North Macedonia food & drink

Slow food revolution

Ajvar production is a slow process that harks back to days when food wasn't mass produced and canned in factories. North Macedonia was one of the poorest regions in the former republic of Yugoslavia. They had to make do with food based around the most available ingredients like seasonal vegetables, flour, wheat and corn. This is why you'll find lots of pies (zelnik) and flaky filo pastries. Everything goes into their pies: feta cheese, meat (usually sheep), pumpkins, spinach, leek, cabbage.

Forget about fast food – home cooking invites a slower and more interactive pace. Try it for yourself and you'll understand what goes into a recipe and why some meals hold much more importance than others. Conversations spark in locally-owned guesthouse kitchens much more readily than a huge hotel's dining hall. There's no better way to unlock a country's secrets than helping out at mealtimes.

As Goran explains, “Over the years we have supported many small projects at local level. For instance, we always take tour groups to visit a man in the village of Kratovo to learn about local history, homemade cooking and the production of their local products, like special herbal salt. He is always unbelievably enthusiastic and happy to receive new people into his home. Since we first started visiting him he has bought an old house in the village and turned it into homestay accommodation where he can continue to receive guests and teach them how to cook.”

By getting out of the cities and into the countryside you'll find food that's made the old fashioned way. It not only tastes better than anything you can get out of a packet, but traditional recipes are burned into the nation's psyche just as prominently as Christianity, socialism and border disputes with Greece. Pickling (turšija) sustains an all-year-round larder with everything from cauliflowers and cucumbers to bell peppers, onions and cabbage finding its way into tightly sealed jars.