Food in Belgrade is delicious and unique as it was influenced by different cultures and
empires, who have come and gone. For centuries Belgrade was ruled by the Byzantine, Ottoman
and Austro-Hungarian empire and together with the rest of the Balkan influences they left
a fusion of unique Serbian cuisine. No wonder then, that Serbs are known for their love
of food, and for them sitting down to a meal is one of the greatest pleasures. I want to
share with you some of this love for food by showing you the best street food and the
best restaurant dishes you have to try in Belgrade, Serbia. Hi guys, my name is Rok
and I’ve spent the last 9 years travelling around Europe as a tour guide and I can’t
wait to show you Delicious Food In Belgrade, Serbia.
The best way to start a day in Belgrade is with retro, traditional and simple Serbian breakfast called Popara.
Popara is some sort of a bread mash and was a bit of a forgotten dish that is making its comeback. This dish
is a quick and easy solution to use up leftover bread. It was eaten by poor people but Popara
is now becoming more and more popular even in upscale restaurants. The two crucial ingredients
are bread, torn into smaller pieces, and liquid, usually milk, used to blend the bread into
a soft mass. Then different ingredients are added, depending on the recipe. My Popara
was a huge and delicious milky and cheesy mash. It included various types of dried bread,
cream cheese known as kajmak, old cheese, milk and sour cream. There is no way I could
eat it all, but it was extremely delicious and I would very much recommend you to try
popara for breakfast or brunch. Another great traditional breakfast or a filling snack is
Gibanica, a cheese pie that is on the list of Serbian national dishes. The Pie is made
of a phyllo dough that can be replaced with yeast dough and stuffed with a creamy combination
of cheese and eggs. Most of the time it comes served with yoghurt or sour milk. Cheese filled
Gibanica is savory, slightly salty and can also be served sliced on every festive occasion,
when it is traditionally enjoyed as a cold appetizer. Burek is one of the oldest and
most popular street food dishes on the Balkans. It originated in the Ottoman Empire and it
means "to twist" in the Turkish language. No wonder that due to its Ottoman heritage,
burek is also a very popular street food in Belgrade. A real burek is very caloric food
that leaves a massive greasy trace on paper on which it is packed. It is made out of a
filo pastry that is stuffed with either minced meat, cottage cheese, potatoes or spinach.
It is very refreshing if you have some yogurt to go with it. Burek can be found in many
bakeries usually under the name of pita or pie or in dedicated Burek places called Buregdzinica.
After a nice meal, a must in Belgrade is a cup of strong Turkish coffee. Thanks to the
centuries long presence of Ottomans Belgrade got coffee houses nearly a century before
other major European cities. Here coffee culture is an important cultural practice and an important
part of socialising with friends, either at home or in the cafes. When you come for a
visit in Serbia, Turkish coffee is the first thing it will be offered to you. The distinct
type of coffeehouse in Belgrade is called kafana and originally the expression meant
a cafe serving only Turkish coffee. Turkish coffee is still popular and can be ordered
under the name domača kafa or domestic coffee in most bars that also serve espresso. All
over the city numerous cafes are mainly in pedestrian zones as they can spread their
tables and chairs outside the squares, streets and river banks. You should join the crowd,
find a nice cafe place and take the time to listen to the heartbeat of the city. If you
are very hungry and you don't want to wait in a restaurant then something in between
street food and restaurant food will do the trick. It is called goulash in bread and it
is exactly like it sounds. In its diverse and rich history Belgrade was also part of
the Hungarian part of Austria-Hungary. And the result is a delicious but messy meal you
can try at this popular Spasa Bakery located in the bohemian Skadarlija quarter on Skadarska
street. This Bakery is famous for its house specialty, a Hungarian meat stew goulash served
in a bread bun. It is a genius solution as you need to eat bread with goulash anyways.
They cut a bun in two, prepare some space for a delicious goulash that is poured in,
add some cream cheese, and put the top half back on. This is a delicious meal you have
to try and it is very cheap as it costs almost the same as a can of coke. When you go for
dinner in a restaurant you should be aware that Serbian portions are large and tasty.
The main course is most commonly a meat dish. Besides barbecue which is very popular, braising,
stewing, and roasting in an oven are the most common cooking methods. In general food is
not spicy as traditional seasonings include parsley, rosemary, basil, thyme, salt, black
pepper, ground paprika and garlic. A very nice old part of Belgrade where you can find
some of the best traditional restaurants in the city is Skadarlija. In this bohemian quarter
you will find many good restaurants famous for its colourful flowers and lively atmosphere.
Among Serbian national dishes Sarma is possibly one of the best and most popular ones in the
entire country. Original Sarma is prepared with pickled cabbage, minced meat and rice,
but there are a few variations. Originally ground pork or beef is minced and spiced,
mixed with rice and rolled in sour cabbage leaves. Different Sarma variations can also
be prepared with vine leaves, or with minced fish meat. This is another dish with Ottoman
origins as Sarma is a Turkish word meaning wrapped. Long Serbian battle for independence
with the Ottomans also reflects in one of more recent Serbian national dishes called
Karađorđe's schnitzel. This popular dish was invented only in the 1950s. Karadorde
schnitzel is a rolled veal or pork steak, stuffed with creamy kajmak cheese, and then
breaded and fried. It was named after a Serbian revolutionary who led the Serbian struggle
for his country's independence from the Ottoman Empire in the 1800s. Schnitzel comes served
with roasted potatoes and tartar sauce. Čevapćiči is the most popular grilled dish on the Blakans
and Belgarde is no exception. Ćevapćići originate from the Ottoman period and they
are similar to Turkish Kofta kebab. Čevapćiči are grilled finger-shaped minced meat served
in groups of five or ten pieces on a plate or in a flatbread. They come with chopped
onions, kajmak creamy cheese and ajvar as a must. Ajvar is a typical Serbian red dip
made of roasted red bell peppers, garlic and eggplants that can go with almost every meal.
Čevapćiči are served in almost every restaurant or can be found in small dedicated grilled
meat places like this ones found on almost every corner. Besides delicious and unique
food, Belgrade is also famous for its friendly atmosphere, crazy nightlife, rich heritage
and beauty. Its unique position on a confluence of two major European rivers offer a unique
experience on its many barges and its impressive historical Fortress offers stunning views.
If you want to learn what are top things to do in Belgrade, then you should check my video
Things To Do Belgrade in the top corner. You can also check the description below to see
my favourite tours in Belgrade. If you like this video please give it a thumbs up. You
can share your questions or suggestions about Belgrade in the comments below. And don’t
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Thanks for watching, and see you next time.