Embroidered peppers ( mk, Везени пиперки, Vezeni piperki or mk, Нарезнени пиперки, Narezneni piperki), also known as engraved peppers, is a traditional Macedonian
meze
Meze or mezza (, ) is a selection of small dishes served as appetizers in the Levant, Turkey, Greece, the Balkans, the Caucasus and Iran. It is similar to Spanish tapas and Italian antipasti. A mezze may be served as a part of a multi-course me ...
made of fresh, dried or condimented
peppers
Pepper or peppers may refer to:
Food and spice
* Piperaceae or the pepper family, a large family of flowering plant
** Black pepper
* ''Capsicum'' or pepper, a genus of flowering plants in the nightshade family Solanaceae
** Bell pepper
** Chili ...
of the ''
Capsicum annuum
''Capsicum annuum'' is a species of the plant genus ''Capsicum'' native to southern North America, the Caribbean, and northern South America. This species is the most common and extensively cultivated of the five domesticated capsicums. The spec ...
'' species threaded on a string.
Background
Peppers are a staple ingredient of
Macedonian cuisine
Macedonian cuisine ( mk, Македонска кујна, Makedonska kujna) is the traditional cuisine of North Macedonia. It is influenced by Balkan cuisines. The relatively warm climate of the country provides excellent growth conditions for ...
. ''
Capsicum annuum
''Capsicum annuum'' is a species of the plant genus ''Capsicum'' native to southern North America, the Caribbean, and northern South America. This species is the most common and extensively cultivated of the five domesticated capsicums. The spec ...
'' of the ''
Capsicum
''Capsicum'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the Solanum, nightshade family Solanaceae, native to Americas, the Americas, cultivated worldwide for their chili pepper or bell pepper fruit.
Etymology and names
The generic name may come f ...
'' species exist in several different
landrace
A landrace is a domesticated, locally adapted, often traditional variety of a species of animal or plant that has developed over time, through adaptation to its natural and cultural environment of agriculture and pastoralism, and due to isolation ...
s in North Macedonia and in neighbouring
Kosovo
Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), officially the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Republika e Kosovës, links=no; sr, Република Косово, Republika Kosovo, links=no), is a partially recognised state in Southeast Euro ...
,
Albania
Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares ...
and
Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Bas ...
. Embroidered Macedonian peppers have a specific fruit appearance, taste and use and there are several different
landrace
A landrace is a domesticated, locally adapted, often traditional variety of a species of animal or plant that has developed over time, through adaptation to its natural and cultural environment of agriculture and pastoralism, and due to isolation ...
s. There are approximately 789 pepper samples, 204 of which are embroidered peppers.
Method of preparation
Fruits of peppers are threaded together on strings and left on balconies or in attics to be dried.
They are also found in urban areas of the country or are sold in local green markets.
Bukovec, or Bukov piper, is a spice made from roughly crushed red peppers.
See also
*
Balkan cuisine
Balkan cuisine is a type of regional cuisine that combines characteristics of European cuisine with some of those from Western Asia. It is found in the Balkan Peninsula of Southeast Europe, a region without clear boundaries but which is generally ...
*
Eastern European cuisine
Eastern European cuisine encompasses many different cultures, ethnicities, languages, and histories of Eastern Europe.
The cuisine of the region is strongly influenced by its climate and still varies, depending on a country. For example, countr ...
References
Further reading
*
*
{{Macedonian cuisine
Macedonian cuisine
Balkan cuisine