Sarajevo kebab, in addition to the fact that every kebab shop has its own hidden secret in the recipe, is essentially made from beef and salt. There is no breadcrumbs or any other spicy spices.
If you’ve been to Sarajevo and haven’t eaten kebabs, it’s as if you hadn’t even been, that’s how people describe the importance of this dish both in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as in the region, and even in those distant countries, wherever there is a Balkan person who is well acquainted with by this “tradition”.
There are frequent polemics as to which is better – Sarajevo, Travnik, Banja Luka, and Tuzla is among them, but this one from the capital, or even better from Baščaršija, is likely to soon receive a designation of geographical origin. Registration activities were initiated by the Association of Sarajevo Kebabdžijas (persons who prepares kebab), and are carried out with the support of the City of Sarajevo.
The director of the Food Safety Agency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Džemil Hajrić, held a meeting with Benjamina Karić, the mayor of Sarajevo, during which they discussed the process of registration of the designation of geographical origin.
The procedure is initiated by a request submitted to the Agency, and after registration of the mark at the level of Bosnia and Herzegovina, there is a possibility of registration in the European Union as well. Food products that carry one of the registered marks on the market belong to those in the higher price category. The label enables the product to become more recognizable and contributes to the prevention of unauthorized use of the name.
“Sarajevo kebab” is one of the most important and famous specialties. It represents an indispensable part of the local cuisine and tourist offer. In 2021, “Taste Atlas” ranked “Sarajevo Kebabs” in tenth place among the top 100 best dishes in the world.
Sarajevo kebab, in addition to the fact that every kebab shop has its own hidden secret in the recipe, is essentially made from beef (in the past 25% lamb meat was also used) and salt. There is no breadcrumbs or any other spicy spices.
Meat from the front part of the animal’s carcass is used: breast, neck, shoulders and shoulder blades, which is cut into large pieces and left in the refrigerator to stand, after which it is stuffed and left to stand again, and only then are shaped pieces of meat made lengthwise of 5 cm. The three most important stages in the production process are: selection of meat and method of preparation of meat mass, heat treatment on the grill and way of serving.
In Sarajevo, portions of 5 and 10 kebabs are usually served in a flatbread soaked in water and a glass of cold milk or yogurt.
How did they get to BiH?
Ćevapi in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as in the entire Balkan region, originate from the period of the Ottoman Empire, which during the Middle Ages developed into a specialty of the entire Southeastern Europe. There is evidence that this dish was present in the Balkans as early as Antiquity. In ancient Greece, a similar dish was consumed in the 8th century BC. The obelisk-shaped dish is mentioned in the Iliad and the Odyssey, as well as in the works of ancient Greek philosophers.
The word kebab originates from the word kebab, which has several synonyms depending on the region it belongs to (kebap, kebob, kebhav, qabab…). It is not by chance that it is said that “kebabs came first and then the animals from which they are made”, writes Agroklub.
