What A Typical Breakfast Looks Like In Serbia

If you've never been to Serbia, a landlocked Balkan country, you might be interested in learning some interesting facts about it. Despite the current geopolitical situation, which doesn't quite make the country a top tourist destination, Serbia has many things to offer. For example, along the rivers, there are impressive fortresses and castles. In the cities, you can enjoy sitting in a "kafana," which is something like a casual café or a pub where people drink and eat food and enjoy each other's company (via Serbia.com). 

Tourists can also visit Niš, which is one of the oldest European cities, boasting its hot springs and local craft beer. And Serbia is heaven for smokers — don't be surprised to find out that you can (cough, cough) smoke indoors in most restaurants (via Hey Explorer). 

In restaurants, you can indulge in traditional Serbian food, such as prebranac, a bean stew with sausages like ćevapi, tiny grilled sausages made from ground meat, or Karađorđeva šnicla, consisting of pork or beef that's filled with kajmak (similar to clotted cream), rolled, breaded, and deep-fried (per In Your Pocket). And if you spend a rough night at one of the infamous party rafts in Belgrade, when you wake up the following morning, you'd be surprised by the variety of delicious Serbian breakfast foods.

Still In Belgrade reports that a Serbian breakfast is usually a hearty affair. It all starts with a cup of strong Turkish coffee or espresso. After that critical ritual, everyone is ready to eat breakfast. Eggs are a staple in Serbia, just like in most other countries, whether fried, scrambled, soft-boiled, or hard-boiled. In Serbian bakeries, you can enjoy various pastries and pies that are filled with ground meat, cheese, or potatoes.

A common breakfast option of Serbian students is called komplet lepinja, meaning a complete flatbread, consisting of a flatbread that's split down the middle and stuffed with kajmak and eggs before it's baked in a hot oven. We're already salivating at the thought. At home, people often take a slice of bread and spread it with ajvar, a creamy concoction of roasted red peppers and spices. Most Serbian families make their own ajvar spread, and it's one of the best things you can try in the country (via Nomads Unveiled). 

And in the countryside, you can try proja, a humble and traditional mixture of corn flour, fat, water, and salt that's baked in the oven and eaten with cheese or cream on the side (per Mircic 91). If you want to taste a typical Serbian breakfast, you can easily make proja in your own kitchen, so why not give it a go?