Serbian experience: Soulfood Serbia (1st part)
Updated: Mar 10, 2021
Serbs are hedonists indeed. And there’s no doubt about it. When we asked them what they like most, they would reply with no hesitation whatsoever: "The food and woman"
Food is the proverbial fountain of life, the never ending delight bringing joy and merriment, People seem to love Serbia because of its tasteful food among other things. Serbian feast is a healthy, natural, colorful, lavish, sweet and hot tickling our palates and arousing all the senses getting our bodily juices to flow, and making you wish that if you once visit this peculiar destination you will come again and stay much longer. Just because of the food. And more.
In almost all circumstances other than religious fasting seasons, eating habits with calories- packed dishes tend to be much loved among the Serbs. Albeit vegetarians don’t seem to be lovers of meat, they will always be wined and dined with some delicious and healthy dishes. Though there is a fasting period for religious observances which include a healthy and less fattening ingredients in dishes on Wednesdays and Fridays and certainly before major religious holidays
If you ask any local residing in these quarters for a recommendation of a restaurant with traditional food, or some small but a pleasant little café, a village or a household, they will surely know what to say.
We’ll be presenting a number of well-known Serbian dishes from a number of regions of Serbia below.
VOJVODINA
Vojvodina is an autonomous province, which is located in the north of Serbia. Just because of the lowlands and plains and mostly sunny climate, all manner of grains (corn, wheat, oats) grow here, almost three quarters of a number of kinds of legumes (white, black beans), pumpkins and watermelons, and surely cabbage. If you decide to visit Novi Sad, Sid, Sremska Mitrovica, Subotica, Zrenjanin and Sabac, what will surely draw your attention are the picture perfect sunflowers sprouting on the curbs of every major highway or a blind alley. Lovers of mountains ‘of a lumberjack type ‘ who don’t seem to like the plains and lowlands, tend to visit Vojvodina because of its superb dishes. The cuisine of Vojvodina is believed to be a mixture of culinary influences, primarily those of the Hungarian and German influences.

Rinflajs, photo source: vojvodjanskakuhinja.blogspot.hr
The peculiarity of Vojvodina specialties is mirrored in the fact that guests and visitors will first be offered to help themselves to some of the cooked dishes. Few prefer fried and grilled food, but conversely they’d rather have boiled and stirred food. Therefore, their distinctive dish on the table is rinflajs. This is a dish made of a mixture of boiled vegetables (potatoes and carrots), and boiled chicken. Tomato sauce or mushrooms are normally served with it . Before that, you have to try an unseasoned noodle soup with chicken in the soup prepared carefully, cooked and chopped into pieces, a beef stew, a bachelor’s stew, a Hungarian cake, a pumpkin pie and fish soup are bound to make your mouth water . The favorite sweet is a popular poppy strudel, šnenokle and marmalade doghnuts.
