Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and ...

cuisine ( bs, Bosanska kuhinja) is balanced between Western and Eastern influences. The food is closely related to former Yugoslav,

Middle Eastern The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Province), East Thrace (Europea ...

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on ...

, Austo-Hungarian and other

Balkan The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...

cuisines.

Ingredients

Bosnian cuisine uses many

spice A spice is a seed, fruit, root, bark, or other plant substance primarily used for flavoring or coloring food. Spices are distinguished from herbs, which are the leaves, flowers, or stems of plants used for flavoring or as a garnish. Spices a ...

s, but usually in moderate quantities. Most dishes are light, as they are cooked in lots of water; the sauces are fully natural, consisting of little more than the natural juices of the vegetables in the dish. Typical ingredients include

tomato The tomato is the edible berry of the plant ''Solanum lycopersicum'', commonly known as the tomato plant. The species originated in western South America, Mexico, and Central America. The Mexican Nahuatl word gave rise to the Spanish word ...

es,

potato The potato is a starchy food, a tuber of the plant ''Solanum tuberosum'' and is a root vegetable native to the Americas. The plant is a perennial in the nightshade family Solanaceae. Wild potato species can be found from the southern Uni ...

es,

onion An onion (''Allium cepa'' L., from Latin ''cepa'' meaning "onion"), also known as the bulb onion or common onion, is a vegetable that is the most widely cultivated species of the genus '' Allium''. The shallot is a botanical variety of the on ...

garlic Garlic (''Allium sativum'') is a species of bulbous flowering plant in the genus '' Allium''. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chive, Welsh onion and Chinese onion. It is native to South Asia, Central Asia and northeas ...

bell pepper The bell pepper (also known as paprika, sweet pepper, pepper, or capsicum ) is the fruit of plants in the Grossum Group of the species ''Capsicum annuum''. Cultivars of the plant produce fruits in different colors, including red, yellow, orange ...

cucumber Cucumber (''Cucumis sativus'') is a widely-cultivated creeping vine plant in the Cucurbitaceae family that bears usually cylindrical fruits, which are used as culinary vegetables.carrot The carrot ('' Daucus carota'' subsp. ''sativus'') is a root vegetable, typically orange in color, though purple, black, red, white, and yellow cultivars exist, all of which are domesticated forms of the wild carrot, ''Daucus carota'', na ...

cabbage Cabbage, comprising several cultivars of ''Brassica oleracea'', is a leafy green, red (purple), or white (pale green) biennial plant grown as an annual vegetable crop for its dense-leaved heads. It is descended from the wild cabbage ( ''B.&n ...

, mushrooms,

spinach Spinach (''Spinacia oleracea'') is a leafy green flowering plant native to central and western Asia. It is of the order Caryophyllales, family Amaranthaceae, subfamily Chenopodioideae. Its leaves are a common edible vegetable consumed either f ...

, courgette, dried and fresh beans,

plum A plum is a fruit of some species in ''Prunus'' subg. ''Prunus'.'' Dried plums are called prunes. History Plums may have been one of the first fruits domesticated by humans. Three of the most abundantly cultivated species are not found ...

milk Milk is a white liquid food produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals (including breastfed human infants) before they are able to digest solid food. Immune factors and immune-modulat ...

paprika Paprika ( US , ; UK , ) is a spice made from dried and ground red peppers. It is traditionally made from '' Capsicum annuum'' varietals in the Longum group, which also includes chili peppers, but the peppers used for paprika tend to be milder ...

and cream called pavlaka and kajmak. Typical meat dishes include primarily beef and lamb due to

Islamic dietary laws Islamic dietary laws are dietary laws that Muslims follow. Islamic jurisprudence specifies which foods are '' '' (, "lawful") and which are '' '' (, "unlawful"). The dietary laws are found in the Quran, the holy book of Islam, as well as in col ...

, although the

Bosnian Croats The Croats of Bosnia and Herzegovina (), often referred to as Bosnian Croats () or Herzegovinian Croats () are the third most populous ethnic group in the country after Bosniaks and Serbs, and are one of the constitutive nations of Bosnia and ...

and

Bosnian Serbs The Serbs of Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sr-Cyrl, Срби у Босни и Херцеговини, Srbi u Bosni i Hercegovini) are one of the three constitutive nations (state-forming nations) of the country, predominantly residing in the politi ...

can consume pork. Some local specialties are ćevapi, burek,

dolma Dolma (Turkish for “stuffed”) is a family of stuffed dishes associated with Ottoman cuisine, and common in modern national cuisines of regions and countries that once were part of the Ottoman Empire. Some types of dolma are made with who ...

, sarma, ''pilav'' (

pilaf Pilaf ( US spelling) or pilau ( UK spelling) is a rice dish, or in some regions, a wheat dish, whose recipe usually involves cooking in stock or broth, adding spices, and other ingredients such as vegetables or meat, and employing some techn ...

), ''gulaš'' ( goulash), ajvar and a whole range of Eastern sweets. The best local wines come from

Herzegovina Herzegovina ( or ; sh-Latn-Cyrl, Hercegovina, separator=" / ", Херцеговина, ) is the southern and smaller of two main geographical region of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the other being Bosnia. It has never had strictly defined geogra ...

where the climate is suitable for growing grapes. Plum or apple rakija, is produced in

Bosnia Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and Pars pro toto#Geography, often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of Southern Europe, south and southeast Euro ...

Meat dishes

Ćevapi Ćevapi (, ), ćevapčići (formal: diminutive; , ) is a grilled dish of minced meat found traditionally in the countries of southeast Europe (the Balkans). It is considered a national dish of Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and is also comm ...

– Bosnian kebabs: small grilled minced meat links made of lamb and beef mix; served with onions, kajmak, ajvar and Bosnian pita bread (somun) * Pljeskavica – a patty dish * Begova Čorba (Bey's Stew) – a popular Bosnian soup ( chorba) made of meat and vegetables * Filovane paprike or punjena paprika – fried

s stuffed with minced meat *

Sogan-dolma Dolma (Turkish for “stuffed”) is a family of stuffed dishes associated with Ottoman cuisine, and common in modern national cuisines of regions and countries that once were part of the Ottoman Empire. Some types of dolma are made with whol ...

– onions stuffed with minced meat *

Popara Popara (Cyrillic: ''попара'', gr, παπάρα, ''papara'', tr, papara) is a dish made with bread. Typically the bread is old and has a thick crust, and is soaked in either hot tea, milk or water. Sugar, honey, butter, and cheese are ofte ...

– bread soaked in boiling milk or water and spread with '' kajmak'' * Ćufte – meatballs * Meat under sač (''meso ispod sača'') – a traditional way of cooking lamb, veal, or goat under a metal, ceramic, or earthenware lid on which hot coals and ashes are heaped * ''Pilav'' (

) – grain, such as

rice Rice is the seed of the grass species '' Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly ''Oryza glaberrima'' (African rice). The name wild rice is usually used for species of the genera '' Zizania'' and '' Porteresia'', both wild and domesticat ...

or cracked

wheat Wheat is a grass widely cultivated for its seed, a cereal grain that is a worldwide staple food. The many species of wheat together make up the genus ''Triticum'' ; the most widely grown is common wheat (''T. aestivum''). The archaeologi ...

, browned in oil, and then cooked in a seasoned broth * Burek – a meat-filled flaky pastry, traditionally rolled in a spiral and cut into sections for serving. The same dish filled with cottage cheese is called ''sirnica'', one with

and cheese ''zeljanica'', one with squash/ zucchini called ''tikvenjača'', and one with

es ''krompiruša''. All these varieties are generically referred to as ''pita'' ( Bosnian for "pie"). * Sarma – meat and rice rolled in pickled cabbage leaves * Raštika – meat and rice rolled in

kale Kale (), or leaf cabbage, belongs to a group of cabbage (''Brassica oleracea'') cultivars grown for their edible leaves, although some are used as ornamentals. Kale plants have green or purple leaves, and the central leaves do not form a hea ...

leaves * Grah – a traditional bean stew with meat * Japrak – grape leaves stuffed with meat and rice * Musaka – a baked dish made of layers of potatoes (or cabbage or egg plant)and minced beef * Bosanski Lonac – Bosnian meat stew cooked over an open fire * Tarhana – typical Bosnian soup with homemade pasta * Sudžuk – ''(Sujuk)'' – spicy beef sausage *

Suho meso Suho meso (literally: "dry meat") is a smoked beef preparation eaten in Bosnian, Serbian, and Montenegrin cuisine. The meat is cured in a coarse salt for multiple days before being hung to dry over a fire for multiple days or weeks, depending o ...

– air-dried meat similar to Italian bresaola *

Dolma Dolma (Turkish for “stuffed”) is a family of stuffed dishes associated with Ottoman cuisine, and common in modern national cuisines of regions and countries that once were part of the Ottoman Empire. Some types of dolma are made with who ...

– stuffed grape leaves with rice * Visočka pečenica – meat dish from Visoko

Vegetable dishes

* Đuveč – vegetable stew, similar to the

Romanian Romanian may refer to: *anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Romania ** Romanians, an ethnic group **Romanian language, a Romance language ***Romanian dialects, variants of the Romanian language **Romanian cuisine, traditiona ...

''ghiveci'' and Bulgarian ''gjuvec'' * Grašak – pea stew *

Kačamak Kačamak is a kind of maize porridge made in parts of Western Asia and Southeastern Europe. Its name is derived from the Turkish word ''kaçamak'', meaning escapade. It is also known as bakrdan (бакрдан) in North Macedonia. History The dis ...

– a traditional Bosnian dish made of

cornmeal Cornmeal is a meal (coarse flour) or a cell membrane ground from dried corn. It is a common staple food, and is ground to coarse, medium, and fine consistencies, but not as fine as wheat flour can be.Herbst, Sharon, ''Food Lover's Companion'', ...

and potatoes * Kljukuša – grated potatoes mixed with flour and water and baked in an oven; a traditional dish in the region of Bosanska Krajina * Sataraš – a dish made with

s, eggplants, onions and tomatoes *

Turšija Torshi ( fa, ترشی, lit=sourness, translit=torshi) are the pickled vegetables of many Middle Eastern and Balkan cuisines. Torshi is common in Arab, Turkish, Kurdish, Afghan, Bosnian, Armenian and Iranian cuisine. Iran has hundreds of types ...

– pickled vegetables * Buranija – green beans soup. Can be cooked with meat and sometimes served with kajmak. * Bamija

Appetizers

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 ...

– an assortment of meats, vegetables, or other small dishes served before a meal

Cheeses

* Livno cheese – a dry yellow cheese from the west Bosnian town of Livno and surrounding villages * Tešanjski– made from the nettle and milk, originates in the Tešanj district in northern central

* Travnički – a white

feta Feta ( el, φέτα, ) is a Greek brined white cheese made from sheep's milk or from a mixture of sheep and goat's milk. It is soft, with small or no holes, a compact touch, few cuts, and no skin. Crumbly with a slightly grainy texture, it ...

-like cheese from the

Travnik Travnik is a town and a municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is the administrative center of Central Bosnia Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated in central Bosnia and Herzegovina, west of Sarajevo. As of 2 ...

district in central

* Vlašićki – a highland cheese similar in its salty taste to Travnički, originates in the villages on Vlašić Mountain in central

* Suhi sir – a smoked cheese derived from posni sir * Kajmak – a Turkish creamy dairy product, similar to

clotted cream Clotted cream ( kw, dehen molys, sometimes called scalded, clouted, Devonshire or Cornish cream) is a thick cream made by heating full-cream cow's milk using steam or a water bath and then leaving it in shallow pans to cool slowly. During this t ...

* Pavlaka – a soured cream product like

crème fraîche Crème fraîche (English pronunciation: , , lit. "fresh cream") is a dairy product, a soured cream containing 10–45% butterfat, with a pH of approximately 4.5., p. 181''f'' It is soured with a bacterial culture. European labeling regulati ...

Desserts

Baklava Baklava (, or ; ota, باقلوا ) is a layered pastry dessert made of filo pastry, filled with chopped nuts, and sweetened with syrup or honey. It was one of the most popular sweet pastries of Ottoman cuisine. The pre- Ottoman origin of t ...

Halva Halva (also halvah, halwa, and other spellings, Persian : حلوا) is a type of confectionery originating from Persia and widely spread throughout the Middle East. The name is used for a broad variety of recipes, generally a thick paste made f ...

*Hurmašica – date-shaped pastry drenched in a sweet syrup *Jabukovača – pastry made of filo dough stuffed with apples *

Kadaif Knafeh ( ar, كنافة) is a traditional Middle Eastern dessert made with spun pastry called ''kataifi'', soaked in a sweet, sugar-based syrup called attar, and typically layered with cheese, or with other ingredients such as clotted cream, pis ...

* Krofna – filled doughnut * Krempita *Oblatna *Orašnica *''Palačinka'' ( crêpe) * Pekmez *''Rahatlokum'' (

Turkish delight Turkish delight or lokum ( ota, لوقوم) is a family of confections based on a gel of starch and sugar. Premium varieties consist largely of chopped dates, pistachios, hazelnuts or walnuts bound by the gel; traditional varieties are often fl ...

) *Ružica – similar to baklava, but baked in a small roll with raisins * Ruske Kape (trans. ''Russian Caps'', plural) * Šampita – a whipped marshmallow-type dessert with fillo dough crust *''Sutlijaš'' ( rice pudding) * Tufahija – whole stewed apple stuffed with a walnut filling * Tulumba – deep-fried dough sweetened with syrup

Relishes, seasoning and bread

* Ajvar * Vegeta * Somun and ''

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somun'' (with Ćurokot seeds). *

Pogača Poğaça is a type of bread baked in the ashes of the fireplace, and later on in the oven, similar to focaccia. Found in the cuisines of the Balkans, it can be leavened or unleavened, though the latter is considered more challenging to make. It ...

Djevrek Simit is a circular bread, typically encrusted with sesame seeds or, less commonly, poppy, flax or sunflower seeds, found across the cuisines of the former Ottoman Empire, and the Middle East. Simit's size, crunch, chewiness, and other character ...

Lepinja Pita ( or ) or pitta (British English), is a family of yeast-leavened round flatbreads baked from wheat flour, common in the Mediterranean, Middle East, and neighboring areas. It includes the widely known version with an interior pocket, also ...

Uštipci Uštipci ( sr-cyr, Уштипци, ) are doughnut-like fried dough balls popular in Southeast European countries, namely Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, North Macedonia, Serbia, Slovenia and Albania Origin The origin of the uštipci pastry i ...

Alcoholic beverages

Wines are produced mainly in

, in the regions of

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, Čitluk, Ljubuški, Stolac, Domanovići, and Međugorje. * Medovina * Kruškovac *

Pelinkovac Pelinkovac is a bitter liqueur based on wormwood ( Croatian and Slovenian: ''pelen'' or ''pelin''), popular in Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Bulgaria as well as in Slovenia, where it is known as pelinkov ...

* Rakija * Blatina * Žilavka * Local spirits are distilled from plums, pears, or grapes, with alcohol content of 45% and higher. *

Šljivovica Slivovitz is a fruit spirit (or fruit brandy) made from damson plums, often referred to as plum spirit (or plum brandy). If anyone else has a dictionary of some Slavic language that translates your word for slivovitz as "plum brandy", please ...

(plum brandy)

Non-alcoholic beverages

* Boza * Salep * Ajran * Bosnian coffee * Šerbe *

Elder An elder is someone with a degree of seniority or authority. Elder or elders may refer to: Positions Administrative * Elder (administrative title), a position of authority Cultural * North American Indigenous elder, a person who has and ...

juice

Kitchenware

* Sač

Gallery

File:Raštika (Bosnian).jpg, Stuffed Collard Greens leaves File:Sarma (Bosnian).jpg, Sarma File:Begova Čorba (Baščaršija in Sarajevo, Bosnia).JPG, Begova Čorba at Baščaršija. File:Sarajevski somun.JPG, Sarajevski somun File:Sarajevo Ćevapi (1).JPG, Sarajevo Ćevapi File:Sarajevo Ćevapi (2).JPG, Sarajevo Ćevapi File:Cooked corn (3).JPG, Cooked corn File:Cooked corn (2).JPG, Cooked corn File:Boem šnita (Sarajevo).JPG, Boem šnita File:Bosanska Šnita (left).JPG, Bosanska Šnita File:Sarajevski rahatlokum (Fruit mix).jpg, Sarajevski rahatlokum (Fruit mix) File:Bosnian alcoholic beverages.jpg, Bosnian alcoholic beverages File:Somun bread (Sarajevski Ćevapi).JPG, Somun bread (Sarajevski Ćevapi) File:Bosnian Ćevapi (Sarajevo).JPG, Bosnian Ćevapi (Sarajevo) File:Lamb na raznju (Jablanica).JPG, Lamb on the spit Jablanica File:Janjetina na raznju (Jablanica).JPG, Lamb on the spit (Jablanica) File:Stuffed eggplant (Punjeni patlidžan).JPG, Stuffed eggplant (Punjeni patlidžan) File:Stuffed paprikas (Hercegovacke Punjene paprike).JPG, Stuffed peppers File:Sirnica (Burek).JPG, Cheese pie or cheese burek File:Zeljanica (Burek).JPG, Spinach pie File:Pita burek.JPG, Bosnian pies in the shape of a wheel and strips File:Bosnian meat platter (2).JPG, Bosnian meat platters File:Pita zeljanica sirnica.JPG, Spinach pie and cheese pie File:Tulumba (cross section).JPG, Tulumba (cross section) File:Bosnian pita.JPG, Bosnian pies File:Krempita Cremeschnitte (top).JPG, Cream pie File:Lamb na raznju (1).JPG, Lamb on the spit in Sarajevo File:Punjene paprike (stuffed paprikas) (2).JPG, Stuffed peppers, tomatoes, and zucchini, oven-baked File:Suho meso (Dry meat).JPG, Suho meso (Smoked meat)