Must-try Local Bosnian Food

Wondering what to eat in Bosnia and Herzegovina? Below is a list of the must-try local Bosnian food when traveling in Bosnia and Herzegovina!

popular food in bosnia
Must-try local Bosnian food

Bosnian food is rich, delicious, and surprisingly inexpensive. Its traditional cuisines are highly influenced by Turkey and the Mediterranean, which is easily noticeable through its grilled meats. Bosnian dishes are generally prepared using many different spices in moderate amounts, and are usually light as they are cooked in a lot of water. Many of its soupy dishes consist of vegetables such as potatoes, tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, and courgette, and are doused with rich, local dairy products such as kajmak and pavlaka.

Must-try Local Bosnian Food



Ćevapis are grilled skinless sausages made out of minced meat which are traditionally found in countries located in southeastern Europe. Considered as the national dish of Bosnia and Herzegovina, it comes in variants of beef, lamb, and pork, and is highly similar to the Turkish şiş köfte. Ćevapis are usually served with a flatbread known as somun, accompanied with roughly chopped onions, kajmak, and sour cream.

what to eat in bosnia
Bosnian Ćevapi with onions and kajmak in a somun

Janjetina na ražnju

Janjetina or “lamb on a spit” is a very tasty treat where whole lambs are cooked on a spit, slowly rotated over open fire for a few hours. Meat is sold by the kilogram.

lamb on a spit
Janjetina na ražnju in Bosnia

Stuffed vegetables

Stuffed vegetables are very popular in the Balkans. Examples are Filana Paprika (bell peppers stuffed with minced meat), Sogan-dolma (onions stuffed with minced meat), Sarma (meat and rice rolled in pickled cabbage leaves), Raštika (meat and rice rolled in kale leaves), and Japrak (grape leaves stuffed with meat and rice).

best dishes in bosnia
A combo platter of Filana Paprika, Japrak, and potatoes

cheap food in bosnia
Bell pepper stuffed with seasoned minced meat and rice

local traditional bosnian cuisine
Sogan-dolma, or stuffed onions, is considered a specialty in the city of Mostar

Begova Čorba

Begova Čorba, or Bey's soup, is a Bosnian stew dish originated from the Ottoman empire. It stands out among other soups because of two very important ingredients: okra and flour. The thick stew is cooked slowly on low heat, and is usually served with sour cream.

cheap food in bosnia
Begova Čorba, a traditional Bosnian soup dish


Ćuftes are meatballs made from seasoned minced lamb or beef bound with egg and flour. They are usually served with an egg and yogurt sauce.

what to eat in bosnia
Ćufte, or Bosnian meatballs as shown on the right side of the picture

Klepe sa Mesom

Klepe sa mesom or minced meat dumplings is my absolute favorite dish in the whole of Balkan, which resembles the Turkish mantis and the Italian raviolis.

minced meat dumplings
Klepe sa Mesom in Bosnia

Assorted Grilled Meats

Aside from Ćevapi, Bosnia and Herzegovina is also famous for other types of grilled meats such as Pljeskavica (spiced meat patty mixture of pork, beef and lamb) and Sudžukice (long beef sausages).

Pljeskavica (top) and Sudžukice (bottom) served with warm, crispy bread

Bosanska Kahva

Although similar in taste and consistency, the Bosnian coffee is prepared slightly differently from its Turkish counterpart. Besides that, Turkish coffee is usually served in a single cup, while the other is served in a džezva on a round iron tray along with a ceramic cup, a glass of water, sugar cubes, and rahat lokum, a type of Bosnian candy.

bosnian coffee
Bosanska Kahva is served on an iron tray with a glass of water, sugar cubes and rahat lokum

best dishes in bosnia
Bosnian coffee


Salep is a silky, rich and frothy drink made from a type of nutritious flour extracted from the tubers of the orchid genus Orchis. It is widely consumed in regions that were formerly part of the Ottoman empire. The drink is perfumed with rosewater and garnished with cinnamon for that fragrant, velvety taste, and is served hot.

popular food in bosnia
Salep in Bosnia

The list of must-try local Bosnian food is long, but listed above are a few of the best. Highly similar to popular Turkish food and traditional Albanian cuisines, Bosnian dishes are delicious, rich, and will leave you craving for more!

For related travel articles, click here.



  1. I dint know that bosnian foods are that much rich and having so much varieties. All the mentioned dishes look so tempting. Now I really want to try bosnian cuisine.

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