Ajvar – the art of Serbian cuisine

Serbian cuisine is a delicious mix of Balkan and Mediterranean flavors. The country’s diverse landscape provides an abundance of fresh ingredients, which are used to create traditional dishes that are both hearty and healthy. Serbian cuisine has something to offer everyone, from comfort food to fine dining. So if you’re looking to add some new flavors to your culinary repertoire, look no further than Serbia! And the time is just that – ajvar season! The children are back to school, the storks are gone, the sun is a bit lower and the crisp morning air tells us it’s time to start creating the most sacred dish in Serbia. This dish will fill the pantries and be served at every possible gathering. Making the ajvar requires special abilities that only people in the Balkans have, for they are the only people who can fit a massive sack of fresh red paprika into a small jar. That is pure art.

What is ajvar?

Ajvar is a Serbian dish that is often referred to as a cuisine art.

Imagine the most exquisite pairing of aged red French wine and wonderful nutty goat cheese. Or fried cheese with cranberry sauce. Or the insanely pairing of prosciutto and cantaloupe. There are countless examples to list, but instead, now imagine this: sweet red paprika (the one that Serbs call Elephant ears) and smoke. This combination will come out as the winner in any food combat.

A sweet, creamy texture of smoky paprika on your pallet has no equal. Roasted on an open fire, peeled and ground up, mixed with equally luscious smoky eggplant, olive oil, garlic, and seasoned to taste to later be served as a side dish, spread or just to spoon out in secret after midnight, just like Nutella – yes, it’s that good!

Ajvar is one of Serbia’s trademark foods, and the nation is proud of it. Fall is the time when you can smell the delicious aroma of roasted paprika everywhere. You can smell it on the capital’s streets as the preparations start radiating from the villages toward the towns. Everyone and everywhere is buying paprika in huge sacks as no one will start this two-day process from only one jar of ajvar.

How is ajvar made?

The paprika for ajvar is roasted in many ways. Some roast them in contemporary ovens, in special shallow pans, and put on an open fire, others use the stovetop of the legendary Smederevac woodburning stove. As long as the skin comes off in the end, it doesn’t matter what you roast it on.

Depending on the region and customs, a certain amount of eggplant is also roasted and peeled, and cleaned at the same time. If you like spicy food, a simple toss of hot peppers onto the stovetop is always an option.

After the roasting process which can either be with or without smoke, one needs to cover it while they are still hot so they would get steamed for the next day. This helps the peeling process quite a bit. This is followed by the grinding or splitting to shreds by hand.

And again, depending on the region ajvar is made, different things are added to it: sugar, garlic, oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper. But one thing is common; ajvar has to simmer for hours on end for it to thicken.

So many variations of ajvar

Almost every country in the Balkans will claim it as their own. And even then, every region of every country will give its own spin on it. But, does it matter? Of course not! Ajvar is a delicacy however it’s made. Its creamy texture feels almost like a warm hug on a cold winter’s day, as its savory aroma brings back the pleasant memory of summer sunshine. This was the story of how people on the Balkan managed to fit a 20kg sack of red paprika into 4 jars. Come and explore with us, and enjoy the sweet smell of roasted paprika on the streets. If you’re unable to visit us now, be sure to come in the winter when the jars of ajvar get opened and your tastebuds will immensely enjoy themselves. Contact us and let us organize your trip to the land of Ajvar.