Sarajevski Sahan, oh yea

Admittedly, the cuisine of the Balkans could be a bit iffy for the untrained traveler. But there are a few things about Balkan, particularly Bosnian and Serbian cuisine that you have to remember.


First, it is based on the basics that Russian, German and even English cuisine is based on. Meat, Bread, and a few basic veggies. I can speak far more to Bosnian cuisine because I've had more traditional food in the country than I have in Belgrade. So I'll stick with it here. For more information on the food I had in Belgrade, wait for a new post sometime next week.

Secondly, the veggies are fresh. The meat is very good quality. Third, the food doesn't have the preservatives that our Western cuisine does. So don't feel so guilty about the calories. Yes, it is a heavy cuisine culture and you WILL be full. But enjoy it! It is proper home cooking.

The food in Sarajevo is honestly my favorite, with Polish Pirogi in a close second. This food is simple, rich, and based on simple ingredients. My favorite is Sarma, cabbage leaves pickled in vinegar wrapped around a mince meat filling. The mince meat is ground beef or lamb, onions, carrots and a bit of rice. These little bundles of flavorful joy are boiled in a soup of water, tomato puree and onions.

This cooking method is also used for Sogan Dolma, or Puntene Paprike. The difference is that Sogan Dolma is onion stuffed with the meat mixture. And the Puntene Paprike are stuffed bell peppers.

To serve, place the cabbage bundles, the onion or pepper in a bowl (when served all together it is known as Sahan), pour the broth over the top and a dollop of sour cream. The cream seeps under the surface of the liquid tomato and is perfect to soak up with bread. Amazing.

Something you may not expect is that Sarajevo is a dessert paradise. The Baklava is amazing of course. But the sweets culture there goes along with the coffee culture.

Starbucks will never make it in Sarajevo because Turkish coffee or traditional coffee is the best and far too popular for a frappacino to beat.

Everyday I tried a different sweet. Proper and thorough research for you folks. You'll see my absolute favorites in the next post. The loppsided tower of sugar above was part of this research. Can you guess what it is?

Yup, marshmallow. I've never had freshly made marshmallow and it was exquisite and painful at the same time. Pure sugar, fluffy, gooey sugar. It was amazing for about three bites and then I had enough. Thank goodness I had a large coffee with it or I'd never get rid of the taste. Yikes. My suggestion in Bosnia is to stick with the cakes and fruit and steer clear of this dish or the custards. While the custards are tasty, they are sitting out for most of the day and build a thick film sort of like pudding does when it is in the refrigerator. It isn't texturally pleasant AND may not be stored properly. 

Egipat Baklava -- Old Towne Sarajevo

Bosnian food is amazing and I intend to spend the next couple of posts proving it. But of course, my most obvious (and delicious) starting point is the desserts.

There are many to choose from so I split them into two categories: traditional and continental.

Traditional desserts in Bosnia are gooey, savory and rich. Bosnia is my baklava paradise.

Baklava can be made with any type of nut, but every region, country or family has its variation. Baklava in the Middle East or Greece uses a combination of nuts, mainly walnuts and pistachios. Bosnian baklava is generally made with walnuts.

Egipat in Old Towne Sarajevo is known in guide books as the place to get ice cream, especially in the hot summer. But their gateaux and baklava are amazing.  Their baklava uses walnuts that are very finely ground. They layer the phyllo and nuts very thinly and because the syrup is soaked up into the phyllo, it stays gooey, moist and decadent.

When I make baklava, I use what I have or what sounds good. Always with walnuts mixed with almonds, pecans, or pistachios. The mix can also include dates, raisins or anything else I suppose. I've added the basic recipe, feel free to play around.

Baklava from Egipat, Old Towne Sarjevo

Ingredients:
Phyllo dough (store bought)
Nuts
1 tbsp Cinnamon
1/2 nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup melted butter
1/4 cup of sugar (for a different flavor, use brown sugar instead)

Simple Syrup:
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup honey
2 tblsp lemon juice (can use fresh orange juice)

Recipe:
1. Thaw the phyllo dough. Begin by buttering/ greasing a cake pan. Layer five sheets of phyllo dough, by brushing each layer with melted butter. Sprinkle the mixed nut filling. Then repeat. It is up to you whether you want more phyllo or nut mixture to come through. I like to keep the layers consistent. The top layer should be 8 phyllo sheets thick.
2. Cut into equal portions with a very sharp knife. Back at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.
3. While in the over, prepare the syrup by bringing the water and sugar to a boil, until the sugar is dissolved and add the honey and lemon juice and reduce. Take off of the heat and put aside to cool.
4. Once out of the over, pour the cooled syrup evenly over the hot baklava and allow to cool and set for at least four hours.
5. Do not heat before serving! Keep it cold and gooey!