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Top 5 Serbian Food Festivals You Should Visit

Imagine a tour full of food? Well, here it is…

manfredrichter (CC0), Pixabay

One of the most famous things about Serbs is their insatiable love for good local food. If you are gourmet yourself, and you happen to be visiting Serbia, here are the Top 5 Serbian Food Festivals you should definitely check out. We will start with Kobasicijada, village Turija’s internationally popular Sausage Fest.

Kobasicijada (Sausage Fest)

Kobasicijada is an international sausage festival in Serbia, which is held annually in the village of Turija, near the town of Srbobran. The main attraction of this food festival is a giant sausage long over 2 km. Every year, the length of the sausage is extended by one meter, thus Ginis’s record is burned each year.

In February 2013, the official Ginis record was broken off at the 29th Sausage Fest in Turija – the largest sausage coil measures 3.97 m in diameter and was created by Official Sausage Fest Team in Turija, Serbia.

The uncooked sausage coil weighed approximately 340kg with a girth of 3 cm and was made by ten people, under the eye of chef Miroslav Meduric. It took over 7 hours to boil the sausage coil to ensure that it was thoroughly cooked.

Once done, the sausage coil was estimated to weigh approximately 255kg, having lost 25% in mass during the cooking process. The recipe was: pork, salt, pepper, mild & hot paprika.

Slaninijada (Bacon Fest)

Slaninijada is a unique food festival that has been held since 1987, at village Kacarevo -South Banat, and it’s based on the promotion of meat products, bacon mostly, from all around the world. Visitors can taste the bacon from all the countries in the region, but also from USA, China, France, Portugal… Believe it or not, there are presenters from nearly 74 countries who come to Kacarevo to eat, drink and have fun.

The idea for this festival was born in 1987, in a village bar (of course). While drinking rakija, old friends have begun a discussion regarding pig specialties and the best way to dry and smoke, and prepare good bacon. Every one of them claimed to make the best, tastiest bacon. Discussions went far until one of them came up with an idea and organized a tasting competition in order to prove who the best bacon maker in the village was.

Each year, with more than 3000m2 of closed and open space, hundreds of booths and counters are placed where hundred tons of bacon and similar meat products are presented. This is the biggest bacon festival in the world with more than 100.000 visitors each year and it is based on respect and preservation of tradition.

Roštiljijada (Barbeque Fest)

Roštiljijada is a food festival based in Leskovac  (South Serbia) and it affirms the preparation of culinary specialties from its Majesty, the BBQ, in a special, local style known as Leskovacki Roštilj (Leskovac BBQ). During the seven days of the event, more than 300.000 visitors come to Leskovac, which is the reason why this city is now well recognized on the tourist map of Serbia.

The barbecue itself is accompanied by a series of culturally entertaining programs. Big Burger competition is a category of its own.  It’s not easy to imagine a burger that has more than 60 kilograms of grilled meat and extremely difficult to make. It’s a world record in size, which skilled local masters break down year after year.

The one and a half meter in diameter, and three centimeters thick burger, takes the attention of the world media. This competition is followed by a panel of experts- renowned professors of cuisine, who take into account the quantity and quality of meat, the shape and dimensions of the burger, the compactness of the mass, and of course the taste of the final product.

Futoška Kupusijada (Futog Cabbage Fest)

Futoška Kupusijada is a specific food festival in Serbia – it is dedicated to the autochthonous strain of cabbage that is cultivated and processed only in Futog.

This festival promotes the project Futog Cabbage – Brand of Serbia, through the presentation of Futog’s potentials, local customs and tourist offers of the village, with an emphasis on preparing the famous Futog Cabbage dishes.

Interesting about this cabbage is the fact that almost 200 different dishes can be made of it, and in most, there’s a heavy dose of meat included. So, cabbage lovers, think you could try all the specialties?

Pršutijada (Prosciutto Fest)

Pršutijada is traditionally held in the village of Mačkat, located between Užice and Mount Zlatibor, and for 17 years has the status of a national manifestation. Prosciutto Fest attracts more than 10.000 visitors every year during winter time.

The meat specialties fair has a multifaceted character. First of all, it gathers a large number of dried meat products manufacturers, therefore, has an important economic character. At the fair, you can see, try and buy delicacies such as Užička beef prosciutto, pork and sheep’s ham, bacon, sausage, prosciutto and others.

The secret to the exceptional taste and quality of these products lies in Mačkat’s production technology and geographical position. With an altitude of 700 meters from sea level and a mixture of Mediterranean and continental climates, the conditions really favor the drying of meat. The technology has remained unchanged for hundreds of years.

Visitors of the festival participate in the prizewinning game and after the end of the event, they can win plenty of exceptionally tasty and quality meat products. Homemade prosciutto is probably one of the most recognizable products of Serbia, and thanks to nature and the environment in which it is produced, it is one of the best things that mountain areas, canyons, and rivers can offer.

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