Top 10 Serbian Appetizers

Moravska salata is a Serbian salad originating from Niš and Leskovac. The salad is made with a combination of leeks, tomatoes, roasted peppers, hot peppers, garlic, salt, and oil. The vegetables are chopped, seasoned with salt, and drizzled with oil. The combination is then mixed well and refrigerated before serving. Moravska salata is especially popular during the hot summer months. It can be served as an appetizer, a side dish accompanying grilled meat, and sometimes even as a main dish served with a piece of hard cheese and bread (for dipping) on the side.Expand

Although it is a common sight in countries such as Croatia, Slovenia, and Macedonia, gibanica is mainly associated with Serbia. It is a traditional pie-like dish that combines phyllo dough (occasionally replaced with yeast dough) with a creamy combination of cheese and eggs. The most popular version of this versatile pie is popularly known as gužvara, meaning crumpled, in which the sheets of phyllo dough are soaked in a creamy mixture of fresh cow’s cheese and eggs. The sheets are then layered and baked in the form of a casserole. This pie-like dish can be prepared in both sweet and savory versions, depending on the region and personal preferences. In Serbia, gibanica is usually paired with yogurt and makes a perfect breakfast staple or a filling snack. Served sliced, it is also a mainstay on every festive occasion, when it is traditionally enjoyed as a cold appetizer.Expand

Belolučene paprike is a healthy Serbian salad made with a combination of roasted bell peppers, garlic, vinegar, salt, oil, and parsley. The ingredients are simply mixed together, and the combination is well-chilled before consumption. In summer, the salad is prepared with freshly roasted bell peppers, and in winter, it is usually prepared with preserved and canned bell peppers. Belolučene paprike can sometimes be enriched with roasted aubergines. The salad is served as an appetizer or a side dish. It can also be consumed as a main dish when served with white cheese and a few slices of bread that are typically dipped in the salad juices.Expand

Belmuž is a traditional shepherd's dish originating from eastern Serbia. This simple dish consists of only three ingredients – cheese, flour, and a bit of salt. The key ingredient is cheese, that should be fresh and full-fat cow's or preferably sheep's cheese. Once cut into pieces, the cheese is placed in a big pot over low heat. As it melts, salt and flour are added until a homogenous mass is formed. The mixture is continuously stirred with a big wooden spoon until the fat separates and starts to float on the surface. Belmuž is then ready to be served, usually as an appetizer with sour milk and various sliced vegetables. Interestingly, if the cheese used for the dish is already salt, there is no need to add extra salt to the dish. Belmuž is traditionally prepared by men due to the fact that it needs to be continuously stirred as it cooks, which takes a lot of effort. Expand

This Serbian delicacy is prepared in a time-consuming process that includes slowly frying pork rinds until the fat is completely extracted. Common additions include pork offal such as lungs, liver, intestines, and parts of the head that are cooked, finely chopped, and added to the frying mixture. When the fat completely melts and the ingredients are combined, the mixture is drained and stored. Traditionally prepared during colder seasons, kavurma or sprža is usually associated with the southern parts of Serbia, namely the city of Leskovac. The dish is typically served as a cold appetizer, accompanied by bread and various pickled vegetables.Expand

Pihtije is a Serbian dish made from cheaper parts of pork such as the head, shank, or hock. The meat is often cooked together with pepper, onion, carrots, and bay leaves until it becomes so tender that it falls off the bone. Together with stock, the meat is placed into bowls which are then left to cool and the dish is ready to congeal. Pihtije is served sliced as an appetizer, accompanied by cold pickled vegetables and a glass of rakija on the side.Expand

Živa pljeskavica is an appetizer made with ground veal, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, paprika flakes, Vegeta, oil, and chopped onion. The meat and spices are placed on a large plate and mixed with a fork until they form a homogenous mass that is then shaped into a patty. The dish was created at the restaurant Kod Bore in Sedlari near Valjevo in Serbia, and it's a take on a dish eaten by hospitality workers in state-owned restaurants in the former Yugoslavia. Because they were pressed for time, they would typically eat a raw meat patty tucked into a warm lepinja flatbread for lunch. Živa pljeskavica is served with grilled bread or lepinja flatbread and salt and paprika for seasoning and is usually consumed while waiting for one's order of grilled and barbecued meats to arrive.Expand

Pašteta od fazana is a Croatian dish that is especially popular in the region of Slavonija and Baranja. This pâté is made with pheasant as the key ingredient, and due to the fact that every household has their own recipe, other ingredients may vary, but may include celery, carrots, parsley, onions, bay leaves, pepper, garlic, eggs, butter, mayonnaise, mustard, and horseradish. The pheasant is cooked with the vegetables, and it is then ground and combined with other ingredients. The pâté is then refrigerated until it sets, and it is recommended to serve it with crusty bread.Expand

Čalabrca is a simple Serbian dish made with phyllo pastry, oil, milk, and kajmak (clotted cream). A spoonful of lard or oil is dropped into boiling water. Dried phyllo pastry is torn into pieces, and the pot of boiling water with oil is poured over them, ideally in an earthenware pot. The concoction is shortly cooked, taken off the flames, then combined with milk and kajmak. The dish is typically served as an appetizer, and the name is derived from the colloquial word čalabrcnuti, meaning to nibble.Expand

Pohovani mozak is a breaded offal dish from Serbia that consists of cleaned animal brain, most commonly calf or pork, cut into portions, lightly seasoned, coated in flour, egg, and breadcrumbs, and fried until crisp and golden. The dish became established through whole-animal cooking practices that valued careful handling of perishable organs and later gained a firm place in urban food culture as frying techniques spread and taverns adopted such dishes for their richness and appeal. The first step in making the dish is soaking the brain in cold water to remove blood, then removing membranes, briefly blanching it in lightly salted or acidulated water to firm the flesh. The brain is then cooled fully, sliced into even pieces, which are breaded and fried in hot oil until evenly browned without drying the interior. Calf brain is sometimes used instead for a finer texture. Pohovani mozak is served hot in traditional taverns as a starter or main dish, most often accompanied by lemon wedges, tartar sauce, simple salads, boiled potatoes, or bread, and paired with beer or light white wine in a setting focused on shared plates and robust, straightforward food.Expand