The Kosovan cuisine is a representative of the cuisine of the Balkans and consists of traditional dishes by ethnic groups native to Kosovo. Due to historical and ethnic connections with Albania, it has been significantly influenced by Albanian cuisine and has adopted elements of other Balkan countries. Bread, dairy, meat, fruits and vegetables are important staples in Kosovan cuisine. With diversity of recipes, the Kosovan daily cuisine adjusts well to the country's occasional hot summers and the frequent long winters. As a result of its continental climate, fresh vegetables are consumed in summer while pickles throughout autumn and winter. Breakfast in Kosovo is usually light, consisting primarily of a croissant with coffee, sandwiches, scrambled eggs, omelettes, petulla or toast with salami, processed cheese, lettuce and tea. Cereals with milk, waffles, pretzels and homemade pancakes with honey or marmalade are also frequently consumed especially by children.
Dishes
Common dishes include pies, flija, stuffed peppers, legume, sarma, kebab/qebapa etc. Notwithstanding, the cuisine varies slightly between different regions of the country. The most common dishes during the winter time in Kosovo contain pickles like sauerkraut, green tomatoes, cucumbers, cauliflower, and condiments such as serbian ajvar which is usually seasoned in early autumn. They do also form popular appetizers throughout the year.
Shope salad - a simple salad made of tomato, cucumber, onions and white cheese.
Main dishes
Tavë Prizreni is a traditional regional casserole from the southern city ofPrizren. It is made with lamb, eggplants, green peppers, onions, tomatoes and is served hot. Sarma is also another popular lunch dish which consists of minced meat wrapped with cabbage or vine leaves.
The most popular fish dishes constitute of fried freshwater fish like Zander and Carp. A speciality is considered the tavë krapi, carp cooked in a pot, more widely used in cities around the Dukagjini valley, notably Gjakova because of its relation with Shkodër. The garnish is composed of garlic, bay leaf, tomato, parsley.
Baklava is a rich, sweet pastry made of layers of filo pastry filled with chopped nuts and sweetened with syrup or honey.
Rice pudding is a dish made from rice mixed with water or milk and sometimes other ingredients such as cinnamon and raisins. Different variants are used for either desserts or dinners. When used as a dessert, it is commonly combined with a sweetener such as sugar.
Havell is a flour-based sweet confection of non Kosovan origin.
Sheqerpare
Drinks
Drinking coffee is part of a big tradition in Kosovo. It is widely consumed and served everywhere at cafés, bars or restaurants. There are several varieties of coffee popular in Kosovo, which include instant coffee, brewed coffee, turkish coffee and italian coffee. The most popular traditional drink in Kosovo is Rasoj which is made of a fermented red cabbage. Another popular beverages include boza, lemonade, kompot, beer, as well as coffee and teas.
Rasoj - Probiotic fermented red cabbage juice consumed mostly during the winter
