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Burek consists of layers of phyllo dough stuffed with various savory fillings. Despite its Turkish origins, this dish has evolved into a proud gem of Bosnian national cuisine. Although most locals claim that only burek with ground beef can be called burek, the same dish also appears with other fillings, and these other varieties are known by different names: sirnica (cottage cheese), zeljanica (spinach), and krompiruša (potatoes).
Burek is baked rolled into a snail-like shape and this type is typically found in bakeries, while traditional restaurants often make it in the form of a pie, which is sliced into quarters before serving. The dish is wildly popular all across the Balkans, though in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the cultural significance of this everyday staple is incomparable and best summed up in a number of local proverbs suggesting that if a woman can make a good burek, she's eligible for marriage.
OTHER VARIATIONS OF Börek
MOST ICONIC Burek
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One of the staples of traditional Turkish cuisine, sarma consists of a filling that is snugly surrounded by leaves or leafy vegetables. There are numerous versions of this dish but the mixture typically combines ingredients such as minced meat, rice or bulgur, various herbs, seasonings, red pepper, paprika, ground sumac, or tomato sauce, while the typical wrapping usually includes vine, cabbage, or sauerkraut leaves, or a variety of leafy vegetables such as collard greens and swiss chard.
Having its roots in the Ottoman Empire, sarma is also traditionally consumed in the Balkans, the countries of Central Europe, the South Caucasus, and the Middle East. Although it is commonly enjoyed as a filling lunch or dinner (typically during the winter season), sarma is often prepared on special occasions and holidays.
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Sirnica is a savory Bosnian pie consisting of phyllo dough that is filled with a combination of fresh cow cheese, sour cream, and eggs. Thin sheets of dough, locally known as jufka, are spread with the cheese mixture and the whole pie is traditionally rolled into a spiral.
Before serving, sirnica is occasionally sprinkled with water, oil, or milk. Although it can be enjoyed on its own, this savory pie is often accompanied by yogurt or sour cream.
Suho meso is a Bosnian specialty made by salting, drying, and smoking beef over oak fire. The meat should not be too dry, and it takes a special set of skills and knowledge to make the dish properly. Since it takes special expertise to prepare suho meso, the methods are typically passed down from one generation to another.
The meat is traditionally seasoned with garlic or pepper. Suho meso is so popular that it is a staple at most Bosnian feasts and celebrations.
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This unique variety of ćevapi hails from the city of Sarajevo, hence the name sarajevski ćevapi. There are variable accounts regarding the usage of meat for these tasty meat rolls – purists make them exclusively with ground beef, salt, and pepper, while others use a combination of ground beef and mutton.
In recent years, sarajevski ćevapi are typically made only with ground beef and salt in order for the meat flavor to be as clear as possible. Once prepared, ćevapi should be refrigerated for 48 hours. They are then grilled, and traditionally served in a round-shaped, (sometimes) beef stock-dipped bread called somun, accompanied by raw onions on the side.
OTHER VARIATIONS OF Ćevapi
MOST ICONIC Sarajevski ćevapi
View moreModeled 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.
Pair with
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This variety of traditional Bosnian pastry (pita) employs potatoes as the star ingredient. The pastry is prepared with thin sheets of phyllo dough, known as jufke, and a filling that combines diced potatoes, seasonings, and (optionally) grated onions.
The rolled dough is shaped into a coil, and the whole pastry is occasionally coated with sour cream or sprinkled with water, oil, or milk. Krumpiruša is traditionally shaped into a large, round pie-like pastry, and it is best served freshly prepared with yogurt, sour cream, or sour milk on the side.
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Lepinja is a yeast-raised, spongy flatbread that's popular all over the Balkans and similar to pide or pitta. It's usually made with a combination of flour, water, salt, and yeast. Once the dough has been prepared, it's baked in the oven at high temperatures.
The flatbread is mostly used as a vessel for ćevapi – small minced meat sausages that have a cult following in the Balkans. When compared to its cousin, somun, lepinja is slightly tougher and not as aromatic as somun. The somun also has greater melt-in-the-mouth properties than a regular lepinja.
OTHER VARIATIONS OF Pita bread
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Kljukuša is a traditional Bosnian dish dating back to the Ottoman Empire. In its basic form, this pie-like dish is made merely with flour, salt, and water, while the filling consists of grated potatoes and eggs, and sometimes also garlic, sour cream, or milk.
The mixture is traditionally baked in round pans, and should not be too thick. When baked, kljukuša is either cut into slices or torn by hands into bite-sized pieces (ćopana or istrgana kljukuša) that are then coated in various combinations of fat, butter, sour or clotted cream, cheese, or milk.
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Kvrguša is a traditional Bosnian specialty consisting of a layer of dough and chicken pieces. The dish is mainly associated with Bosanska Krajina and Kozarac, but it is also commonly prepared and enjoyed in other regions. The base of kvrguša is prepared with a combination of flour, eggs, and milk, and it closely resembles another Bosnian delicacy called kljukuša—a pie-like dish served torn into small bite-size pieces.
The combination of flour and milk is poured into round pans, and the dish is finished off with the addition of various raw or previously fried chicken cuts, such as thighs and legs, which are placed on the top. The pie is slowly baked until the meat is done and the dough develops a golden, crispy crust.
TasteAtlas food rankings are based on the ratings of the TasteAtlas audience, with a series of mechanisms that recognize real users and that ignore bot, nationalist or local patriotic ratings, and give additional value to the ratings of users that the system recognizes as knowledgeable. For the “Top 72 Bosnian and Herzegovinian Foods” list until January 31, 2025, 4,473 ratings were recorded, of which 2,050 were recognized by the system as legitimate. TasteAtlas Rankings should not be seen as the final global conclusion about food. Their purpose is to promote excellent local foods, instill pride in traditional dishes, and arouse curiosity about dishes you haven’t tried.