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Nestled in Southeast Europe, you will find the Republic of Macedonia, a charming country that has plenty to offer. But today, we’ll specifically be taking a look at its cuisine, which offers a unique glimpse into its history.

This is often an underrepresented culinary experience that may be hard to find, depending on where you live. So, if you want to learn more about it - make sure to keep reading below.

The Importance of Exploring Diverse Cuisines

There are 195 recognized countries in the world, each of them home to delightful dishes. Alas, we tend to mainly focus on countries like Italy and Japan when it comes to cuisines.

This leaves a lot of the culinary world unexplored, with many countries being completely forgotten about. And it is quite unfortunate when this happens, as food has a way of connecting people.

After all, food has the ability to allow you to experience a country’s history through its flavors. For instance, Australia has a surprising number of dishes that are based on European techniques but with Asian flavors due to waves of immigration post-WWII.

Plus, by going to explore the cuisine of such countries, you get to enjoy not only new flavor profiles but also new experiences - if you’ve ever been to anything like a wildlife cafe, you will know what we mean here! Let’s use the Land Down Under as an example again. Here, locals and tourists can benefit from visiting a wildlife cafe and seeing all the amazing creatures that live here. For example, you might learn about hummingbirds while sharing jam scones with them - an experience you’ll never forget.

Some great places that you might not have heard of but would certainly appreciate are the Barking Gecko Cafe and Hamilton Island Wildlife Cafe. From munching on a meat pie to enjoying the company of a koala, this can only be experienced when you get out of your culinary comfort zone.

Moreover, sometimes a meal can spark a scintillating conversation with the people you’re dining with. Bonding over food can be a delicious way to forge stronger relationships with loved ones.

Lastly, trying new cuisines could potentially inspire you to whip something up in your own kitchen. Whether it is a fusion dish or simply a new technique - experimentation when it comes to food is a tasty creative pursuit.

Top Macedonian Dishes You Can Easily Replicate

Macedonian dishes offer a complex flavor but this doesn’t mean that they’re hard to try out at home. In fact, as you’ll notice by the options below, most of them favor simplicity over difficult techniques.

We’ll begin this list off with the national dish of Macedonia, Tavche Gravche. This bean stew contains a hearty mix of butter beans and vegetables in a paprika-based sauce.

Then, we have sarma, which is a cabbage roll stuffed with minced meat, rice, a variety of spices, and optionally bacon. It’s typically slowly simmered in its own juices that are released while cooking, adding another layer of deliciousness.

Kebapchinja is another popular meat-based dish, where a mix of meats like beef and lamb are shaped into an elongated cylindrical form. It’s best enjoyed grilled on a barbecue and served with some fresh onions and bukovska pepper, along with sirene cheese, which can be swapped for feta.

For something a bit lighter, you could try making a shopska salad. It’s comprised of chopped cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, and cheese, with a simple oil-based dressing.

A great Macedonian side dish you could try to make is makalo. There are different variants of this dip, but its main ingredient is garlic blended with oil and salt, with optional ingredients like peppers.

To end this on a sweet note, you should try out slatko, which pairs perfectly with palačinki, a thin crepe that can be eaten sweet or savory. Slatko is a fruit or rose petal preserve, with the most popular version in Macedonia being one made with wild figs.

Influences on Macedonian Cuisine

Due to its climate, a wide variety of produce has always been readily available to its inhabitants. Plus, thanks to its location and history, it has been heavily impacted by a plethora of cultures and nations, adding to its culinary diversity. 

For instance, Macedonia has a big coffee culture, akin to that of Turkey. This can easily be attributed to the fact that the country was part of the Ottoman Empire for over 500 years until 1913.

Then most of Macedonia was annexed by Serbia, with some other parts taken over by Greece and Bulgaria. The influence of all these countries' cuisines can be seen in how they share a love for wrapped meats in vegetable leaves, similar variants of meat sticks, and a liberal use of olive oil.

You can also see a major Slavic influence, with shared versions of fermented cabbage leaves, which are called kisela zelka in North Macedonia. Another thing you’ll notice is how popular drinks like kompot are throughout the country.

Conclusion

While Macedonian dishes may not be as popular as those found in its neighboring countries, it doesn’t make them any less spectacular. So, if you’ve been trying to expand your culinary horizons - perhaps it may be time to try out this country’s meals.