rows and stalls and stalls. Fruits, veggies, Rakia, Herbs….everything you need to make an amazing meal for your friends and family.
Homemade Rakia with your fresh veggies
Just picking up some ingredients for dinner…I will take some peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes and a bottle of Plum Rakia please. Why yes, I will try the super aged 50 year old Rakia. I might be blind in my left ear now though.
A unique Serbian cheese-like cream: kajmak
Kajmak is a fresh dairy cheese, rich in milk fat (around 60%), with distinctive flavor and consistency. Although kajmak is used in many international cuisines throughout the Middle East and South-East Europe, it’s recognized as an original Serbian product.
Oh the fresh farmer cheese
This particular farmer had a selection of both goat and cow cheese…young and old. They were all delicious and we were able to taste test to our hearts content.
Bitef Theatre Битеф театар
Really cool story about this building. It was supposed to be a church but the builder stole the money for the bell. You can’t have a church with no bell so it never became a church. Now, it is a theatre AND residential flats. Very cool.
Yugoslav film archive Југословенска кинотека
This is an incredible work of art. This is a film viewer…one of the originals. If I recall the tour guide said there were only two of these in existence and this is the only functioning one. If you remember the View Masters as kids of the 80s generation…that is essentially what this is. You view through the view holes and the film stills cycle through the story. It was an amazing thing to see.
Please note that I have not received these products for free or at a discounted price in exchange for my opinion. There may be links that are affiliate links but at the time of posting this review, I have not received any monetary kickbacks.