Traditional Balkan Food: Top Dishes You Need to Try

Balkan food is one of Europe’s most underrated cuisines. Many Balkan dishes found their way into the region via the Ottoman Empire, which means some are quite similar to Turkish cuisine. Others, especially closer to Mediterranean countries, use ingredients and preparation styles similar to Greek cuisine. Make no mistake: Balkan food has borrowed from its cultural and historical exchanges but it’s undeniably a hallmark of this region’s identity. 

1. What countries are part of the Balkans?

Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, and Serbia are traditionally considered the Balkans. Slovenia is often included as well from a geographical standpoint, but is historically and culturally considered Central Europe. Parts of Greece and Türkiye are sometimes considered geographically part of the Balkan Peninsula, but culturally and politically, they are not referred to as Balkan nations. 

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2. What is typical Balkan food?

Typical Balkan dishes you’ll find throughout the region include cevapi (sticks of grilled minced meat), dolma (stuffed peppers) and burek (a doughy pastry filled with cheese or meat and potatoes). Two popular beverages are the anise spirit rakia and the thick, yogurty ayran. Don’t limit your tastes to strictly broad Balkan foods; one of the tastiest reasons to travel through the region is to try country-specific foods like Istrian yota in Croatia and Kosovo’s flija. 

Read next: Exploring the Balkans with Insight Vacations Tour Director Hugh McMillan

3. Is Balkan food Turkish?

No, Turkish cuisine is not considered Balkan food, though you’ll find similar ingredients and preparation methods. Turkey and some of the Balkan nations were part of the Ottoman Empire, so you’ll find hallmarks of the shared history with foods like stuffed vegetables, grilled beef and lamb, and rolled vine leaves.

4. 12 Balkan foods you need to try

Pack your appetite when you visit the Balkans; these twelve Balkan dishes are reason enough to visit this delicious destination.

1. Cevapi

Balkan food is heavy on meat dishes and cevapi is the first you should try. These small grilled sausages are made with minced beef or lamb and best seasoned only with salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic. Like kebabs, you might find nuanced differences between Bosnian and Serbian cevapi, but each will hit the spot — especially when dipped in ajvar, an eggplant and roasted red pepper relish. 

2. Burek

Phyllo dough makes many appearances in Balkan cuisine and you’ll likely encounter it first in burek. Burek is a traditional savory pastry, typically filled with spiced meats or cheese, spinach, and potatoes. More than just the ingredients change when sampling it around the Balkans: you might see a spiral or triangle shaped burek in Serbia or Croatia and hear it called sirnica in Bosnia and Herzegovina. 

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3. Pašticada

Unlike many Balkan dishes, pašticada has roots dating back to Roman times. It’s often called Dalmatinska pašticada because it originated in the Dalmatian coast under Venetian influence. This stewed beef dish is available at restaurants, but you’ll see most Croatians saving it to prepare for special occasions.

4. Grah & Tavče Gravče

When visiting Balkan countries, seek out bean dishes whenever possible. Flat beans, white kidney beans, and Romano beans are among the popular varieties grown in the region. Two delicious yet basic Balkan dishes are grah and tavče gravče. Grah is a white kidney bean soup that’s a dinner table favorite in Croatia. Tavče gravče is a Macedonian white bean casserole baked with seasonings and vegetables as a primarily vegan dish. 

5. Speca me gjize

Albanian stuffed peppers are always a hit for travelers touring the Balkans. A colorful mix of yellow, orange, green, and red peppers are stuffed with rice, spices, and cottage cheese. It’s an ideal substitute for the popular fërgesë, another baked pepper dish with onions, tomatoes, and gjizë ricotta cheese.

Read next: These Ancient Bosnian Crafts Are at Risk of Disappearing Forever

6. Šopska salad

A national dish of Bulgaria, Šopska salad (or shopska salad) is a classic — but don’t call it a Greek salad. One of the ingredients separating the Balkan version from the Mediterranean version is the choice of cheese. The Greek use feta while the Balkans use a Bulgarian sirene white cheese. Šopska salad also leaves the olives out. 

7. Klepe

Klepe is a word many travelers are unfamiliar with yet a sight near and dear to their hearts. Effectively a Bosnian version of a ravioli or dumpling, klepe fills dough with minced meat and spices then boils it. These small, savoy bundles are best topped with spiced sour cream or a garlicky yogurt sauce. 

Taste local cuisine while dining in a Sarajevan family’s home on our Treasures of the Balkans tour. 

8. Kačamak and kajmak

Allow Balkan-style porridge to warmly welcome you to Montenegro. Kačamak is simply a warm bowl of porridge made with corn flour and potatoes. It’s a hearty, homecooked favorite that’s reminiscent of a polenta. Kačamak is best topped with kajmak: a thick, creamy cheese spread. 

9. Begova corba

In a region where kebabs of lamb and beef are popular, chicken lovers should flock to a bowl of begova corba. This Bosnian chicken soup has Ottoman origins and is a comforting, creamy bowl of potatoes, carrots, onion, okra, and parsley. You might find it on the menu under “Bey’s Soup”; a bey was a Turkish noble and bey’s soup arrived in Bosnia and Herzegovina when the Ottomans did. 

10. Moussaka

No, your eyes aren’t deceiving you: moussaka is indeed a popular Balkan food. If you recognize it as a Greek or Turkish dish, you’re not wrong. The Balkan version, as you’ll find it in Serbia, is a baked layered mix of sliced potatoes and ground meat. The Greek dish will likely have it with eggplant, not potatoes, while the Turkish moussaka is more of a messy mix than a layered dish. 

11. Sarmale

When it comes to meat dishes in the Balkans, sarmale is easy to fill up on and fall in love with. These Romanian cabbage rolls are fairly straightforward: minced meat rolled up in pickled cabbage leaves with rice and spices then baked. 

12. Baklava 

Easily the best Balkan food no matter your taste, everyone from foodies to the fine dining crowd agree that baklava is a must-try. This sweet dish is made with phyllo dough layered with nuts and syrup. It’s popular throughout the Mediterranean and Balkan regions, and although it’s defined as a traditionally Ottoman creation, historical records have versions of the baklava dating back millennia prior. 

Find a feast for all five senses when you join an Insight Vacations guided group tour of Balkan countries including Croatia, Bulgaria, and Romania.