A disproportionate amount of my childhood TV time was spent on Food Network. Alton Brown's Good Eats greeted me after school, Rachel Ray was the pre-dinner background noise, and if I was really good that day, I got to stay up a bit later and watch Iron Chef until a then scandalous 10pm. As I've grown, I watch very little TV now but those Food Network days have stuck with me. Perhaps this is why I thoroughly enjoy learning about a country's traditional cuisine. Not only is it a chance to try something new, but I believe it can reveal quite a bit about a country's character and culture without saying a word.
For example, if many dishes feature plants and grains instead of meat, the culture is probably more stationary and involved in significant agriculture. Conversely, meals that often incorporate meat suggests a more nomadic lifestyle or an area not particularly arable. The Balkans fall into this second category with a cuisine filled with meats and dairy products such as milk and cream.
Meat Dishes
Meat features prominently in Balkans cuisine with lamb and beef featuring in more continental areas and seafood showing up in parts of costal Croatia. One prevalent dish is meat on a spit (or pečenje na ražnju in Serbian) which is typically lamb and is sold by the kilo. Bosanski lonac, a Bosnian meat and vegetable stew, arambašić (cabbage rolls filled with mutton) from Croatia, and trout stew from Herzegovina round out a severely truncated list of meat dishes that the Balkans have to offer. Many of these dishes take a long time to cook and were left in pots secured within the fireplace while the family worked during the day. The fact that lamb and fish feature in many dishes indicates that cattle populations were either not present or more valuable for their milk than meat.
Seasonings and Vegetables
With such a starch and protein heavy diet, spices would be well received as a way to liven up rather bland dishes. Interestingly enough, spices are used sparingly despite the area being located in the middle of the Silk Road and its spice trade. The figure below shows the overland routes in red and the shipping routes in blue. During the rule of the Ottoman Empire, these overland routes to Europe were blocked, forcing traders to move to overseas routes. This caused much trade to bypass the Balkans, limiting their access to the East.
Most flavor is incorporated through vegetables such as garlic and onions but some spices did make it to the Balkans with paprika, pepper,parsley, bay leaf and celery as the most popular spices. Other vegetables feature in Balkans dishes such as tomatoes, potatoes, squash, and carrots. Bread is also a standard part of the meal. This appears to be more true for Serbia than Croatia due to the geographic differences of the two nations, but pita, polenta, and other starches definitely make an appearance across the map.
Some of the similarities across Croatian, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Serbia come from the shared influence of many countries. Hungarian and Turkish influences are strongest but Italy has influenced Slovenia and Croatia's food due to its close proximity while Greece has impacted Serbia in a similar manner. It is worth nothing the similarities in cuisine since it indicates cultural exchange. This can be seen in the strong Turkish culinary influences, which would be expected from the prolonged presence of the Ottoman Empire in the Balkans region.
Beverages
As perhaps expected given the heavy Turkish influence, coffee is a popular choice of drink. In fact, when visiting neighbors or friends this is almost a ritual requirement. Coffee is typically served black with either rahat lokum (Turkish Delight) or a cube of sugar. For those of age, brandies (rakija) is a popular spirit that comes in many flavors as well as wine (vino). Be warned - European alcohols typically have a higher %ABV than those in America; brandies can be 40% ABV for example. It should also be mentioned that the water is of high quality and will likely not pose a gastrointestinal problem for travelers.
The variety of Balkans cuisine is at once inspiring yet unsurprising. Every ruling power has influenced the country and while some of the physical impacts may have faded or never even been displayed, they remain represented in the food of the region. The meat emphasis suggests large scale agriculture is difficult and that most meat was hunted or culled from large herds. The presence of basic spices suggests limited contact with the Silk road which would have connected the area economically to Europe and Asia while heavy Turkish and Hungarian culinary influences indicates strong political and/or cultural influences from these areas over a long period of time. Similarly, Croatia's definite Italian culinary influences shows a tighter bond with Italy whereas Serbia's Greek influences (manifested in the prevalence of baklava for example) suggests a different set of exposures. It will be fascinating to try some of these dishes and to continue learning how the Balkans' cuisine developed and how cultural and political events influenced this development.
Resources
http://croatia.hr/en-GB/Discover-Croatia/Gastronomy-and-enology/Cluster/Dalmatia-Split?ZHNcNCxwXDE3Mg%3d%3d
http://www.serbia.travel/about-serbia/typically-serbian/food/
http://www.visiteurope.com/Discover/Where-To-Go/Balkans/Cuisine-Balkan-Peninsula
http://www.visitmycountry.net/bosnia_herzegovina/en/index.php/eating-drinking
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