Montenegro Food

Montenegro has a rich and diverse culinary tradition. One of the staple foods of the region is burek, a savory pastry found in bakeries throughout the Balkans. Another specialty is sarma, a gourmet dish often served on special occasions. Homemade cheese is also popular in Montenegro, with some cheeses being famous all over Europe. Fresh salads with flavorful tomatoes are abundant, while prosciutto from Njegusi is considered one of Montenegro’s most famous foods.

Two traditional products – Crnogorska Goveđa pršuta (Montenegrin dried beef meat) and Crnogorska Stelja (Montenegrin dried and smoked sheep meat)— have received national Geographical Indication status.

Fish

Carp (krap or šaran) is a freshwater fish endemic to Skadar Lake in southern Montenegro. Smoking, grilling, and baking are popular ways of preparing carp. Smoked carp is served as an appetizer and main course with various side dishes and salads. It’s cooked on the grill with dried plums, apples, and quinces. Carp is typically baked with onions.

Trout is popular in north and central Montenegro. The traditional preparation method involves marinating the trout in oil and lemon juice, frying it in vegetable oil, and dressing it with sour milk, finely chopped garlic, pepper, parsley, and salt.

Eel is a popular dish typically baked with rice and dried plums.

Ukljeva is a species of bleak, a small freshwater fish that lives in large schools and is endemic to Skadar Lake in southern Montenegro. It’s not cleaned but fried fresh or smoke-dried.

Meat

Njeguški pršut aka Njeguška pršuta is dry-cured ham from the local black pig in the small village of Njeguši. The curing process involves salting the meat and allowing it to air dry for several months resulting in a tender texture with a distinct flavor that is savory and sweet. It’s often served thinly sliced as an appetizer or as part of a charcuterie board.

Njeguška kobasica (sausage from Njeguši) has a unique and robust taste. The sausage is made from pork and hard-back bacon seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic, and pepper. It’s typically cured for a month before eating.

Košet is dried sheep leg. It has a strong smell and is usually served warm or as cold cuts.

Kastradina is dried mutton. It’s usually cooked with white cabbage.

Dried beef is often served as an appetizer with cheeses or cooked with sour cabbage.

Lamb is popular in the north and other inland parts of the country.

Kid is meat from a young goat. Slow-cooked kid with potatoes is a specialty.

Cheese

Pljevaljski sir is a white brine, semi-hard to soft, ripened cheese made from raw cow’s milk. The sliced cheese is salted, placed in specially designed wooden barrels, and immersed in brine to mature. After 15 days, it’s ready for consumption.

Njeguški sir is a traditional cheese made from sheep’s milk. The cheese is aged for several months in a cold and airy space allowing it to develop a rich and tangy taste.

Kolašinski lisnati sir (leafy cheese) is from Kolašin in the Central North region of Montenegro. The curd, made with skimmed and whole milk, is drained, pressed, turned, and folded multiple times to create layers. The result is a stretchy cheese that tears into shreds, consisting of numerous translucent sheets of cheese, with an intense milky-sour smell and taste. It is typically served as an appetizer, accompanied by cold cuts.

Meki kozji sir is soft goat cheese.

Prljo is a low-fat hard cheese made from skimmed milk. It’s placed in barrels or sheepskin to mature for two to four months. The cheese can be consumed by itself or paired with cold cuts and bread.

Skorup (aka Kajmak) is made from sheep’s milk, cow’s milk, and sometimes goat’s milk. After cooking the milk, the fat that separates is collected and put into a sheepskin sack.

This product has two types: a young version that is just 1 or 2 days old with a very soft structure and mild taste, and an older version that has matured for two months.

It’s served as a main course with potatoes or as an appetizer.

Other

The long tradition of olive cultivation in Montenegro has made olives and olive oil an essential part of the country’s life, culture, and tradition. Most of these olive trees belong to an indigenous Montenegrin species called Barska žutica that yields high-quality green olives characterized by a perfectly balanced, fruity, and piquant flavor with a fresh, grassy finish.

The olives are used as table olives paired with wine, cheese, and prosciutto, made into an olive spread, or pressed into high-quality olive oil and used to enhance a wide range of salads, seafood, or baked goods.

Gusinjski krompir is one of the highest-quality potatoes in Montenegro. Its flavor and quality come from the unique geographical location where its grown, the character of the soil, and the natural cultivating process, which is free from any pesticides or chemicals.

Numerous species of figs are grown in Montenegro. Dried figs are to be found in every Montenegrin household.

In northern Montenegro, the mountain slopes are covered with blueberries. For some, picking blueberries is seen as a form of recreation.

Cornelian cherries have small, sour red berries. They are rarely eaten fresh. Instead, they are pressed for their juice or made into jam.

There are dozens of species of bees in Montenegro, and honey is produced all over the country. You can find excellent honey on the coast, in the hinterland, and in the north of Montenegro. The most common types are meadow, linden, acacia, pine, and heather.

Cicvara is a thick, high-calorie dish made with full-fat cheese, kajmak, and corn flour. The cheese is cooked at a high temperature while constantly stirred. Once brought to a boil, the kajmak is added and stirred for around ten minutes, then the corn flour is added. It is typically served with herbs, bacon bits, sour cream, or honey.

aka Crnogorski kačamak aka Tučeni kačamak

Smočani kačamak is a porridge made from cooked potatoes and wheat or corn flour. It’s prepared by cooking potatoes with wheat or corn flour and then mashing the combination until it becomes thick and homogenous. The porridge is put in a bowl with kajmak and grated cheese. It’s usually served with yogurt or sour milk on the side.

Sarma is made from rolled cabbage leaves stuffed with minced meat and rice. Sarma is popular during the winter months and on special occasions. It has roots in Turkish cuisine, which influenced Montenegrin cuisine through Serbia.

Brav u Mlijeku is a lamb dish traditionally cooked in a bell-shaped cooking pot (or sac) over low coals. The lamb is braised in milk with root vegetables (like carrots and fennel), rosemary, garlic, parsley, and seasoning.

Pogača iz crepulje is bread cooked in the ashes of a fire.

Pašticada is stewed chunks of beef or game with vegetables and seasoning.

Riba na gradele is fish prepared on a barbecue. During grilling, it’s sprinkled with aromatic herbs, usually rosemary. It’s dressed with a mixture of garlic, parsley, and olive oil and served with vegetables and lettuce.

Riba lešo is fish boiled in water with oil, wine, wine vinegar, onion, bay leaf, and other spices. It’s served with boiled potatoes or chard.

Brodet is a stew prepared from several kinds of fish (dusky grouper, scorpion fish, moray eel, grey mullet, and cuttlefish). It’s served with polenta.

Buzara is a garlicky seafood dish (for example, prawns, shrimp, mussels, clams, octopus, or squid) which are gently cooked in either a red wine or white wine sauce. It is the perfect accompaniment to a summer evening with friends and family.

Crni Rižot is a black risotto that gets its color from squid or cuttlefish ink. The risotto is typically served with chunks of squid or shellfish.

Crnogorska pogača is a traditional yeastless bread made with flour, water, salt, and baking soda. The dough is placed on a greased baking dish, covered with the lid (then topped with ash and hot coals), and the bread is baked for about half an hour. Once done, the bread is sprinkled with cold water, wrapped into a kitchen cloth, then left to rest. It’s often eaten with cheese and cold cuts.

Kuvana krtola is made from potatoes, yogurt, fresh cheese, salt, and black pepper. The potatoes are baked (or sometimes boiled) until tender. They are peeled and cut into halves, then arranged on a plate. The yogurt is mixed with fresh cheese and seasonings and then spooned over the potato halves. This dish is served on its own or as an accompaniment to other dishes.

Čobanska krem supa od vrganja is a traditional soup made with porcini mushrooms, carrots, potatoes, celery, scallions, heavy cream, olive oil, salt, and black pepper. The onions, mushrooms, celery, potatoes, and carrots are sautéed in olive oil, seasoned with salt and pepper, then covered with boiling water and simmered over medium heat. Heavy cream is stirred into the soup a few minutes before the end of cooking, and the mixture is blended until smooth and served.

Čorba od koprive is a soup made with young top shoots of nettles, butter, salt, rice, potatoes, spring onions, and water. Some recipes added dried meat to give the soup more flavor.

Balšića tava is a traditional dish of boiled veal that is roasted in a pan and combined with a delicious sauce of eggs, milk, and sour cream. The veal is typically cooked with onions and carrots. After boiling, the dish is baked for about five minutes until it turns slightly golden. It’s usually served in bowls and garnished with parsley.

Carp is the most common lake fish served in Central Montenegro. It’s prepared in many ways, u tavi (in a frying pan), smoked, marinated, and “on a salad.”

Trout is typically fried or baked and often served with kajmak or sour milk.

Bleak, a small indigenous fish from Lake Skadar, that is fried fresh or after being smoked.

Eel “on rice” is a dish with a unique flavor.

Raštan has a rich history tracing back to ancient Greece. This dish is made with a local, slightly bitter, dark-green vegetable from the cabbage family. It’s cooked with white potatoes and a lot of spices. Often it is made into a stew with smoked pork ribs or ham hocks.

Cevapi are small sausage links made from pork, lamb, or chicken. The links are skewered and grilled with onions or peppers. They are typically served with warm flatbread and a selection of dips.

Burek is a flaky phyllo dough pastry filled with mincemeat or cheese and served in buttery spirals or golden wedges. Burek can also be stuffed with spinach, mushrooms, or potato.

Palačinke is a crepe filled with chocolate, jam, banana, or nuts.

Priganice are dough balls made with flour, water, oil, salt, yeast, and sugar. Yogurt or rakija is sometimes added to the dough so it doesn’t soak up as much oil when fried. Priganice can come in savory or sweet versions. They are a popular snack typically served with fresh cheese, honey, fruit jams, or sugar.

Baklava is a classic dessert that is enjoyed in Montenegro. This sweet treat is made by layering phyllo pastry with a mixture of chopped nuts, honey, and spices. While the origin of baklava is still debated among Greeks and Turks, Montenegrins simply enjoy its luscious taste. It’s usually served as a dessert after meals or with coffee. In Montenegro, baklava is made from walnuts and raisins soaked in honey which gives it a unique and delicious flavor.