Bosnian Cook

Bosnia's cuisine with its special dishes satisfying to even the most exacting palate, concocted with as much inventiveness as the stories of the Arabian Nights . Bosnia is a gastronomic country in the highest sense of the word.


How to make Bosnian coffee

Kahva is coffee in Bosnian language. Word kahva coming from Arabic word qahwa. Coffee is the beverage of all classes, and always a taken without milk and sugar.

A dark roast of coffee, preferably freshly roasted, should be used. The beans are placed in a cylindrical brass coffee mill (mlin) and ground to a fine powder. Muscular non-Bosnian males will be astounded by the effort required and the aplomb with which Bosnian females grind up the required amount. Usually, one ordinary mlin filled to capacity will provide enough coffee for one standard coffee-pot and will serve 4-6 persons. When the coffee is ground, or while it is being ground, fill a standard coffee pot with water on fire.

Džezva or jezva  is made of copper, in the shape of a truncated cone with flaring lip and a long brass handle. The standard one is about 9 cm high, 8 cm in diameter at the base, and holds about 225 ml.

In put džezva two teaspoons of coffee and  stir as long as smells. Pour off enough very hot water from pot. Place the džezva back on the fire and allow to come to a boil, removing quickly to prevent the froth from overflowing. Repeat this twice more.

The grounds may be settled by pouring in the cup a few drops of cold water that has been kept aside, but this must be done so as not to disturb the froth (pjena) on the coffee. When in doubt, do not pour in the cold water but wait for the grounds to settle; do not, however, wait too long or the pjena will disappear. Pour a little pjena in each fildzan. Then pour the coffee out into fildžani, floating the pjena. Before drinking coffee, drink one glass of water.

Kahvedžija –  one who enjoys in coffee.

Kahvenisati – a Bosnian form of Turkish term verb „to drink coffee“

Kahvenjaci – a Bosnian word form of Turkish term for coffee dishes.



džezva or jezva
Bosnian Cook
<< 01/2013 >>

Typical Dishes

Most Bosnian specialties are of Turkish and Iranian origin and so exclude pork.
*Meat and vegetable dishes: casserole of ground beef and potato or eggplant (musaka); layered meat and vegetables (Bosanski lonac); lamb stewed with spinach and onions.
*Turkish-style pastry (burek) filled with potato (krompiruša), spinach (zeljanica) or cheese (sirnica).
*Soups: bean; chicken, or veal with okra (Begova čorba).
*Vegetables stuffed with meat and rice: pepper or zucchini (dolma); stuffed grape or cabbage leaves (sarma), piryan, etc.

*Side dishes of pickled cabbage; simple salad of tomato and onion. Yogurt often comes with meals.
*Desserts: fruit; rolled pancakes with sweet cream cheese filling; apple pie (pita sa jabukama) or other fruit-based cakes; nut and honey pastry (baklava, đul fatma).
*Drinks: fruit juices (including juniper berries rose petals, elderflower); strong sweet coffee; yogurt drink; bottled fizzy drinks; local wine and millet beer (boza); homemade brand (rakija) of plum, cherry, apple or pear.

*Staples: wheat bread, cornmeal, noodles, rice.
*Potato, peppers, tomato, cucumber, beans and other pulses.
*Grape, plum, apricot, pear, apple.
*Mutton, lamb (preferred), beef, chicken, ducks, eggs, dairy products, sausages, preserved meats.
*Fish/seafood from the Adriatic: shrimp, shellfish, octopus.
*Seasonings: garlic, onion, paprika, pepper.

Styles of Eating
• Most people eat three meals a day, lunchtime being the most substantial, usually consisting of two or three courses.
• Breakfast: bread with jam or honey, soft white cheese; hot tea, coffee, or milk to drink.
• Lunch: soup, meat or fish main dish, rice or potatoes or cornmeal mush, braised vegetables, fresh vegetable salad (summer) or pickled cabbage (winter), dessert.
• Supper: very light: leftovers from lunch or bread or potatoes or cornmeal mush, soft white cheese and/or could cuts.
• Snacks are eaten at any time of the day. Cakes and savory pastries (burek) are both popular, most often washed down by thick, black, sweet coffee.
• People tend to eat out often, and cafes are a major socializing place, particularly for men.


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