In Sarajevo aščinice, traditional Bosnian dishes are served, known as ‘small dishes with a spoon’. These places offer stuffed peppers, shish kebab, small kebab, hadžijski ćevap, stuffed cabbage, japrak, sogan-dolma, duck, tripice or škembići (meals that are made from the stomachs of various animals), soups, veal and lamb served in various ways and klepe, and for desert there is kadajf and hurmašice.
One of the most well-known Sarajevo aščinice is ‘Stari Grad’, which has been open for around 20 years.
‘’This is a small family business, and everything started with our mother Senija, who taught us to cook’’, said to Fena the owner of this aščinica Mujo Vrabac.
He says that the same people come here every day to ‘eat something with a spoon, and then carry on with their jobs’.
‘’Foreigners come here and they mostly order Sarajevo sahan. This is ‘aščinica in small’, various vegetables stuffed with minced meat, rice and spices. Many want to try duck, since they heard that it is tasty, and when we say that it is meat from the cheek and leg, they immediately give up’’, explained Vrabac.
Meals at aščinice are cooked in the morning, and they stay open until they have no more customers.
In Sarajevo, aščinice began to open at the end of the 15th century and beginning of 16th century, and are located mainly in the old part of B&H cities. A large number of aščinices in Sarajevo today are closed.
(Source: Fena)
