Top 12 Bosnian Foods

Mljekara Livno is a renowned cheese producer from Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a tradition dating back to the late 19th century. The company is the custodian of the original recipe for Livno cheese, which has been passed down through generations to ensure high quality and unique characteristics in texture, aroma, and flavor. Mljekara Livno is the largest cheese producer in Bosnia and Herzegovina, exporting its products worldwide and continuously seeking new partners. The company maintains high production standards to consistently offer the best quality to consumers. Expand

Sarajevska Brewery, founded in 1864, is the oldest industrial brewery in Bosnia and Herzegovina and a historic symbol of Sarajevo’s economic and cultural identity. From its earliest years, it marked the beginning of industrial production in the country, and despite shifting political eras - from the Ottoman period and Austro-Hungarian rule to Yugoslavia and the modern state - it has maintained continuous production and a reputation for consistent quality. Today, the brewery’s portfolio centers on Sarajevsko, its flagship beer, complemented by dark, wheat, and seasonal varieties, as well as mineral and spring water. The brewery complex also houses the Sarajevo Brewery Museum, a unique institution preserving more than 150 years of brewing history through equipment, archives, and artifacts. The brewery is also remembered for its vital humanitarian role during the siege of Sarajevo, when it served as a crucial source of drinking water for the city’s residents, adding a profound symbolic dimension to its industrial heritage.Expand

This ćevapi variety is made in the city of Travnik in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The ćevapi are made with a combination of beef, veal, and lamb, with the addition of salt, pepper, and a bit of baking soda. When grilled, the meat is often brushed with a clear broth that was prepared with beef bones and mutton. The bread, locally called pitica, is dipped in the broth, then grilled for a short time. Once grilled, the ćevapi are placed into the pitica, and they are then topped with chopped onions. It is recommended to serve this ćevapi variety with yogurt on the side.Expand

Modeled on the Swiss and French tradition of cheese production, livanjski sir was first produced in 1886, and it was initially made only with sheep’s milk. Later on, the production changed, and while many industrially produced types nowadays employ only cow’s milk, there are a few local, family-owned businesses which use a combination of sheep’s and cow’s milk. This hard cheese usually ripens from sixty up to eighty days, and preferably more. Depending on the aging, the final product ranges from pale to dark yellow, while its texture remains hard, yet elastic, with evenly distributed, medium-sized eyes. Because of its strong flavors and pleasant, nutty aromas, the cheese is best enjoyed as an appetizer, usually paired with smoked meat and robust Herzegovinian wine.Expand

Jabukovača is a traditional Bosnian apple pie originating from the city of Sarajevo. It is made just like baklava, with the addition of chopped apples. The thin dough is spread with a combination of chopped apples, sugar, vanilla sugar, walnuts, and lemon juice. It is then rolled and arranged in the baking tray. When served, jabukovača is usually cut into slices and doused in sherbet – a combination of sugar, honey, and lemon juice.Expand

Pura s lučinicom is a traditional Herzegovinian dish made with corn flour that has been milled on a water mill. After it has been combined with water and cooked, it is drizzled over with a combination of homemade sour milk, butter, and garlic. Light, yet flavorful, this dish can be consumed throughout the day, either for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It is a staple of Herzegovinian cuisine, and has reared many generations of people in the area, symbolizing the tradition of ancestors' lives in the region.Expand

Known as travnički and vlašićki, this traditional Bosnian cheese is prepared with raw ewe’s milk and natural calf rennet. When strained, the cheese is cut into blocks that are salted and placed into wooden barrels, where they are left to ripen in brine. The cheese is seasonally produced in the Vlašić Mountain from the autochthonous breed Pramenka. It is characterized by its white color, firm but soft texture, and small holes that appear in the cross-section. Because of its lightly salty flavor, it is a common accompaniment to various main courses, but it is best paired with bread, smoked meat, and traditional plum brandy.Expand

Tagarica is a traditional meat stew or casserole that is slow-cooked in a clay or metal pot called a tagar. The dish typically includes beef or veal, potatoes, and a variety of vegetables such as onions, carrots, tomato, and peppers, seasoned with garlic, salt, pepper, and other spices. The stew is first cooked on the stove, then baked in the oven. The clay pot, which must be soaked in water before baking, helps create a slow, even cooking process and releases water as it cooks, allowing the flavors to meld while ensuring the meat becomes tender, the vegetables absorb the rich broth, and the dish is imparted with a unique flavor.Expand

Sarajevska čorba is a traditional Bosnian soup originating from Sarajevo. The soup is usually made with a combination of veal, okra, butter, cream, carrots, parsley, onions, flour, egg yolks, lemon, salt, and pepper. The meat is cut into cubes and sautéed in butter with chopped vegetables. Flour is added to the pan and the mixture is placed into a pot and covered with water. Okra, salt, and pepper are added to the pot and the soup is simmered for a while. Near the end of cooking, a mixture of egg yolks and cream is mixed into the soup and it's then removed from the heat. Sarajevska čorba is garnished with parsley and served with lemon wedges on the side.Expand

Kiseljačka pogača is a type of leavened flatbread that hails from Kiseljak, a small town known for its carbonated natural mineral water. The bread is made with flour, chilled carbonated water, salt, and yeast. When mixed, the dough is rolled into palm-sized discs that are then baked in wood-fired ovens at high temperatures. Each bread is cut in half and coated with a generous amount of kajmak—creamy clotted cream spread. These flatbreads are sold at bakeries and specialized stalls. They are best enjoyed freshly baked. As the dish has become an important part of local culture, there is an initiative to protect it and register it on the UNESCO's Lists of Intangible Cultural Heritage.Expand

Visočka pečenica is a dried beef product which has been produced for a few decades in the town of Visoko in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The meat product is made from high quality parts of beef which are seasoned with salt, cold-smoked, and dried. The parts of beef used for this product include haunch, back with the lumbar part, flank, and shoulder. Visočka pečenica is traditionally served thinly sliced, and it’s usually paired with local cheese and freshly baked bread.Expand

This traditional Herzegovinian meal is made with delicious, oily fritters that are drizzled with homemade sour milk combined with butter and garlic. The fritters are made according to an old Herzegovinian recipe utilizing flour, eggs, milk, and salt. This dish is a key part of Herzegovinian cuisine, the one that has reared many generations, and it is a symbol of the ancestors' tradition. Nowadays, it is a top-tier delicacy across Herzegovina.Expand