National Tourism Organisation

of Montenegro
[email protected]
www.montenegro.travel
#MontenegroWildBeauty

THE FLAVOURS OF

T H E F L AV O U R S O F MONTENEGRO
MONTE
NEGRO
The ultimate guide
to Montenegro`s
gastro-culture
 STRATEGIC PARTNERS OF TOURISM OF MONTENEGRO

www.montenegro.travel
CONTENTS: The cuisine of bay of Kotor . . . . . . . . . 34
The flavours of Montenegro . . . . . . . . . 2
The cuisine of central Montenegro . . . .40
Tastes to remember. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
The mountain cuisine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
It’s all about the ingredients . . . . . . . . . 14
Sweets and desserts . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
What to drink in Montenegro . . . . . . 17
Montenegrin markets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Montenegrin cuisine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
Weekly markets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
The coastal cuisine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
The Restaurants of Montenegro . . . . . 60
Cooking on the hearth . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Food & Wine Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

&,3.DȚȈȓȖȋȐȏȈȞȐȯȈț
ȗțȉȓȐȒȈȞȐȯȐ
ǵȈȞȐȖȕȈȓȕȈȉȐȉȓȐȖȚȍȒȈ
ǾȘȕȍǫȖȘȍǾȍȚȐȱȍ

ISBN 978-9940-20-014-5
COBISS.CG-ID 36691728

IMPRINT
THE FLAVOURS OF MONTENEGRO
Published by
The National Tourism Organisation of Montenegro
www.montenegro.travel
Director
Željka Radak Kukavičić
Production
AMC Communications
www.amc.co.me
Editor
Velibor Zolak
Art director
Svetlana Lalović
Translation
Lidija Ćirović - Popadić

Editing
Paul Turner
Prepared by
Sanja Golubović
Branko Diki Kažanegra
Vlasta Mandić
Dušan Mitrović
Saša Radović
dr Svetozar Savić
Radmilo Tadić
Velibor Zolak
Photos by
Radoje Jovanović, lead photographer; S. Dingarac, D. Kalezić, D. Miljanić, L. Pejović, R. Milić, M.v.
Twillert, Plantaže, Babalu, Forest, Hemera, Per Sempre, Momčilov grad, Hard Rock Cafe, Hilton,
Byblos, Nobu, Regent Porto Montenegro, AMC Communications, NTO Montenegro

~1~
The FLAVO
THE Flav

~2~
ours
OURS OF
MONTENEGRO
This is an interesting country in every respect. In only one hour of driving
you can experience the incredible differences in its nature, people, and
culture.
On one hand you have the sleek modern coastal inhabitants, while
on the other, you meet the proud highlanders, and the best way to
communicate with either of them is through friendly eye contact and
a warm smile.
Experience the beautiful seductive sandy beaches of the south and
the rugged mountains and romantic lakes of the north.
The most modern nightclubs throb with the sounds of world-famous
stars visiting the Adriatic coast, yet campfires and the deep silence of
nature await you during a weekend rafting in the deepest canyon in
Europe...
Shakespeare`s “Hamlet” is performed at the theatres of the south and
the traditional Montenegrin folk national dance, the “Oro”, is on display
in the hills of the north.
Montenegro is a country of very strong contrasts. Be prepared for that!
These contrasts will begin to reveal themselves as soon as you decide
to leave the comfort of your hotel and set out to explore.
These differences and contrasts, sometimes even dramatic, have also
become very apparent at the dining table. One can find the best of
fine dining in the restaurants in Budva, or eat in a simple hut in Žabljak
offering the best of nature just boiled and baked, without complex
techniques of preparation and with the smallest possible amount of
spices. Both are wonderful and will stick in your memory for a long
time!
The flavours, aromas and tastes you experience at any destination
become a part of you and, like a kind of alarm clock, ring in your head
from time to time, to remind you that it’s time to travel back there!
The taste of the tender Njeguši prosciutto and the aroma of the red
wine called “Vranac” by the “Plantaže” winery will stay with every
foreigner who has ever set foot in this country. This is why they have
both become, quite rightly, the gastronomic symbols of Montenegro.
This small country has a lot to offer, from the sea and the mountains,
its rivers and lakes, villages and cities, cafes and restaurants, and
modern eateries and simple huts. This publication aims to reveal to its
readers all the flavours of Montenegro.
Would you care for rustic oven roasted potatoes, slightly warmed
pieces of “coscetto” or a monkfish fillet wrapped in a two-year-old
Njeguši prosciutto, with a local potato from Grbalj and extra virgin
olive oil from Bar, in a wild orange sauce?
If that is the case, you have come to the right place!

~3~
TASTES
TO REMEMBER
By Radmilo Tadić, Journalist and publisher

Zahvaljujući geografskim kontrastima, u Crnoj Gori se zasigurno

može naći za svakog po nešto – biće zadovoljni i hedonisti i vegani i
ljubitelji „dobre kapljice“.

~4~
soMeThIng For everYone
ue to its geographical contrasts, Montenegro can certainly offer
D something to everyone. There is always something on offer that will
satisfy both hedonists and vegans and the range of local drinks is sure
to appeal to those fans of a “good drop”. The geographical diversity and
natural conditions of the different parts of the country have dictated the
types of agricultural production, available foodstuffs, and the diet
of the people. Nature has endeavoured to give us top quality
kid, lamb, and veal meats and the rivers and lakes provide fish
which can satisfy the pallet of even the most demanding
of gastronomes. In this article we describe the products
primarily to be found in the inland and northern parts of the
country, which are all worth a try and from which hundreds
of delicacies are created, following recipes which date back a
long time.

~5~
FIsh FroM MonTenegrIn
rIvers anD laKes
Smoked bleak, small fish
Smoked carp (autochthonous carp from Lake Skadar) – from Lake Skadar
a supreme delicacy that is cooked and served both as an
appetizer and as a main course, with various side dishes
and salads. In addition to smoked carp, the most popu-
lar ways of preparing carp are “on the griddle” with dried
plums, apples and quinces, or carp baked with onion.

Trout is equally popular both in the north and in cen-

tral Montenegro, and the traditional Podgorica method
of preparation includes trout marinated in oil and lemon
juice, fried in vegetable oil and dressed with sour milk,
finely chopped garlic, pepper, parsley, and salt.

Eel – a favourite delicacy particularly popular when ba-

ked with rice and dried plums.

Bleak – an indigenous small fish from Lake Skadar, a real

delicacy after being smoke dried. It is not cleaned but
Traditional
fried fresh or smoke dried or prepared “on a salad”. carp smoking

~6~
MeaT DelICaCIes anD
DIshes
The most famous Montenegrin specialty, Njeguši prosciutto, which has
been prepared for centuries in the village of Njeguši (900m above sea level)
on the slopes of Mount Lovćen above Cetinje, undoubtedly claims the first
place among the country`s delicacies. It has a unique and easily recognizable
taste, due to the way it is prepared, as well as, to the micro-climate of the
place, where the cold mountain air and the warm sea air collide and mix. It
is made from a pig`s hind leg. This was the first Montenegrin product to be
protected by national legislation (2016), which means that the genuine ham
carries a quality label and can only be produced in the village of Njeguši.
Njeguška kobasica (Sausage from Njeguši) – is of a unique and strong taste.
It is made of quality pork and hard-back bacon seasoned with salt, pepper,
garlic and pepper. After drying, it can be eaten after a month of curing, and in
the right conditions, it can be stored for up to six months.
Košet (ital. coscetto) – a dried sheep leg of a very strong aroma, served only
as cold cuts or slightly warmed.

Sausage from Njeguši of a unique flavor

Lamb
cooked in
milk

~7~
 The widely-known Njeguši prosciutto, a
protected national product

The interior of a traditional Montenegrin house

Kastradina – dried mutton, usually cooked with white cabbage throu-

ghout Montenegro.
Dried beef – most popular in the north of Montenegro and best served
either as an appetizer with various cheeses or cooked with sour cabbage.
Kid – meat that cannot be bought at the butcher`s because of the huge
demand for it, so can only be bought at farms or ordered in restaurants.
A particular speciality is kid and potatoes roasted under the bell (“ispod
sača“), a method of slow cooking.
Lamb – popular both in the north and the other inland parts of the
country. The national speciality is lamb cooked in milk, and the most
common way of preparation in restaurants is roasting on a spit or slowly
roasted “under the bell”.

~8~
The BesT KePT seCreT –
MonTenegrIn Cheeses
Cheese from Pljevlja – this is the second legally pro-
tected produce of Montenegro that received an official
quality label in 2017, and it may only be produced in
the Pljevlja region. It is a type of white brine, semi-hard
to soft, ripened cheese. This cheese, with an average fat
content of 25%, is placed uncut in barrels.
Cheese from Njeguši – according to some sources,
this cheese entered the anthology of world cheeses in
the 17th century. It is kept in a cold and airy space for
up to three months before consumption. It is a group
of fat to full fat, semi-solid to hard cheeses. It is dry and
rich in dairy fat. Simply delicious.
Lisnati (leafy) cheese – “listana”, as local people call
this cheese, is a type of cheese produced in the territo-
ries of the municipalities of Kolašin and Mojkovac and Cheese in oil
it is a combination of skimmed and whole milk, with
recognizable layered slices as thin as leaves. Cut dried cheese into pieces and put
Prljo – a low-fat hard cheese made of skimmed milk. them into a jar, pour over a mixture of
It is placed in barrels or sheepskin to ripen for up to olive and sunflower oils, cover the jar and
ninety days. let stand in a cool place. Leave to mature
Skorup (kajmak) – made of sheep`s milk, cow`s milk for sixty days.
or a variety of milks and produced in the north of Mon-
tenegro in Piva, Kuči, Durmitor, Sinjajevina and Bjelasi-
ca. The basis of this produce is milk and salt; after coo-
king the milk, the fat on the surface that separates from
the milk is collected and put into a sheepskin sack. It
ripens for at least two months. It can be served as a
main course with potatoes, although it is more popular
as an appetizer, in both private homes and restaurants.

~9~
 Cheese from
Pljevlja, a protected
Montenegrin
produce that received
a quality label in
2017 and which may
only be produced in
the Pljevlja region

~10~
DaIrY anD Flour
sPeCIalITIes
Smočani kačamak (fatty porridge) – a dish made of cooked pota-
Smočani kačamak toes and wheat and corn flour. When the potatoes are almost com-
pletely cooked, put the flour in the pot, make a hole in the middle
of it with a tucanj or kačamaš (a wooden pestle) and cook for about
half an hour on a medium heat. When cooked, drain the excess water,
remove the pot from the heat and start mashing the mixture with the
kačamaš, returning it back to the heat from time to time until the po-
tato becomes a paste without any lumps. Put the resulting kačamak
into a bowl and pour some kajmak and grated cheese over it. The dish
is best served with sour milk.
Cicvara (gruel) – a thick high-calorie dish that is prepared with full fat
cheese, kajmak, and corn flour. The cheese is cooked at a high tempera-
ture while constantly stirred. Once brought to the boil, add the kajmak,
stir for around ten minutes and then add the corn flour. In the north of
Montenegro it is served with honey.
Pies – whatever pizza means to Italy, these pies mean the same for Mon-
tenegro. The main ingredient is a dough into which you can add cheese,
meat, spinach and nettles.

Cicvara a
traditional
high-calorie
Montenegrin
dish

~11~
honeY anD MeaD
Honey is produced all over the country and there are dozens of species of
bees. You can find excellent honey on the coast, in the hinterland and in
the north of Montenegro. The most common types of honey you can find
are meadow, linden, acacia, pine, and heather. In ancient times, honey was
produced in the hollows of oak trees, so it was not extracted separately, but
harvested together with the beeswax.
Mead is the drink of the old Slavs, and it is honey wine. In addition to
brandy (honey brandy), it is widely considered to be one of the oldest of
alcoholic beverages. It is prepared by immersing honey in water and lea-
ving it to ferment. Mead

MonTenegrIn olIves
anD olIve oIl

Two thousand years ago, at the time of the

domination of the Roman Empire, olives were
first grown in the vicinity of today’s towns of
Bar and Ulcinj. Since then, people in this part
of the Montenegrin coast have cultivated an
indigenous variety of olives called “Barska žu-
tica” out of which they have been making one
of the best olive oils in the Mediterranean for
many generations.
Olive oil is a basic characteristic of the coastal
cuisine, and the healthiest oil is that obtained
through cold pressing. The finest oil is extra
virgin olive oil, which is produced from the
first pressing of healthy olives. The level of
acidity never exceeds 1%.

~12~
 olives
There are over 400,000 olive trees along
the Montenegrin coastline. The most
famous is a tree located in the village
of Mirovica, near to the ancient city of
“Old Bar” which was planted in 225 BC.
A group of international experts have
officially recorded another ten olive trees
that are more than a thousand years old.
The old olive tree

FIgs, BlueBerrIes, in Bar

anD WhY The loCals

saY “healThY as a
CornelIan CherrY”
Numerous species of figs are grown in Montenegro such as the Adriatic, the
Black mission or lipovka, the large Petrovača figs. Dried figs are to be found in
every Montenegrin household.
In the north of Montenegro, the mountain slopes are covered with blueberri-
es and their picking or collecting is seen as a form of recreation by the local
population. In the region of Plav it has now grown into a special event called
the “Blueberry Days”.
Cornelian cherries, small, sour red berries, enjoy a similar popularity. They
are rarely eaten fresh, although the juice and jam made from this fruit are fa-
vourite foods. They are a symbol of health, and that is why local people usually The Cornelian cherry,
say as “healthy as a cornelian cherry” (as fit as a fiddle). a symbol of health

~13~
Raštan, wild
cabbage which truly
depicts the strength
and pride of the
Montenegrins

Raštan, crni kupus

karakterističnog ukusa, koji na
pravi način pokazuje snagu i
ponos naroda Crne Gore;

~14~
IT`S ALL ABOUT
THE INGREDIENTS
Dušan Mitrović, a Chef at the “Adria Hotel”, Budva

Stories about national cuisines are primarily the stories of dishes, the way
they are prepared and their specific features. The strength and originality
of the Montenegrin cuisine probably lies in the authentic ingredients and
the simplicity of the dishes, rather than in any elaborative techniques of
cooking. That is why many Montenegrin recipes, which you will maybe try
out after returning from your summer holiday, will not give you the same
taste as you get in Montenegro.

The ingredients from the Adriatic coast that I would like to single out
are:
- macaroni from Paštrovići (makarule), handmade hollow pasta made of
whole wheat flour;
- monkfish, a fish of the deep that is best described by saying that it is as delicious as it is
frighteningly ugly;
- sardines from the Bay of Kotor, small blue sea fish of delicate taste, caught in the Bay of Kotor;
- potatoes from Grbalj, big bright yellow full-flavoured potatoes, a real treasure of the nation;
- The Žutica olive, the queen of the Montenegrin national cuisine.

Monkfish fillet
wrapped in two-
year-old Njeguši
prosciutto, crushed
potato from Grbalj
with extra virgin
olive oil from Bar
in the wild orange
sauce

~15~
 Young Durmitor
veal stuffed with
dried apricots and
almonds, corn
cream, baby carrots
and morel sautéed
in butter, served
with “kajmak”

From the central part of Montenegro, I would like to single out:

- carp from Lake Skadar, a fish endowed with a rich taste;
- raštan (collard green), wild cabbage, which truly depicts the strength and
pride of the Montenegrins;
- Vranac grapes, from which the famous wine of the same name is prepared;
- Njeguši prosciutto with its delicate and characteristic taste, with which we
can create wonders in the kitchen.
Trout from
the Tara River
The north of Montenegro is characterized by:
roasted with - kajmak and cheese from Pljevlja;
cheese from - trout from the river Tara, a fish that lives in one of the most beautiful and clea-
Pljevlja, served nest rivers in Europe;
with medallions - morel, a wild mushroom, a delicacy of our cuisine that offers unimaginable
of ground wheat opportunities for creating new dishes.
with walnuts,
celery purée, I like to introduce people to the national cuisine through dishes made from
and a roasted only authentic Montenegrin ingredients, although prepared using new culi-
spring onion nary techniques in line with the latest trends in matching taste. I believe that
at least one of the three dishes that I present here will become a part of the
national cuisine of Montenegro.

~16~
WHAT TO DRINK IN

MONTENEGRO

~17~
By dr Svetozar Savić

The lanD oF WInes

The best way to learn about any country you visit is through its hospitality industry.
Those who want to distinguish between the delicate subtleties in Montenegro`s
winegrowing have to try the wines prepared from the local Montenegrin wine
grape varieties. There are ardent debates in scientific circles about their number,
origin and genesis. However, we are not interested in science here but in the spirit
of the Mediterranean wine that comes from the secrets accumulated in their grapes.
But what you need to know is that the Montenegrin wine called “Kratošija” is identi-
cal to the Californian “Zinfandel”.
After years of fermenting in wooden barrels and bottles, the special “Vranac Re-
serve” from “Plantaže” is waiting for you. A careful selection of grapes picked at the
best locations from the region of “Ćemovsko polje”, gives the wine a special fullness
and splendour. Vranac Reserve is a great combination of what winemakers dream
about, the fullness and ripeness of the grapes that resists the effects of time.
If you want to taste wine produced using traditional methods, but which enhances
the content of “proanthicyanidol”, a substance which protects against heart pro-
blems to be found in wine, then do not waste any more time, sample “Pro corde”
or “wine for the heart”. The 2011 vintage, will have a very beneficial effect on your
cardiovascular system. Many generations of experience culminated in this wine,
creating an incredible harmony between the personality of the variety and the
gentle Mediterranean climate.

~18~
 The Wine cellar “Šipčanik”

Nowadays it is difficult to find the “Kratošija” wine in Montenegro. It seems

that hardly anyone among family winemakers dares to break the traditional
combination of “Vranac”, “Kratošija”, and “Lisičina”. Only the great wine lovers
produce this wine in a few special series. One of these is the Zenta Vučinić
winery from Podgorica. If you come across the 2015 Kratošija wine, taste
it and you will be surprised with its unusual smell and taste; therein lies a
thousand years of history.
A wine which uses the indigenous grape variety of “Čubrica” is to be found
in the “Braća Rajković” winery in the Kuči region, in the village of Ubli. This
mystical wine is produced and preserved in a traditional way, in wooden
barrels stored in an old stone basement. If the variety is kept for longer than
usual, it becomes even more unique in its flavour.
Krstač is another indigenous white wine variety. Its production starts in the
vineyards of “Plantaže”, where all the grapes are picked by hand in the fa-
mous “Ćemovsko polje”. These grapes are made into a yellowish white wine
of fruity bouquet and pleasant taste that reminds one of mulberry. It tastes
best when cooled to about 10OC.
Arhonto rose is a pleasant surprise from the family winery “Krgović”. It is
a clear wine of an irresistibly attractive salmon colour created by adding the
pericarp fruit and its juice. It leaves a very refreshing fruity aroma and has a
noble character on the palate.
There are also sweet white wines produced in the family wineries of Monte-
negro. Žižak is an indigenous Montenegrin variety and the winery “Obra-
dović” from Herceg Novi still makes it, thus preserving the tradition of the
Bay of Kotor producers. You will fall in love with this wine after the first sip
because it features the aromas of ripe pears and elderflowers. The wine is
enjoyable, and easily recognizable because of its menthol and citrus taste
and pleasant bouquet. The growing popularity of the Žižak variety has been
confirmed by the “Nikaljević” winery from Crmnica. The winemakers in
that region use these grapes to create a dry high-quality wine called “Jaz”.

~19~
MonTenegrIn graPe BranDY
“Brandy baking” is the local expre-
ssion for the distillation ritual that
has been practiced for centuries in
Montenegro in autumn. The disti-
llation process involves the use of
a partially decanted “Vranac” and
“Kratošija” wine mash.
“Kraljevska kruna” (The Royal
Crown) is another pearl from
“Plantaže“. A careful selection of the
distillate obtained in the traditional
manner, allows the consumers to
recognize the qualities of this drink
coming from the semi-arid climate
of the “Ćemovsko polje” region.
“Crnogorski prvijenac” is not far behind “Kraljevska kruna”. The “Plantaže” company has preserved the best traditi-
ons of a careful distillation of the wine mash which then spends at least one year in wooden barrels. It mesmerizes
and stimulates with its scent, potency and taste.
The “Grape brandy” made by the family Đonović from Crmnice (the villa-
ge of Tomići) represents a true blessing made by a traditional approach in
distilling brandy from the mash of the indigenous grape variety “Vranac”.
Drinking this brandy with its pleasant aroma and harmonious taste makes
you want to come back to Tomići again and again.

MeaD
If you have not had the chance to try real mead, then the “Rex Montis”
is an excellent way to finally enter the world of, perhaps, the oldest alco-
holic beverage resulting from the fermentation of honey. The producer
and innovator, Goran Mijušković, from Podgorica, produces mead using
the traditional method of making champagne. Of course, instead of sugar,
first-class honey is added. He makes two products, “Rex Montis” (spar-
kling mead) and “Classique” (classic mead).

lIQuers
Liqueurs, as well as homemade juices, can be found in almost every house
in Montenegro. One of these can be found at the entrance to the village of Godinje, right next to the local road. The
owner is Nenad Leković. In addition to wine and brandy, this hardworking producer makes several liqueurs and it is
hard to say which one is better: walnut, cherry, pear or raspberry. They intertwine a number of natural aromas that
are slowly falling into oblivion. Our suggestion - try them all!

~20~
 Beer

The local
“Nikšićko Dark” is the best dark beer in Montenegro and is
“House
of world-class quality. The use of only specific types of malt Beer”
and local spring water makes it special. It features a distinc-
tive foam, a prevailing malt aroma and a very strong flavour.
You can order locally made beer in some Montenegrin
cafes. The cafe “Zlatni papagaj” in Žabljak brews and ser-
ves its own beer. Try it! It will surprise you with its potency
and aromas that will captivate all your senses. For top beer
connoisseurs, there is the “PG Academy” in Podgorica. There
you will be pleasantly surprised with the range of innovati-
ve beer recipes used to make the many different types on Homemade juice
offer. made from wild
pomegranates

hoMeMaDe JuICes
Nearly every Montenegrin household make juices from cornelian cherries, blue-
berries, pomegranates and many other fruits. Not one of them can be singled out
from the others and we recommend them all!
Cornelian cherry juice wins you over with its bittersweet flavour, blueberry juice by
its special piquancy, and pomegranate juice, especially if made from wild pomegra-
nates, is almost indescribable with its bittersweet combination of taste and fragran-
ce. We dare you to try to find a better one than this somewhere else! You can dilute
them with soda water and this will definitely quench your thirst. Those who do not
taste them do not know what natural beverages really can be. They are sold at the
markets in Stari Bar, Podgorica, Kotor, Nikšić, and all the towns in the north.

~21~
The Biggest vineyard
Some thirty kilometres
from the Adriatic Sea,
right next to Lake
Skadar, there is almost
2,300 hectares of
seemingly never-ending
land covered with
vines that forms one
of the largest and most
beautiful vineyards in
Europe – “Ćemovsko
polje”. The vineyard is
owned by the leading
Montenegrin wine
company “Plantaže”
and two Montenegrin
autochthonous vine
varieties prevail here –
“Krstač” and “Vranac”

~22~
~23~
MonTenegr

If you did not know

which country you
are in, the three meals
would make you
believe that you were
in three diametrically
opposite sides of the
world. That sums
up the Montenegrin
cuisine, just like the
country itself, diverse
from place to place
and from the sea to
the mountains.

~24~
rIn CuIsIne
By Sanja Golubović, a journalist and the Chief Editor of the
“Caffe Montenegro” magazine

A mountain

WhaT naTure has view above

Petrovac.
Montenegro
To oFFer is a country
where the cold
ou can feel the tastes of Montenegro in only one day - in three meals. mountain air
Y Not because they are similar or simple, but by just having breakfast at the
seaside, lunch by a river in the inland part of the country, and dinner in the
and the warm
sea air collide
and mix
mountains near a lake. If you did not know which country you are in, the three
meals would make you believe that you were in three diametrically opposite
sides of the world. That sums up the Montenegrin cuisine, just like the country
itself, diverse from place to place and from the sea to the mountains. It has
everything that rivers, lakes, the sea, mountains, meadows, forests, and fertile
plains have to offer. Everything that is consumed is basically home-grown,
organically grown, sown and picked by hand, watered in the garden...

Healthy foods and well established methods of breeding and

preparation are a tradition in Montenegro. It cannot
be more natural than that. Therefore, when a
stranger comes to our green markets, they
smell the fruit in disbelief, because it
smells and tastes just as real fruit
should.

Prljo, a low-fat hard cheese

made of skimmed milk

~25~ ~25~
 CusToMs
Priganice,
a sweet
offering
served with
homemade
jam or honey

The most beautiful Montenegrin custom is the people`s hospitality. It is

still customary nowadays, especially in the villages, not to lock houses at
night and doors to the entrance are always open as a welcome sign to fri-
ends and travellers during the day. Please remember, when a Montenegrin
invites you to their house, do not refuse because it is also a custom, he
really does want to welcome you and be friends with you. He or she does
not need much to invite you to their house - he will do that as soon as you
get to know him. It is also a characteristic of the Montenegrin people, their
easy acceptance and intimacy. They will welcome you with equal warmth
whether you come announced or if you were just in the neighbourhood.

Homemade The traditional

brandy. When They will bring out onto the table the best food they have to offer you and
way of drying
they offer their these are almost always products that are characteristic of the region where
Njeguši
brandy, hosts they live and the traditions they keep. prosciutto
usually say In the north and central Montenegro, if you are paying an official visit, you will
that it is not be welcomed with bread and salt, then with priganice (fried dough balls) and
a drink but a
honey, and then with a crnogorsko meze (Montenegrin finger food). This is
medicine
basically the same everywhere: homemade bread, Njeguši cheese and pros-
ciutto, olives are offered on the coast, and in the north (where beef prosciutto
is served instead of Njeguši prosciutto) you will be served kajmak. In restau-
rants it is usually called the Crnogorski pjat (The Montenegrin Plate).

~26~
Bread
Bread has always been the
most important staple food in
Montenegro. The Montenegrins
even swear by it and say, “I
swear by all the salt and bread
I`ve eaten with you.” When they
invite a guest to their home they
say: “Come on, let’s eat a little
bread” meaning to share a meal.
The bread is usually made of
wheat, buckwheat, rye, or corn.
In the past, it was baked under
the bell (“ispod sača”). This custom has found its way back to the national The traditional
restaurants because such baked bread, served hot and with its crunchy crust bread, baked
and seductive aroma, also has an unforgettable taste. “under the
bell”

Homemade bread and brandy, made by the host himself, are mandatory. The most
common brandies are wine, plum, pear, apricot, and quince varieties. These homemade
brandies usually contain high levels of alcohol, but they are enjoyable and made using very
old recipes. When they offer you their brandy, the hosts will say that it is not a drink, but a
medicine. Then you are offered sweets such as slatko (preserved fruit) in a compote often
prepared by the hostesses from the fruits characteristic of that region. The same type of fru-
its are also used to make homemade juices, with very little sugar, and lots and lots of fruit.
On the coast, they will prepare Montenegrin finger food made up of cheese in oil, pros-
ciutto (from Luštice, if any, or from Njeguši, and this is mandatory), with olives and home-
made red and white wine, and pickled or salted sardines. Bowls with seasonal fruit, fresh
or dry figs, tangerines and oranges are also mandatory on the table. Do not forget to try
the figs, they will surely offer you some. The coastal inhabitants prefer to drink “bevanda”
- a mixture of half water, half wine. This drink appears to be weaker in alcohol than wine,
but they say that one can end up drinking so much more wine like this. Try it for yourself.
In the area around Lake Skadar and Rijeka Crnojevića, they will offer you their own wine,
most often red wine from Crmnica. They are extremely proud of this wine so they will wait
Corn bread
for you to try it and then say what you think of it. Besides the usual Montenegrin snacks,
you will also be offered smoked carp and dried bleak.
The menu of all the Montenegrin people in the entire country is
based on organic, seasonal, and local ingredients. The Monte-
negrins love their national dishes that follow the traditions
that are still respected. That is why old recipes have been
preserved and, despite modern restaurants and the
expected abundant variety of international cuisines
in this tourist country, wherever you are in Mon-
tenegro, we advise you to try out what the
hosts eat: locally and traditionally. That is
the best thing to do.

~27~
THE COASTAL
CUISINE

he basic virtue of the Montenegrin coastal cuisine is Mediterranean moderation. It is

T based on cereals, fish, and, above all olives, that are picked in September. There are also
tomatoes and peaches from Grbalj and watermelons from Ulcinj.
Fishermen catch all the fish they need in the coastal belt in their small boats, not venturing into
deeper waters. The most common fish one can find in a fisherman`s net is red mullet, a very ta-
sty small red fish, and with some luck, there would also be a heavier dentex, striped red mullet,
common Pandora, or a gilthead bream. The best time for the fishermen begins in mid-summer.
At this time they come across a wide range of migratory fish, from small greater amberjack, to
grey mullet, tuna, leer-fish, the greater amberjack and dolphin, then at the end of summer they
fish for large shoals of horse mackerel and pilchards. The king of the fish, the sea bass, is hard to
catch and it is usually fished by hook and line or by spear fishing at night.
Kid meat, cheese and milk are the usual foodstuffs in this region. A typical dessert is rožata
(custard), that looks like pudding and it is prepared with eggs, milk, and caramel.

Cooked
bream

~28~
The popular
“Saint”, the
town-hotel,
Sveti Stefan
FIsh PreParaTIon
Fish is mainly prepared by grilling („na gradele“), boiling („lešo”), stewing (brodet) or fried.
“Riba na gradele” is prepared on a barbecue. During grilling, it is sprinkled with
aromatic herbs, usually rosemary. It is served with a dressing made of garlic, parsley
and olive oil, with vegetables and lettuce. Dentex, gilthead bream or Saint-Pierre fish
when prepared like this are a true gastronomic spectacle.
“Riba lešo” is prepared in water with added oil, wine, wine vinegar, onion, a bay leaf
and other spices. It is served with boiled potatoes or chard and is an ideal choice for
dinner.

Grilled fish
- gilthead
bream

~29~
“Brodet” (stew) is prepared from several kinds of fish (dusky grouper, scorpion
fish, moray eel, grey mullet, and cuttlefish). It is served with polenta, which is a
hard corn mush. It is a real challenge for housewives. The creativity they show
in preparing brodet is a measure of their culinary skills. This dish is considered
to be food from God.

MasTer FIsh sTeW

One of the best fish stews is the Bay of Kotor Brodet although,
contrary to the rules of preparing a fish stew, it is made exclusively
of one kind of fish: anchovy, sprat or a similar small blue fish. It
originated in Mu, a fishing village in the Bay of Kotor. The larger
fish in the catch was mostly sold in the market, so fishermen used
to leave the smaller fish for themselves. That is how the sprat beca-
me the trademark of the Bay of Kotor fish stew.

»Bay of Kotor brodet«

1 – 1.5 kg of cleaned sprat or anchovy, 0.5 - 1 kg of onions, fish
soup, olive oil, white wine, celery, parsley, garlic, salt, pepper, and
prepared seasoning

Chop the onions and put in a slightly heated pan with 1 dl of olive
oil. Add the celery and parsley, the prepared seasoning, sweet pa-
prika, and garlic. Add the fish. Place the remaining onions, celery
and other ingredients over the fish. Pour over white wine or fish
soup, and then add some more oil so that the pan is almost full. Le-
ave to boil and then cook on a low heat for a minimum of 2 hours.
The longer the better!

~30~
 Pašticada with
makaruli

»Paštrovski makaruli« Pašticada

(Macaroni from Paštrovići) (Beef stew)
(Homemade pasta)
Salt 1 kg of boneless beef (or game meat) and
Integral wheat flour 500 gr, 1 spoon of oil, a little
salt and water.
stuff it with garlic and well smoked bacon.
Heat some olive oil and add the meat. Fry
A traditional coastal dish that originated in Venice and turn the meat until golden brown (you
and which is also prepared in Dalmatia, the Bay may add a bit of sugar). Slowly add a few red
of Kotor and the Paštrovići region, varying only onions, carrots, bay leaves, garlic cloves, and
in thickness and length and the type of flour used.
unground black pepper, a splash of cinnamon,
Seive 250 grams of integral wheat flour, add 250
grams of white flour, a spoon of olive oil, salt, wa-
mint, and parsley. Some add a sour apple or
ter (add an egg as well). Make a hole in the heap prunes. Leave it to braise, adding water and
of sieved flour by hand, add the salt and a little good wine from time to time. When the meat
water and then knead. While kneading, sprinkle is tender, take it out and cut into smaller
some flour so that it does not stick to the table or pieces. The cooking sauce should then be
the cooking board. The dough can be considered blended and poured over the meat. Let it
as being done only when it starts separating from simmer. You should be patient and cook the
the hands and the table and its surface becomes dish on a low heat for at least two hours. Be
smooth. It must not be too hard or too soft. When
patient – the longer it simmers, the better it
ready, leave it for half an hour. Then make maka-
ruli with special needles (zungas, made of a Medi- will be! Pašticada is served with homemade
terranean plant). Leave them to dry. Boil in salted makaruli, gnocchi or rice, and it can be stored
water until they lose the fresh dough smell, around by freezing, to be served later.
15 minutes. Sieve the makaruli and serve them in
a bowl, sprinkle over it grated mature cheese and
hot olive oil, add some rosemary or serve with pa-
šticada (stewed chunks of beef or game with vege- Raw
makaruli
tables and seasoning). Makarule should be served
hot and never left to sit in the water.

~31~
 COOKING
ON THE HEARTH
Branko-Diki Kažanegra, a tourism industry professional

hen I enter the kitchen of a hotel or a restaurant, I cannot even conceive

W how much imagination and effort our grandmothers needed to cook at
the hearth using only bronzin (a bronze cauldron), sač (the bell), prosulja (a pan)
“Makarulača”
– long green
beans
and gradele (a grill roaster) to make all those dishes of unique taste and scent,
which make my mouth water when I think about them.
The relationship with food, especially with bread, was special. It was inconceiva-
ble to throw anything away. As a child, if I accidentally dropped a piece of
bread on the floor, I would have to lift it, kiss it, and put it aside to feed
an animal or throw it to the fish in the sea.
Everything was used – olive oil sludge was used to make soap,
the salt from sardines was reused for fish food, all parts of the pig,
except for its hair, were used, cheese and wine sacks were made from
Greater sheep and goat skins. Glass bottles were preserved as precious items.
burdock, a Each edible plant was consumed. Today, endive is regaining popularity, altho-
plant that ugh nettles, greater burdock, and little hogweed have been almost forgotten.
has become Was it because we were poor? I would say not, it was because we were then
popular again part of the natural world. Whereas, today we are a consumer society.
and is once
more served on All the dishes were made in a bronze cauldron that was hung on metal chains
our tables above the hearth, including my favourites:

~32~
 “A cat does not eat the head of red
mullet because it never has the
chance to do so” – red mullet is
eaten in its entirety!
Makarulača ka’ makarule
Makarulača is made from long round gre-
en beans. Today, if they can be found in the
market, they are called pencil beans. Boil
some ham in water and add the green be-
ans and a few potatoes cut into quarters.
Remove the ham and cut it into smaller
pieces. When the makarulača and pota-
toes are cooked, they are then sieved. On
the bottom of an oval platter on which the
food will be served, sprinkle on it some dry squid served in the oil from
homemade cheese, then add the macaru- red mullet
lača and potatoes with ham and sprinkle
with cheese; repeat until everything has Red mullet is one of the most popular fish,
been used. Grate cheese on top. Warm especially with fishermen. It is said that a cat
some olive oil in the pan and pour it over does not eat the head of red mullet because it
the platter. It would be best if you had a never has the chance to do so. As soon as the
bottle of “Vranac” or “Kratošija” to serve fish is pulled out of the net, it is important
with the dish. that it is cleaned immediately, especially the
black part along the spine, which is rich in
iodine. Because of this chemical, if left untre-
ated, this fish produces an unpleasant odour
and taste. Rolled in corn-flour, the red mullet
is fried in a pan with hot olive oil. The oil in
which the red mullet is cooked turns red and
due to its extraordinary flavour and smell it
was kept as gravy for a variety of other dishes.
One of these is squid. In the heated red mullet
oil, add cleaned squid in small pieces, not the
whole squid) and fry them for ten minutes
on a high heat. In the meantime, chop some
garlic, parsley, ground pepper and salt (and
some cayenne pepper if you prefer). Mix it
all in one or two decilitres of white wine. The
mixture is added to the pan with the squid
and left to cook for a few more minutes. The
best way to serve it is with young goat cheese,
corn bread and the red wine “Lisičina”.
Squid served in the oil from
fried red mullet served with
corn bread

~33~
The CuIsIne
oF The BaY
oF KoTor

~34~
 Vlasta Mandić, architect, the author of the book
„Bokeška kužina“

The gasTronoMIC
IDenTITY oF The
BaY oF KoTor
he gastronomic identity of the Bay of Kotor was created
T through centuries of contact with the different nations
that came and left, although some of them stayed and assi-
milated with the locals. From the time of the Greeks and the
Illyrians to the present day, the Bay of Kotor`s cuisine has been under various gastro-
nomic influences which it has infused with local skills. The local culture has given the
original recipes its personal touch, while always retaining the main characteristics
of the dish.
At the foot of the mountains above the bay, by the sea, the climate is mild, while in
the hinterland, behind the mountains, it is harsher, with cold snowy winters. Owing
to such conditions, fishermen catch fish, plant vines, olives, and tropical fruit by the
sea, and in the untouched nature of the mountains, the people grow vegetables
and breed livestock of outstanding quality.
This variety of food products in a relatively small area has created two types of
local gastronomy –coastal and mountain which complement each other in the
best culinary combination, depending on the season and the many festivities held
in the Bay of Kotor.
This gastronomic combination has resulted in the following dishes: cooked beef
with homemade tomato sauce, macaroni spiced with salty cheese, roast veal, lamb
under the bell (lamb roast) with potatoes and various vegetables, “kastradina” (dried
mutton) with black or white monk’s rhubarb, “bumbari” (dry sausages stuffed with
corn flour and spices) with dried pork, monk’s rhubarb and potatoes, lamb with
beans, tripe, goulash, various kinds of dumplings, “pašticadas”, risottos, and the like.
There are also various sea delicacies. In addition to the various larger fish, there are
small fish: sardine, European pilchard, the Mediterranean sand smelt, striped red
mullet, and others. The Bay of Kotor is also known for its top quality mussels, which
grow naturally along the coast or are cultivated by local people. The sea is clean
and contains the ideal savoury-sweet ratio for these delicious mussels due to the
inflow of mountain waters that spring out along the coast of the bay. There are also The Bay
tasty oysters. It is difficult to resist dishes such as: grilled sea bass, cooked grouper, of Kotor is
marinated or grilled pilchards, mussels from Gurdići, “risotto a la maca”, a “Bay of Ko- known for its
tor brodet” from sardines, cod goulash or “bakalar žgvacet”, black risotto, “Providur`s top quality
palamida”, “carnival gnocchi”, and so on. mussels. The
As for sweets, the most famous are Dobrota cake and Kotor pasta. There are other photo shows
typical sweets from this area: kroštule, paradizet, strudel, priganice, peraški bobi, mussels served
mandolate, naranćini, savijače, etc. with Parmesan
cheese

~35~
 “Providur`s palamida”
One palamida of 1 kg, around ten olives, 5-6 garlic cloves, parsley,
2 spoons of bread crumbs, pepper, olive oil, 2 tomatoes, red wine,
and salt

Remove the fins of the palamida, raise its gills and cut it into
fillets of 2.5 cm thick. This is done like this: slice the stomach
vertically and go all the way to the spine, cut it, and go a few
more centimetres. Stop there to keep the palamida in one piece.
Remove the stomach from each fillet, lightly salt each of them,
and gently spread the palamida as a fan. Crush the garlic, chop a
few olives, mix the salt, bread crumbs, and pepper together with
olive oil and spread the compound onto each fillet and put an
olive, and some parsley between the fillets. Place the palamida
in a baking tray. Sprinkle with olive oil and some red wine and
bake in a hot oven at 180° C until cooked. If the famous Kotor
celebrity, Jeronim Pisani, enjoyed this meal, you will surely lick
your fingers. You can enjoy this dish even more with a glass of
good red wine!

~36~
 “sardines a la Bisernice”
1 kg of large sardines, bread crumbs, lemon, pepper, Parmesan
cheese, egg white, béchamel, garlic, capers, oregano, seasoning, oli-
ve oil, tomato sauce – a bit of everything, and a glass of white wine

Remove the head, main bone, and tail of each sardine and make
fillets; salt them, drizzle with lemon juice and sprinkle with
some pepper. Spread: bread crumbs, grated Parmesan, parsley,
seasoning, garlic, oregano, capers, then chop up and mix everyt-
hing, add some olive oil, whisked egg white, add some béchamel
and stir everything to make it creamy. Put the spread on every
sardine fillet, make rolls, and arrange on ovenproof cookware.
Pour over hot olive oil and bake at 180°C. When nearly done,
pour over some tomato sauce with added white wine and par-
sley. Sprinkle some bread crumbs over the dish.

souvenIrs
If you want to take a Montenegrin gastronomic
souvenir with you, there is the book “Bokeška kužina”
by the author Ms Vlasta Mandić. The book has 101
recipes spiced up with photos and stories about the
natural beauty, historical and cultural values of Kotor
and the Bay of Kotor.

~37~
The Bay of Kotor, like
a Nordic fjord in the
Mediterranean, one of
the most beautiful bays
in the world, celebrated
and praised, unique and
unusual, penetrates a
total of 28 kilometres into
the harsh Montenegrin
mountains. The beauty
of the bay has attracted
great minds like Lord
Byron, George Bernard
Shaw, Margaret Jursenar,
to name but a few. The
Kotor-Risan Bay, as
a part of the world`s
natural and cultural
heritage, was enlisted as a
UNESCO world heritage
site in 1979.

~38~
~39~
 THE CUISINE OF
CENTRAL
MONTENEGRO
Sanja Golubović, journalist and the Chief Editor of the “Caffe Montenegro” magazine

he cuisine of central Montenegro brings with it a richness of taste based

T on its geographical diversity and traditional heritage. It has been spiced
up by the influences of foreign cuisines, such as the dishes adopted from the
Turks who were occupiers here through numerous wars. As you move further
north, the climate becomes harsher and the food stronger.

Meat is the cornerstone of the diet: veal, lamb, pork

(Njeguši prosciutto being the most popular), beef, as Nettles a
well as, river and lake fish. Carp is the most represented food and a
lake fish, which is prepared in many ways, “u tavi” (in a medicine
frying pan), smoked, marinated, “on a salad”; followed
by trout, fried or baked, and as a particular specialty,
served with kajmak or in sour milk. Bleak is also one
of the favourite fish, a small indigenous fish from Lake
Skadar. It is fried whether fresh or smoked, and smoked
bleak is prepared in the “on a salad” style. Eel “on rice” is
a dish of unique taste.

A lady selling dried bleak

~40~
 A view of Zeta
and Lake Skadar
with the Prokletije
mountain range in
the background

Raštan is A good ratio of vegetables and fruit forms a great balance in the almost all Dried sheep
primarily a leg in dough,
meat and fish dishes such as Podgorica carp with prunes. A common food
healthy plant; a gastronomic
item is the home-grown potato, which is prepared in several ways: baked as
the photo shows rarity
raštan prepared a jacket potato, mashed, boiled, served cold in a salad, cooked with spinach
with bacon as a side dish with the fish, and so on.

Sometimes, despite the large amounts of meat in them, the dishes get their
names from the vegetables that are the basis of the dish, such as dishes with
raštan (collard greens), an extremely popular leaf vegetable in Montenegro.
Raštan is primarily a healthy plant and it is prepared with various types of
fresh meat, dried meat or ribs, homemade sausages, kastradina (dried beef ),
bacon, and pork knuckle. A dish of Turkish origin - japraci (rolled raštan and
minced veal or beef ) has also become commonplace in our kitchens.

Another delicacy in this part of Montenegro is considered to be nettle soup

with kajmak, made from the nettle plant that is considered as both food
and medicine. Nettle dishes have a long history in the gastronomy of Mon-
tenegro and they were originally created in the most difficult times - times
of wars and poverty when the humble nettle saved many lives. One of the
gastronomic rarities is a unique dish - košet (dried sheep leg in dough) and
is characteristic of central Montenegro.

~41~
 Popeci Presukači from
Dairy products, such as kajmak and cheeses, are indispensable on the dinner Podgorica
tables and in dishes, and come from the surrounding mountains and from the
north. They are often combined with meat, as in “Popeci” from Podgorica or in
“Njeguši” steak.

Homemade bread, most commonly made of wheat or corn, is present with

every meal. Salads are mainly seasonal, made of vegetables from the Zeta and
Bjelopavlić plains, including tomatoes, the famous green peppers, lettuce, spring
onions, cucumbers, leeks and so on. The vegetables are often eaten fresh in a
salad or pickled (turšija).

The most striking and widespread influence of foreign cuisines is evident in the
numerous “Burek bars” which actively compete with fast food, especially in Pod-
gorica, where there are fast food outlets at every step. They sell burek (a phyllo-
dough stuffed with meat, monk’s rhubarb, potatoes, and cheese), originally a
Turkish dish (börek) and is extremely popular even today. The influence of Italian
cuisine is also noticeable in the consumption of the favourite and adored pizza,
which is why you will find plenty of pizzerias in all the towns and cities, as well
as the numerous types of pastas that have become standard, in both home
kitchens and restaurants.

Many beekeepers live in the countryside of the central region and their Top quality
honey is of very high quality and value. Homemade ju- natural
ices are also famous as they are so full of fruit, with little honey, a gift
sugar, such as pomegranate and cornelian cherry juices. from nature
As for jams, the most exceptional are those made from rose hips or cor-
nelian cherries. Plum jam is the most favourite and most appreciated
The influence of
type of jam. It is cooked differently from the other jams. Apart from be-
Italian cuisine is
ing used as a spread, it is also included in many desserts, cakes, and noticeable all over
Homemade strudels. It is present in the old dessert “Podgorica presukači” (a special Montenegro
plum jam treat that looks like “priganice” (fried dough balls) or
doughnuts, although the recipe is different, simple
and unique).

If you prefer “firewater” drinks, try the homemade wines

and brandy. The largest vineyards are in the central Monte-
negro, especially in the regions of Podgorica and Crmnica.
However, if you are a beer lover, our recommendation is, of
course, the famous “Nikšićko” beer.

~42~
 “Carp in a frying pan”
A carp weighing 2,5- 3 kg , 2 kg of onions, 250 gr of prunes, 1 sour
apple, 1 quince, some raisins, 1 teaspoon of sweet paprika, 125
gr of tomato purée, 1 spoon of sugar, 4 spoons of wine vinegar, 3
spoons of flour, 2 glasses of water, salt as desired, half a litre of oil.
Cut into the carp on both sides, salt, and put to fry in oil. During
that time, braise the chopped onions in oil. After a while, add
gradually 3 spoons of flour, sweet paprika, tomato purée, 2 gla-
sses of water, prunes (previously dipped in hot water), chopped
apple and quince, 1 spoon of sugar, 4 spoons of wine vinegar.
Salt to taste. When the carp is fried, pour this mixture over it
and leave it to bake for half an hour until it is well done.

“raštan prepared on smoked pork

knuckle”
Raštan (collard greens) is a type of dark green cabbage. Wash
the raštan well, then tear into pieces by hand and put in boiling
water to cook. At the same time, cook the smoked pork knuckle,
a piece of bacon and a piece of pork. When all this is cooked, put
all together in a pot to cook. When half boiled, add several pee-
led potato halves. When finally cooked, put the raštan onto the
plates and eat as stewed vegetables. The meat should be served
separately, either with raštan or other vegetables.

~43~
 “Japraci” Japraci, a dish
of Turkish
origin
1 kg of raštan , 400 gr of veal, 2 dl of oil, 150 gr of onions, 80 gr of
rice, salt, pepper and parsley as desired, 200 gr of dried meat.
Separate the fresh good young leaves of the raštan from the stem
and remove the thick part of the leaf. Wash in cold water and
blanch them in salted water for a couple of minutes. When the
leaves are blanched, take them out and put immediately into
cold water to preserve their natural colour. Keep in cold water
until you use them again.
Separate the veal neck or shoulder knuckle from the bones, re-
move gristle and fat, and cut into small pieces. Clean, wash and
chop the onions. Clean and wash the rice, and then strain well.
If we add the dried meat when preparing japraci, it must be cut
and put so that each portion contains one piece of it. Fry the cho-
pped onions in a pan. Add the chopped meat to the onions and
fry all together until all the water evaporates. When the onions
and meat are fried, add the prepared rice and fry all together.
Season the mix with a little salt, ground pepper and parsley. Let
the prepared stuffing cool.
Put a tablespoon of stuffing on each leaf and roll it. If a leaf is too
big, divide it into two because japraci should only be small
in size. Put the leaves around the pot and place the rolls
next to each other, adding pieces of meat in between.
Cover with raštan leaves and pour over water. Cook
on a medium heat until the raštan leaves are
tender. Serve with sour cream.

~44~
 THE MOUNTAIN
CUISINE
Radmilo Tadić, a journalist and publicist

A marvellous The unique

view of the Owing to the rich pastures on the Durmitor, Sinjajevina and Bjelasica mo- layered pasta
Montenegro untains, dairy products and meat from the Montenegrin north are the real “filatta”
Mountains generators of energy for life. The main dishes that are waiting for the guests cheese from
to the north are mostly cooked potatoes, cabbage and mutton, as well as Kolašin
lamb roasted under the bell or on a spit. Dried mutton, pork, and beef are
usually only eaten in winter.
In the town of Kolašin, you have to try their layered cheese, cicvara or kača-
mak that are eaten with homemade sour milk.

In the entire region of northeast Montenegro (Bijelo Po-

lje, Berane, Plav, Rožaje, and Petnjica) there are outstan-
ding beef prosciutto and pies, which are hard to resist. In
Pljevlja you should certainly try their protected cheese,
while in Žabljak and in Šavnik you must try lamb roasted
under the bell (“ispod sača”).

Veal roasted under the bell and served with

the famous cheese from Kuči

~45~
In Niksić and Piva, you have to try skorup (ripe kajmak)
and all kinds of roasts under the bell, in Danilovgrad
you have to eat trout from the river Zeta, and in Kuči
(northeast of Podgorica) taste the cheese from Kuči
and skorup from the “katun” (the pastures in the high
hills and mountains).

Katun skorup from a

sheepskin sack is a must-try

The village of
njeguši

Under the mountain peak

of Lovćen lies the village of
Njeguši, very well known for
its numerous specialties: ham,
cheese, kastradina (dried
mutton) and sausages. Its
prosciutto is made of pork,
and it owes its special taste
and aroma to the mixture of
the sea and mountain air and the special wood that is burned during its drying process. All the
inhabitants of the “karst”, a small region near Lovćen, are involved in drying prosciutto and
kastradina. Prosciutto and kastradina, together with bacon, onions and bread, are the staple
foods of the local people and are used to give them energy during their strenuous working days.

reCIPes

Trout in sour milk

4 trout of 250- 300 gr, 2 litres of mild sour
milk, 6-7 cloves of finely chopped garlic, a
little salt.
Clean the trout, prepare a frying pan and
fry the trout in a lot of oil. Put the chopped
garlic and salt in the milk and stir. In a dee-
per pan, douse the warm fried trout with
the prepared milk so that each piece of trout is covered. Pour one spoon of oil, in which the
trout was fried, over the surface. Sprinkle over some black pepper. Cover the pan with alumi-
nium foil and refrigerate for 4-5 hours.
~46~
lamb in milk

1.5 kg of lamb shoulder knuckle or loin, 1.5 litres of milk, 3 carrots, 2 bay leaves, 5-6 unground
peppers, 1 kg of potatoes, parsley, and salt.

Wash the meat, put into a pot and douse with milk, add one whole carrot, bay leaves, and pepper
and salt as desired. Boil peeled whole potatoes in another pot. When the meat has boiled, take
it out of the pot, put into a deeper pot and add the whole boiled potatoes and carrots. Douse it
with the strained milk in which the meat was boiled and garnish with parsley.

Flatbread in a clay pot

Jardum
Jardum or grušavina
is a typical product of
the mountainous part of northern
Montenegro, and is made of sheep
Flatbread in a clay pot milk. It is prepared in late summer and early
Flatbread in a clay pot is prepared by placing autumn because the grazing in these months
a shallow clay pot (crepulja) on the oven un- is richer and the milk can be “curdled” more
til properly heated. Remove it from the heat easily. The Sheep milk is salted to taste and co-
and add the dough for the bread and covered oked on a medium heat while being constantly
it with the bell. In this way, the bread is ba- stirred until the entire mass is covered in foam.
ked on both sides, from below by the hea- Then it is removed from the heat to cool down.
ted clay pot, and from the top by the embers This milk is very dense and tasty and is served
contained in the bell. as a side dish.

~47~
sWeeTs
AND DESSERTS

~48~
Sonja Golubović, a journalist and the Chief Editor of the “Caffe Montenegro” magazine

The sWeeT lIFe

oF MonTenegro

Almonds and
pine nuts,
he finest smells at home are produced when cookies and cakes are being made. essential
T Even after we have grown up and get a whiff of that smell in a pastry shop, a
child-like joy awakes in us and all the memories come flooding back. There is nothing
ingredients
of the “Perast
more enjoyable than the scent of cinnamon, vanilla or baked apples coming out of the cake”
kitchen…the most beautiful memories…We all have these memories. Some of them
we share with everyone.
We like the same tastes and smells today as our ancestors did hun-
dreds of years ago. Ancient recipes, passed down from generation
to generation, both orally and in writing, have been preserved,
and this will go on, hopefully, forever. Such a magical recipe is our
“Dobrota cake” which, due to its rich and special composition,
is called the “Imperial Cake”. The recipe for making this cake has
the status of an intangible cultural asset of great local significance.
Housewives from the Bay of Kotor have remained faithful to the
old recipe and it is not unknown for them to devote two hours of A sponge
their time just to make it. This cake is similar to the “Perast cake”. In cake, a
fact, the only ingredient that makes any difference between these treat made
two cakes is the pine nuts which, besides almonds, are added to
with lots of
the “Perast cake”. The Dragon cake, a traditional cake from the Old
eggs
Town of Budva, is also almost identical.

Priganice Even the simplest of Montenegrin cakes - delicacies with plenty of

with honey, eggs, such as sponge cake, in which you can whisk up to fifteen
eggs, depending on the cook preparing it, as well as the famous
something
“priganice” (fried dough balls), are made from only simple ingre-
that is never
dients. However, in combination with honey, as they are most
forgotten in commonly served, they have always been the favourite sweet. The
a traditional recipes for priganice vary in the different parts of the country. On
table setting the coast, for example, raisins are put in them, a unique addition. A
similar and widely prepared treat is called “ruštule” or “kroštule”, a
traditional simple dessert also made from dough. Crisp and sprin-
kled with caster sugar they always find their place on the table at
any seaside festivity.

~49~
 The famous crepes have a special place in Montenegro`s
cuisine. They are made of corn flour, filled with honey and
ground walnuts, or doused with prunes cooked in wine.
You can notice the influence of foreign gastronomy es-
pecially with desserts, mainly in well-known favourites
which have become native to Montenegro such as ba-
klava, tulumba (baked or fried dough soaked in lemony
syrup), urmašica (biscuits soaked in sweet syrup), tufahije
(apples poached in sugar water, and stuffed with ground
walnuts). You can find the best such sweets in Ulcinj, Plav Krempite, a
and Rožaje. Another favourite old treat is “pinca” or “fu- must-try in
gaca”, a typical Italian Easter cake. It is often prepared in the pastry
households although slightly modified in relation to the shop “Forza”
The unique original Italian recipe, so we might dare to call it “our own”. in Kotor
and delicious
corn crepes The menus of local restaurants are dominated by in-
ternational (mostly Italian) desserts and ice creams.
However, what characterizes the “sweet Montenegro” is
the fact that every city and small town has an old pastry
shop that is favoured by the locals. These are old family-
friendly places and usually small family businesses pa-
ssed down from generation to generation. Here you can
find homemade cakes prepared using the old recipes.
Ruštule is a Nothing has changed in these pastry shops for decades,
traditional or even longer, neither the interior nor the cakes. They
sweet preserve tradition and refuse to sell anything that is not
prepared in handmade. Such pastry shops are “Kod Branke” in Budva, “Š.T. Hamza” in Pod-
the coastal gorica, “Fontana” in Niksic, and “Karađuzović” in Bar.
region and
One of the most popular pastry shops in the Bay of Kotor is “Forza” in the Old
every village
and even Town of Kotor. It has reserved the local bragging rights to the best “krempita”
every house in Kotor and it also sells ruštule.
have their Our recommendation to foreign guests: when you are choosing a pastry
own recipe shop, go where your hosts go.

~50~
 Dobrota cake
(A recipe from the book “Bokeška kužina”)

This famous “gulozeca” (treat) was originally called the Venetian

cake. Women from Perast named it the “Perast cake”, and wo-
men from Dobrota call it the “Dobrota cake”. I chose the name
Dobrota cake. Truth be told, both are good!

Dough: 6 yolks, 6 tablespoons of sugar, 200gr of

butter, 1 tablespoon of milk and flour.
Leave a little dough aside for decoration.
Filling: 6 egg whites, 400 gr of almonds, 400 gr
of sugar, 1½ dl of Maraschino cherry liqueur, Filing: whisk the egg whites with sugar. When
lemon zest. the whites harden, add the almonds that have
been blanched in hot water, peeled and finely
Dough: whisk the yolks with sugar, add softe-
chopped. Add Maraschino, the grated lemon
ned butter and continue whisking. When all is
zest, and stir gently. Put the filling evenly on
nicely connected, pour in the milk and gradu-
the dough.
ally add small amounts of flour until you get a
dough that is neither hard nor soft. Form the Take the dough that you have left aside, cut it
dough on the bottom of the baking pan and in finger-wide stripes and place as a grid on
around the sides, by forming small creases in the top of the filling. Put the cake in a hot oven
the form of a sparrow`s tail. and bake at 160°C for about 40 minutes.
~51~
MonTenegr

A juicy
red onion
from
Crmnica
~52~
In MarKeTs
Sanja Golubović, a journalist and the Chief Editor of the “Caffe Montenegro” magazine

PlaCes WITh a vIvaCIous rhYThM

market day was once like a holiday in Montenegro. People from the place where
A the marketplace was organised, those from the surrounding villages, even quite
distant, the neighbouring regions, and those from near the border, would prepare for
days in advance everything they were going to bring to the marketplace on the big
day. From the money they earned by selling their produce, they would then buy all the
things they needed. A lot of things were bartered of simply exchanged. People from
the north would exchange the goods they needed with those from the south and vice
versa. The locals would dress up in their best clothes for the weekly market because it
was the day for meetings and chance encounters, the exchange of news, the sharing
of experiences, and, above all, lots of conversations…

The marketplace was the place where young men and women who had not had many
opportunities for courtship would fall in love. It would take a half day or even a day`s
walk or ride on horses and donkeys for people from the more distant places to come
to the marketplace. This was usual when the weekly market was in the famous Rijeka
Crnojevića when this place was the trading centre of Montenegro and its most impor-
tant port in the 19th and early 20th centuries. People from many religions and nations
would come to this opportunity for “trading in Rijeka” and there were days when no
less than eight hundred people or more would come, with buyers from Dubrovnik,
Italy and Albania all gathered there. A particularly appreciated product was dried bleak
and wealthy Italian merchants would often pay a lot of money to have them on their
dining tables.

Things look different today. Almost every settlement has its own mini-market or super-
market, but a major town`s marketplace has remained the place where people conti-
nue to gather at least once a week. The Weekly market is still the day when vendors
from distant places arrive and bring with them products that are not available every
day. Going to the weekly market still has the charm of a ritual, a time when we can pick
and choose, look around, smell, and evaluate. Naturally, although it does not matter, we
are still happy when an elderly saleswoman gives us an apple or two for free. Maybe
she reminds us of our grandmother, who is far away or has passed on.

~53~
 The FarMer`s MarKeT In
PoDgorICa – MonTenegro
aT Your FIngerTIPs
Podgorica, the Capital City, which lies on the banks of the river Morača, near Lake Skadar
and a 45-minute drive from the sea and the same distance from the mountains, has
two green markets where you can find everything that people who live near the sea,
the rivers, the lakes, the mountains, and the surrounding plains of Zeta and Bjelopavlići,
can produce. One of them is in the shopping mall “Bazar”, in the part of the town called
“Preko Morače” (across the Morača river), and the second green market, a bigger one, is
in the shopping mall, “The Mall of Montenegro”.
Sea, lake and river fish, vegetables, kajmak, cheese, honey, olive oil, homemade wines,
and juices are brought here from all parts of Montenegro. In the butchers you can find
truly organic meat from the mountains. The inhabitants of Podgorica are able to enjoy
any sort of Montenegrin cuisine they want. The most commonly bought fish are the river
trout (a favourite Podgorica dish is trout with kajmak) and carp from Lake Skadar (it is
prepared with rice or in the pan), and all kinds of meat.
The rich agricultural region of Zeta is famous for its year-round fruit and vegetables, so
residents of Podgorica can enjoy lettuce and spring onion even in winter. As a city of
wines and vineyards, besides the wine giant “Plantaže”, Podgorica has many top quality
small wineries that sell their wines at the marketplaces. Homemade pomegranate juice
also has its place in the markets. Home-grown blueberries and raspberries, and wild
blackberries from the mountain areas all come to be sold at the green markets. Honey
producers also have their stalls in Podgorica’s markets, so you can buy forest, floral or
mug-wort honey from all the honey rich regions of the country.
Going to Podgorica`s farmer`s market is an insight into all of Montenegro. The residents
of Podgorica have become much attached to their “own” market vendors and have com-
Vineyards plete confidence in them, know exactly where they come from, and have been buying The farmer`s
in the Zeta cheese, kajmak, and fruit from them for years. market in
plain Marketplaces connect people. Podgorica

~54~
 The FarMer`s MarKeT
The
colourful
farmer`s
market in
Bar In Bar – FruIT FroM
TWo shores
Bar is a town adjoining the sea on one side and Skadar Lake on the
other, so food and produce from their shores, both savoury and sweet,
are always available. Bar also has two marketplaces: a smaller old one
in the town centre and a new one at the main crossroads, near the
bus station, located in a big building – The Bar Market. The authentic
experience of being in Bar is only really felt by going to one of these
two markets. Here you will find numerous stalls which, besides fruits
and vegetables, sell homemade olive oil, olives, tangerines, nuts, dried
figs and a lot more. The
famous
The old Montenegrin saying that a fish is tasty only when it has swum three times - in olives from
the sea, in olive oil, and in wine, is confirmed right here in Bar. Bar has all three: fish, Bar
olive oil, and the numerous famous local wines from Crmnica and the region of the
Skadar Basin.

Do not leave Bar without at least a bottle of wine and olive oil (the most famous local
brand of olive oil is “Barsko zlato”) and olives (the famous indigenous olive variety called
žutica).

~55~
 how to buy top
quality homemade
olive oil and
olives?
Experienced olive growers
say you should do the
following: pour little oil on
the palm of your hand or in
a wide cup that you warm
up between your hands. The
first thing you check is the
smell of the olives, the same
one that you get when you
squash a fresh olive with
your fingers. Then sip a little
oil and suck it behind your
teeth, so that other aromas
can be noticed besides the
taste. The best oils are those
that are made from freshly
harvested olives. Bad olives
give off an oily or metallic
taste. Olives that were picked
a long before processing have
the taste of heated grease.
A heavy scent is a sign of a
poor quality oil.

~56~
 The FarMer`s MarKeT In
KoTor – The sea anD The
MounTaIns
To the right of the main gate of the ancient city of Ko-
tor, right under the walls, there is always a crowd. Those
who come here for the first time will be attracted by the
tumult coming from the assembled people, the smells,
and the beautiful scents of the Mediterranean, the sea,
the herbs, the fish, the fruits and the flowers. This is the A string
Kotor Market – it is called the “Markat”. We do not know of dry figs
whether this is named after the famous farmer`s market waiting for
in Barcelona (Mercat de La Boqueria), but we know that buyers in the
market
A postcard any time spent in the Kotor market is as great as that
from 1908, spent in the market in Barcelona. While you can`t com-
showing pare the size, the range of produce on offer is definitely
the Kotor comparable.
marketplace
The simple stalls are filled with handpicked fruit and
vegetables, bottles of olive oil, jars of honey, fruit from
both the north and the south of the country, bowls with
olives, packs of local tea and small jars of healthy mixtu-
res of honey, walnuts and seeds. In the dairy section you
have neatly displayed kajmak and cheeses – soft, semi-
hard, and hard cheeses, as well as cow, and goat (soft or
hard) cheese in oil.
In addition to the usual fare, you will also find intere-
sting plants for salads, typical of the Bay of Kotor, such
as endive. It is primarily used as a salad, in polenta,
during the preparation of the dish, veal in dough with
endive, various pies and risottos, fish and lamb with

The “Kostanjada” festival

in Stoliv, dedicated to
chestnuts; there is a similar
celebration in Ostros.
Chestnuts are used by a
lot by housewives from the
Bay of Kotor, mostly for
special treats

~57~
 endive, and cakes and crepes. When it is time for kostanj (chestnuts), you can find them everywhe-
re and they are used by many housewives in the bay for special desserts and snacks. (The “Kosta-
njada” held in the village of Stoliv is a chestnut festival).
From the hills above Kotor, locals arrive and bring with them small amounts of everything that they
sell, once their personal needs have been satisfied. That is the beauty of it. What they sow and reap
Fresh for themselves, they also sell to others. That is not much of it, but it is all organic and of high quality.
shrimps Everything that grows from seeds and then ripens in the sun and is watered
by the rain, is to be found in the market.
“The Markat” is a place that you should not miss when you come to Kotor. Kotor
also has had its own marketplace and weekly market, held on a Saturday since
the 15th century. At the time, the market was held inside the town on Sundays,
in front of the Cathedral of Saint Tryphon. But due to the Sunday Masses and
in order to avoid unnecessary crowding, the Bishop of Kotor, at the time, Marin
Kontareno, set Saturday as the day for the weekly market. For the last six centu-
ries, Saturday has been the day for the weekly market in Kotor.
You will not regret it. Wherever you are from, do not leave the market in Kotor
without at least a bouquet of flowers and a bottle of olive oil, or maybe some dry
figs. If you are an early bird, you should go early to the market, you will be one of
the lucky ones as you will arrive in time to buy fresh fish caught that very morning
and thus bring home the best that can be offered by the Adriatic. Unless you
come from afar. In that case, go straight to one of the many restaurants in Kotor
that offer the same fresh fish bought from the same fishermen, the same day.

The Kotor
market

~58~
 WeeKlY MarKeTs

ANdRIjevIcA: MONDAY KoToR: SATURDAY

BAR: SATURDAY MojKovAc: MONDAY

BeRANe: SATURDAY NIKšIć: MONDAY AND FRIDAY

BIjelo Polje: SATURDAY PlAv: FRIDAY

BudvA: FRIDAY PljevljA: MONDAY AND FRIDAY

ceTINje: FRIDAY PodgoRIcA: SATURDAY

dANIlovgRAd: SATURDAY RožAje: FRIDAY

gusINje: THURSDAY TIvAT: SATURDAY

HeRceg NovI: WEDNESDAY AND SATURDAY ulcINj: TUESDAY AND FRIDAY

KolAšIN: MONDAY žABljAK: THURSDAY

~59~
 The
resTauranTs
oF MonTenegro

www.montenegro.travel/en/objects/restaurants

~60~
By Saša Radović, The Chairman of the Board of Directors of HG, “Budvanska rivijera”

The selection of restaurants was brought to you

by:
Velibor Zolak, a marketing manager, a publisher
and publicist, Sanja Golubović, a journalist and
editor, and Saša Radović, a tourism manager.

s you may have noticed, in many introductions by various

A juries, committees, selectors and those who seek to justify
a certain choice they have made, almost as a rule, they state that
they “had a difficult and thankless task”. Well, in the case of the
three of us (Velibor Zolak, Sanja Golubović and myself), who
are behind the recommendations of restaurants which deserve
your special attention and time (and time is money), that cannot
be said. It could actually be said that we did not have a difficult
time at all. We simply compared our individual lists, shared expe-
riences, peeked online and, well, we also did some tasting. We
shared our dilemmas with friends whose opinions matters to us
and – voilà! I forgot to mention that we also asked the editor to
further extend our list of recommendations. However, we were
unsuccessful. The reality is that no matter how many additional
choices we were allowed, our request would always have been
the same.
In our evaluations we were guided by international standards
and employed the criteria used by the biggest and most impor-
tant gastronomic guide in the world - Michelin. In those criteria
there is no space for an official number of restaurant stars (be-
cause they are meaningless for the product that is delivered),
atmosphere, interior, and so on. People go to restaurants for the
food and it alone defines the restaurants’ quality and success.
There is an air of relaxation in Montenegrin restaurants, unbur-
dened by any long traditions that have been passed down thro-
ugh the generations. There are no norms that require training or
connection to any prestigious international cuisine or culinary
school. There is no proud glorification of the local dishes. A gor-
geously decorated space and often a glamorous feel, a number
of fine people around you, the feeling of improvisation and crea-
tivity in the preparation of the food, the quality of the ingredients
and the abundant portions at a reasonable price, are going to
win you over immediately. A friendly atmosphere and natural
hospitality will make sure that you become a regular guest and
help you to overlook any tiny flaw. You will enjoy socialising with
the local people, you will live their lives, whether you are in Mon-
tenegro on holiday or on business.
Finally, we hope that you will discover your own favourite resta-
urant in our country and enjoy it at least as much as we enjoyed
the ones we recommend here.

~61~
10 resTauranTs
that deserve special attention
F o r e s T, P o D g o r I C a
Without getting into an argument about whether Beef
Wellington is of British or New Zealand origin, what is
certain is that you can order it in the restaurant, “Forest”
in the “City kvart” district of Podgorica. Its distinctively in-
ternational menu offers a walk through the most famous
European cuisines, so besides the aforementioned dish,
you can order an Italian ossobuco, a nice sweet duck dish
called Duo of Duck or a sea bass filled with olive tapenade.
The experienced waiters will happily recommend a wine
that goes nicely with every dish. We recommend that you
finish your meal with a dessert of either a triple chocolate
cake or a delicious warm plum crumble with a scoop of
vanilla ice cream.

heMera, PoDgorICa
The “Hemera”, located in the city centre on Njegoševa Street is a Mediterra-
nean restaurant offering classic seafood specialties which stand out through
their imaginative creation, such as light rolls filled with shrimps, a triple cheese
mousse with fresh spinach or a joyful and colourful combination in saffron, the
seafood risotto. The menu includes some exotic dishes as well, such as Asian
chicken made with soy sauce, curry, honey and jasmine. A refreshing arugula sa-
lad with blueberries, caramelised walnuts and a Greek cheese manure is always
a good choice for a light meal. For red meat lovers, we recommend the veal fillet
“Hemerin” in combination with truffles and porcini mushrooms or perhaps a
tomahawk rib-eye steak – meat of extraordinary succulence, texture and flavour,
which has gone through the process of dry ripening and is specially prepared in
Josper Grill ovens. Hemera’s desserts are among the favourites in the city, so you
can happily make your selection from: soufflé, chocolate brownies, forest fruit
www.hotelhemera.com cheesecake, fruit waffles, and the list goes on.

~62~
Per seMPre, PoDgorICa
“Per Sempre” offers a taste of the Mediterranean and the spirit of the Apennines
to Podgorica. All their pasta is homemade, prepared in-house in a traditional
Italian way. Tagliatelle, gnocchi, ravioli, spaghetti, pizza, seafood specialties are
all masterly paired with appropriate seasonings and vegetables. Truffles, por-
cini mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, pecorino, onion, garlic, olives, basil, dried
tomatoes, aromatic herbs, sage, rosemary and arugula give the dishes their
www.restoranpersempre.me
authentic flavour.

Just a few steps away from the

restaurant “Per Sempre” is its equi-
valent for those who prefer meat;
the restaurant the “Meat, Steak &
Wine Bar”, with its carefully desi-
gned concept, is a step forward in
today’s gastro and wine scene. It
skilfully connects both wine conno-
isseurs and lovers of well-chosen
and prepared meat dishes. Both
restaurants are located in the “City
kvart” district.

KoD MIšKa, ulCInJ

The oldest restaurant situated on the estuary of the river
Bojana, opened in 1991, is a family business owned by
two generations of fishermen and caterers, whose entire
families work in the restaurant. The fish broth that is ser-
ved in small pots for each guest is an appetizer you sho-
uld not miss. The fish dishes are prepared only from the
fresh daily catch. You get to choose your own fish and
the way it is to be prepared: on the grill, in salt, with ve-
getables, fruit (apples, prunes, pineapple), baked in the
oven or in a crock. Any sunset seen from the restaurant’s
terrace is unforgettable.
www.restoranmisko.com

~63~
 D e M I ž a n a , B u D va
The local word “Demižana” means a big glass bottle wrapped in wicker and often used for sto-
ring homemade wine and brandy. That archaic word symbolises the rustic atmosphere of this
well-known Budva tavern of the
same name. The real taste of the
Mediterranean has been living in
this restaurant, a stone house on the
right side of the entrance to the Old
town of Budva, for decades. In the
summer months it enjoys the sha-
de of a grapevine, and the warmth
of a fireplace in the winter. This is a
real home of fish and seafood and
whatever you choose, you cannot
go wrong. People frequently come
to Budva just for lunch in the “Demi-
žana”. In the tourist season, because
of its popularity, you should make a
reservation one day ahead.

J a D r a n K o D K r s Ta , B u D va
Like a tall boat mast in the Budva marina, in this town full of clustered restaurants,
the one that stands out is “Jadran”, to this name one has to add “kod Krsta” (at Krsto’s),
because almost every guest will meet the owner, Krsto, who makes everyone feel as
if they are coming to a friend’s house to eat. Krsto’s cooks skilfully prepare everything
the sea has to offer. Their selection of meat is also extensive and the pizzas are baked
in a wood burning oven. Right behind this oldest restaurant in Budva, opened in
1976, is a famous haven of modern pop culture, the biggest rock club in the region,
the “Beer and Bike Club”, in which rock bands perform 365 days a year. After you
have finished a delicious fish dinner in the “Jadran” just go over to “Beer and Bike” and
have a great time!
www.restaurantjadran.com

~64~
M a K a r u l , P o P - u P r e s Ta u r a n T, B u D va
On the first floor of the “Mogren”
hotel, a part of the Hotel Group,
“Budvanska rivijera”, the first fine
“pop-up” restaurant has been ope-
ned in Montenegro. Carefully selec-
ted local foodstuffs, a modern and
innovative method of food prepa-
ration although based on tradition,
is the general approach to the cu-
linary offerings of the biggest sur-
prise in Montenegro’s food scene.
Filleted fish, tartar and Carpaccio
sauces, seafood, the best cuts of red
meat, homemade local pasta and
desserts made using local recipes,
form the base of the menu. Like in
all fine restaurants, the number of dishes on the menu is limited as the goal www.hgbudvanskarivijera.com
is to provide the best experience possible. The guests can choose between
four types of complete menus (a four-course meal each), and we suggest
this one: salmon covered in roasted almonds, homemade macaroni with
octopus ragout, sea bass fillet with broccoli and carrot purée and fried par-
sley, and finally, a lemon cake. Enjoy your meal! www.catovica-mlini.com

Ć aT o v I Ć a M l I n I ,
MorInJ, KoTor
On the family estate of the Ćatović family, through which
a small river flows, among trees and the smell of camellias,
laurels, lemons, bamboo, palm trees and olive trees, a
gastronomic oasis of Montenegro has been created. The
Mediterranean trinity – fish, olive oil and wine, is the main
idea of this popular restaurant. For over two decades, gue-
sts from all over the world have visited this restaurant, and
often book a table months in advance. Some “big shots”
from all around world come here, the media around the
planet talks about this renowned restaurant in a tiny coun-
try on the Adriatic Sea. Creamy shrimp soup, yellow risotto
and octopus in corn flour with arugula leaves or grilled sea
bass fillets, rolled and served on wild rice, covered in white
truffle and shrimp sauce would be an interesting choice for
any guest.

~65~
s Ta r I M l I n I , K o T o r
Next to a fast flowing subterranean river as it reaches the sea, right on the shore surrounded by exotic greenery, in an
old mill, lies the family-run restaurant “Stari Mlini”. Ljuta, a small hamlet next to Kotor, is now widely known through this
restaurant, which has been managed
by two generations of the Đurić fa-
mily for three decades. The authentic
Mediterranean location serves up
authentic Mediterranean food as well.
The best fish and other fresh specialti-
es of the Bay of Kotor are prepared in
both a modern and an old-fashioned
manner. Do not miss out on their fish
or octopus dishes served with roasted
vegetables, cooked “under the bell”,
following local tradition.

www.starimlini.com

www.portomontenegro.com/en/village/
restaurants-bars/al-posto-giusto

al PosTo gIusTo,
PorTo MonTenegro,
T I vaT
In the heart of this mega-yacht marina, the stone interior of this
restaurant creates a welcoming Italian ambience and lovers of
the perfect pizza will be greeted by an open kitchen and a wood
burning furnace. A series of classic Italian dishes (pizza, focaccia,
risotto, pastas) is followed by a careful selection of meat and fish
dishes. A beefsteak of your choice – in green pepper-sauce, truffle
sauce, with gorgonzola, diavolo, plain served with grilled vegeta-
bles, or the “Al Posto Giusto” way: on a base of arugula and radicc-
hio, with a Worcestershire and mustard sauce and slices of Grana
Padano cheese. There is a terrace by the sea with a superb view
of the yachts and the vivid sunsets of various colours. We suggest
you try the Adriatic octopus carpaccio, a sea bass salad and Venus
clams and local shrimps cooked alla buzara.

~66~
MonTenegrIn naTIonal resTauranTs

s Ta r a K u Ć a ,
PoDgorICa
The mission of the “Stara kuća” restaurant in the district
of Zagorič, according to the owner, is “to revive the spirit
of old Montenegro, through the food as well as the lay
out of the interior and exterior.” The resulting complex,
although situated just outside of the modern capital city,
is a one-of-a-kind replica of an ancient fort and old Mon-
tenegrin houses from the past of Podgorica. It shows off
the recognisable symbols of the proud history of the spi-
rit of coexistence and multiculturalism of Montenegro.
A very extensive menu, with a bit of an old-fashioned
concept, contains a wide range of meals, roast food, dis-
hes prepared on the grill, and sea and lake fish. However,
what people usually come to “Stara kuća” for are its nati-
onal specialties from all over Montenegro.
www.starakuca.me

KonaK, CeTInJe
A well-known place for gourmands and those who start
feeling nostalgic for homemade cuisine, while on the
Cetinje-Budva highway. The key ele-
ments of old style Montenegrin bu-
ildings, stone and wood, dominate
the interior, and the menu contains
Montenegrin dishes and foodstuff:
homemade cheese, prosciutto (pork
and beef), košet, lamb and kid roa-
sted “under the bell”, Montenegrin
sausage, homemade white or brown
bread made from wheat, corn and
rye flour. Other than traditional na-
tional delicacies, the extensive menu
includes sea and lake specialties and
grilled meals.
www.restorankonak.me

~67~
 sTarI MosT,
rIJeKa
CrnoJevIĆa,
CeTInJe
One of the oldest restaurants on the
banks of the river, Rijeka Crnojevića,
it keeps alive the traditions of living
in that area. This fish restaurant-ta-
vern, named after the famous histo-
ric bridge nearby, only features food
that comes from local suppliers: fish
from the lake and rivers, plus cheese,
prosciutto, and fruit and vegetables
all bought from local growers. We
suggest you order either smoked,
marinated or “drunken” carp, dried
bleak and the must-try fish broth,
with a glass of homemade wine
from the local area of Crmnica, of
course.

KalDrMa,Bar
Located in an authentic old house in the Old Town of Bar,
halfway from the car park to the main gate of the town,
the restaurant “Kaldrma” cherishes the traditional cuisine
of this area. All the dishes are a part of its gastronomic
wealth, the well-kept traditions of the area and the old
times, which you will find difficult to track down anywhe-
re else: okra, japraci, eggplants in tomato sauce, peppers
filled with cheese, broths, meatballs, and meat cooked
with onion. For dessert, we recommend Turkish coffee
and tres leches, or urmašice, an old form of Turkish delight.
Alcohol is not served. The extraordinary interior and the
atmosphere of an old Muslim house make this restaurant
one of the most beautiful in Montenegro.
~68~
voDenICa, KolašIn
This gastronomic emblem of Kolašin is located at the en-
trance of the city, in an old house near the river. You will
find only national dishes on the menu, made from locally
sourced ingredients: kačamak, cicvara, popara, priganice,
meat prepared from local recipes, homemade cheese
pie, pork and beef prosciutto, kastradina, roast veal and
lamb, trout, and sauerkraut. Everything in the restaurant
is homemade: blueberry, raspberry and cornelian cherry
juices, apple pie made with handmade filo dough, corn
and wheat bread. The restaurant also offers a vegetarian
menu based on local foodstuffs.

MoMčIlov graD, žaBlJaK

The “Momčilov grad” restaurant is situated in a location which forms the best
viewpoint in Žabljak, at an altitude of 1,850 meters, and in between no less
than 7 mountain tops. The restaurant serves cheese, kajmak, sour milk, milk,
priganice, kačamak, cicvara, lamb cooked in milk, and veal and lamb roasted
“under the bell:” All its dairy products
come from the farm owned by the
restaurant, so the restaurant produ-
ces almost all the ingredients on the
menu. His Royal Highness, Albert II,
the Prince of Monaco, was amazed
when he paid a visit to this restau-
rant.

~69~
InTernaTIonal BranDs
harD roCK CaFe
PoDgorICa
The “Hard Rock Café, Podgorica”, is located in “The Ca-
pital Plaza” building and is a part of this global brand,
which has come to the Adriatic region and the Capi-
tal of Montenegro for the first time. This unique world
concept gives a new energy to the city, and offers both
its local and foreign guests a complete rock’n’roll expe-
rience. Its unique atmosphere, good music and Ame-
rican cuisine is instantly recognisable by its burgers of
various sorts – the original Legendary burger, Cheese-
burger, Roman-burger, Greek-burger, java lava burger,
vegetarian burger and others.
www.hardrock.com/cafes/podgorica/menu.aspxs

hIlTon, PoDgorICa
Located in the heart of the city, the “Hilton Podgorica Crna Gora” brought into their
restaurant named “Crna Gora” the sort of modern luxury always promoted by this
international hotel chain. Their cuisine is primarily international and designed to fit
the needs and habits of guests from all over the world, while also making sure that
ingredients sourced from Montenegro dominate the dishes. As for the menu, we
recommend: foie gras with homemade strawberry jam, white risotto with shrimps,
fried squid and asparagus, sea bass in lime sauce with herbs and a steak with grilled
goose liver. For those of you who are keen on unusual flavours we suggest the sal-
mon with quinoa. The restaurant’s pastry shop is extremely popular and has preser-
ved the old Montenegrin delicacy tulumbe as a legacy of the old hotel “Crna Gora”
which stood where the “Hilton” now stands. The “Queen Milena” cake and caramel
tart are excellent choices for dessert.

www.hilton.com/en/hotels/montenegro/hilton-podgorica-crna-gora-TGDPMHI/dining/index.html
~70~
 BYBlos, PoDgorICa-TIvaT
Thanks to the restaurants “Byblos” in both Tivat (Porto Montenegro) and Podgorica,
Lebanese cuisine has become popular in Montenegro. The meals that are served in
these restaurants are mostly based on natural, organic ingredients; the meat and se-
afood are bought from local suppliers, and fresh and fermented yoghurt and other
dairy dressings combined with nuts and seeds with served with Middle Eastern
seasonings, are also available. Of course, hummus is on offer. The oriental atmos-
phere is completed by narghiles, original Lebanese coffee and baklava, which are
delicacies you should not miss out on sampling.

www.byblos.me

noBu, BuDva
Opposite the island of Sveti Stefan and with the most breath-taking view
of the open sea, is the restaurant “Nobu”, a part of the worldwide restau-
rant chain of the famous Japanese chef, Nobu Matsuhisa, together with his
partners, among whom Robert De Niro is the one provoking the most in-
terest. The menu is standard for this
restaurant chain and its emblematic
dishes include black cod on green
salad, scampi tempura with spicy
cream or butter ponzu, black cod
with Yuzu Miso, tuna-sashimi salad
with Matsuhisa dressing, piquant
Saint-Jacques and California rolls
with crab meat and avocado. The
best of the new-style Japanese cu-
isine. The restaurant is only open
during the summer season.

www.noburestaurants.com
~71~
 The DInIng rooM, regenT
PorTo MonTenegro,TIvaT
The “Regent Porto Montenegro” has brought with it a number of innovations and
has set new standards for Montenegro’s restaurant scene. This is a place where
experienced food experts come, aware that there is no other place where they
can get a gastronomical experience quite like this, and they are ready to pay for it.
The selection of meals for breakfast and lunch is wide (it is much more extensive
for dinner), but what they have in common is a careful choice of world-class fo-
odstuffs, an uncommon combination of flavours and detailed preparation. If your
meal of choice is a steak, you can, for example, choose between a fillet-mignon
made from Montenegrin beef that has matured for seven days or the best Austrian
beef “Jack’s Creek” Black Angus rib-eye, a perennial winner of the “World’s Best Steak
Producer” award. The menu includes a
fine selection of top quality fish – mon-
kfish, sea bass, dentex, and red mullet,
and for dinner, besides fish and steak,
the restaurant offers duck breasts, lamb
terrine, or venison fillet. The prices are
in accordance with the prices of the
hotel to which the restaurant belongs.

www.regenthotels.com/regent-portomontenegro/dining/dining-room
~72~
 EVENTS
FooD
& WIne

~73~
 FooD & WIne evenTs  FooD

“sMall FeasT “sPonge CaKe

oF oranges” DaY”
Herceg Novi Podgorica

januarY april
www.hercegnovi.travel www.podgorica.travel

“DaY oF “BroDeT FesT”

CollarD “CuIsIne DaYs” Budva
greens” ulciNj enD Of maY/
Podgorica april/maY beGinninG Of
februarY www.ulcinj.travel
june
www.budva.travel
www.podgorica.travel

“PaPalaDa ala “PrIMavera “žuĆenICa

MaKa” FeasT” FesT”
Kotor Herceg Novi tivat
februarY maY maY/june
www.kotor.travel www.hercegnovi.travel www.tivat.travel

InTernaTIonal “rIsan’s gastro evenings

WIne shoW, MaKarulI” “a summer of
“MonTevIno” risaN good taste”
Podgorica tivat
maY/june/julY/
marCH maY auGust
www.podgorica.travel www.kotor.travel www.tivat.travel

“eXPerIenCe
The MosT
DelICIous “TrouT DaYs”
PlužiNe
MoMenTs”
Budva maY
www.montenegro.travel
april
www.budva.travel

~74~
& WIne evenTs  FooD & WIne
“The sMells
“BlueBerrY
oF lInDen anD
DaYs”
honeY” Plav
cetiNje
julY
12. julY
www.plav.travel
www.cetinje.travel

“rasPBerrY
“DaY oF CarP” “rožaJ TaBle”
Podgorica DaYs” rožaje
aNdrijevica
june julY
13. julY
www.podgorica.travel www.rozaje.travel
www.andrijevica.travel

Festival “The CaroB

“Pašticada fest” FesTIval”
Petrovac, Budva tivat
21. jun julY
www.budva.travel www.tivat.travel

WIne anD Tra-

DITIonal Pro- “DaYs oF
DuCTs DaYs honeY”
tivat MojKovac
june/julY/ julY
auGust www.mojkovac.travel
www.tivat.travel

“olIves oF The
BoKa” “MoJKovačKa “DaYs oF
tivat
čorBIJaDa” honeY”
june/julY/ MojKovac Plav

auGust julY julY

www.tivat.travel www.mojkovac.travel www.plav.travel
www.maslinaboka.org

~75~
 FooD & WIne evenTs  FooD

“BreaThe In “PeTrovaC
“MušulJaDa”
KolašIn” nIghT” PrčaNj
KolašiN Petrovac, Budva
auGust
julY/auGust auGust
www.kotor.travel
www.kolasin.me www.budva.travel

“saInT elIJah’s
DaY on ružICa” “nJegušKa “DaYs oF
– a fair of agri- TrPeZa” vanIlICa”
cultural products cetiNje žaBljaK
MojKovac auGust auGust
2. auGust www.cetinje.travel www.tozabljak.com
www.mojkovac.me

“DurMITor
healThY FooD žuĆenICa FesT
DaYs” Lokacija: tivat
Vrijeme održavanja:
žaBljaK
MaJ/Jun
auGust www.tivat.travel

www.zabljak.travel

“The FeasT oF
“šušanJ “The WIne
rušTule”
evenIng” FaIr” sveti stefaN, Budva
šušaNj, Bar daNilovgrad
september
auGust auGust
www.budva.travel
www.bar.travel www.danilovgrad.travel

regional
“sPIčansKo “healThY FooD exhibition,
evenIng” FaIr” “DaYs oF
sutoMore, Bar daNilovgrad honeY“
Pljevlja
auGust auGust
www.bar.travel www.danilovgrad.travel september
www.pljevlja.travel

~76~
& WIne evenTs  FooD & WIne

“FooD TalK” “Feel anD

“KošTanIJaDa”
Budva TasTe MusIC” Kotor
september/ tivat
OCtOber nOvember
september
www.kotor.travel
www.budva.travel www.tivat.travel

“FaIr oF hoMe- “DaYs oF

“The DaY oF
MaDe TraDITI- PlJevlJa
šIrun”
onal CuIsIne” Budva Cheese”
Herceg Novi Pljevlja
OCtOber
september nOvember
www.budva.travel
www.hercegnovi.travel www.pljevlja.travel

“CornelIan “PoMegranaTe
“MaslInIJaDa”
CherrY DaYs” DaY” Bar
NiKšić ulciNj
DeCember
september OCtOber
www.bar.travel
www.niksic.travel www.ulcinj.travel

“DaYs oF “WIne anD

honeY” “KošTanIJaDa” BleaK
Podgorica ostros, Bar FesTIval”
september/ nOvember Bar, virPazar
OCtOber DeCember
www.bar.me
www.podgorica.travel
www.bar.travel
www.pcelarstvo.me

“DaYs oF “auTuMn “BIJelo PolJe’s

honeY” FesTIval” BaZaar”
NiKšić Herceg Novi Bijelo Polje
september nOvember DeCember
www.niksic.travel www.hercegnovi.travel www.tobijelopolje.me

~77~
Bon appétite!

~78~
~79~
Flocks of sheep on
pastures around
Kapetanovo Lake, at
the foot of the “Morača”
mountains, in the heart
of Montenegro. The
natural habitat here is
perfectly preserved and
untouched. A legend says
that this lake was made
by fairies. It’s easy to
believe in such a legend
as the landscape is so
breath-taking and almost
surreal.

~80~