I was happy to be cooking food from Montenegro this week as I had a vague idea of where the country was located and I tend to love food from Eastern Europe!
Montenegro is located on the Balkan Peninsula in Southeastern Europe, with a coastline along the Adriatic Sea.
Originally, the region that is now Montenegro, as well as the surrounding area, was inhabited by a people known as the Illyrians. During the 6th and 7th centuries, the Balkans began to settle the area, and what exactly happened to the Illyrians is unknown.
Montenegro came under the influence of various powers during the following centuries, including the Ottoman Empire. The country was recognized as independent in 1878 by the Great Congress of Berlin, but became part of Yugoslavia after World War I. Once Yugoslavia broke up, Montenegro and Serbia formed a federation together, which lasted until 2006 when Montenegro declared independence. This makes Montenegro one of the newest internationally-recognized countries in the world.
What Do People Eat in Montenegro?
Montenegro has what I consider an interesting cuisine—some dishes feel very European, but there are also Turkish influences, particularly evident in the range of stuffed vegetable dishes.
Bread is very popular in Montenegro, and it’s served with just about every meal. It can be made from barley, rye, wheat, or corn. Other popular starches include potatoes and pasta; although rice is eaten too, pasta tends to be more popular.
Meat such as lamb, pork, and chicken is widely consumed. Montenegrins, particularly along the coast, also enjoy a vast variety of seafood.
Dairy is a common addition to meals; many dishes are served with cheese, yogurt, or sour cream.
Fruits and vegetables are plentiful in Montenegrin cuisine. In fact, a piece of fruit is often the preferred way to end a meal rather than a dessert dish. Dishes such as rice pudding and sweet fritters are usually served on their own any time coffee is served.
What I Made
- Kačamak (Potato and Cornmeal Porridge)
- Brav u Mlijeku (Lamb Cooked in Milk)
- Raštan (Collard Greens)
- Shrimp Buzara (Shrimp in White Wine)
- Podgorica Popeci (Breaded Veal Stuffed with Cheese and Prosciutto)
Scroll down to read about other popular Montenegrin dishes I didn’t make!
Kačamak (Potato and Cornmeal Porridge)
I know this doesn’t look that appetizing, and to anyone not familiar with it, it probably doesn’t sound very good either. But I was pleasantly surprised by this dish.
Kačamak is a popular dish not just in Montenegro but in other countries in the region too. It’s typically made by cooking cornmeal or wheat flour with water, and served with a type of cream cheese called ‘kajmak’. However, in Montenegro, the grains are often combined with potatoes.
During the late 18th century, the country suffered a devasting attack by the Ottoman Empire. It was already difficult to grow many things in Montenegro because of the rugged terrain, and food became scarce, including grains such as corn and wheat. The ruler at the time was out of the country during the attack, and when he returned he brought potatoes. They proved to grow very well in Montenegro so they were quickly integrated into the local diet and into this dish. This made the grain stores last longer and the kačamak became a relatively cheap way to feed large families.
I started by boiling potatoes in salted water. Then I added cornmeal and beat it into the potatoes and water until I had a thick, porridge-like mixture. In the absence of kajmak, I topped my kačamak with feta cheese and sour cream.
In all honesty, this actually tasted really good. It was definitely a bit heavy so if I were to make it again I would probably eat it as a side dish.
The recipe I used is from Adriacom; this page also has a more detailed account of the history behind this dish.
Brav u Mlijeku (Lamb Cooked in Milk)
This is a popular traditional dish from northern Montenegro, made by slowly cooking lamb and vegetables in milk. I was a little skeptical since milk tends to curdle when you cook it long enough, even if you try to be careful with the temperature. But I thought I would try this anyway.
I started by cooking lamb chunks in olive oil. Then I added minced garlic, parsley, crushed fennel seeds, salt, and pepper. I added some milk, just enough to cover the lamb, and cooked for a few minutes.
Next, I added, rosemary sprigs, carrot, potato, and more milk. I also added some all-purpose seasoning and a little MSG to replace the Vegeta called for in the recipe.
I was meant to boil the milk at this point but I tried keeping the heat down instead in the hopes that my milk might stay together. However, after cooking for an hour or so, it was separating anyway.
The recipe said to remove the lamb and blend the sauce, so maybe that step is to incorporate the solids back into the soup. But I used a colander to remove the lamb and vegetables and the milk solids got stuck in there too, leaving behind a milky broth that actually tasted really good. I tasted the milk solids but they didn’t really have much flavor. So I picked out the lamb and vegetable pieces and added those back into the broth and skipped the blending step.
The recipe never mentioned the milk solids separating, so I can only assume that’s what the blending was for. However, the recipe also only said to remove the lamb, so maybe I was meant to keep the carrots and potatoes in the broth and blend them—though they are intact in recipe photos I found online. I couldn’t find a satisfactory answer as to how this dish is supposed to handle the milk curdling. So I am not sure if I made this properly or not.
Either way, I really enjoyed this. The broth had great flavor from the lamb, rosemary, and fennel. I’d like to make this again, after doing more research into how it’s supposed to be made.
The recipe I used is from Balkan Recipes.
Raštan (Collard Greens)
This is how collard greens are prepared in Montenegro. They are cooked with other vegetables—usually potatoes, carrots, and onions—and often pork such as bacon or sausage is added. The seasoning is kept fairly simple and may include paprika and Vegeta.
I started by sautéing some bacon. I didn’t have the slab bacon used in the recipe video and I thought the regular bacon slices I had would be better if I cooked them a little first.
Next, I added chopped collard greens and water to the pot I’d cooked the bacon in. I brought the water to a boil, and after a few minutes I added onion, carrot, garlic, and salt. Then I reduced the heat and let the pot simmer, covered, for about 20 minutes.
I added some chopped potato, bacon, all-purpose seasoning, MSG, and paprika. Once the potatoes were cooked, I added a little more salt and pepper, and then I was done.
I thought this was really good! It’s pretty healthy too since there are a lot more vegetables than bacon!
The recipe I used here is from Happy Meal on YouTube.
Shrimp Buzara (Shrimp in White Wine)
Buzara is a popular dish not only in Montenegro, but also in neighboring countries such as Croatia. It consists of just about any kind of seafood in either a white or red wine sauce. I chose to make shrimp buzara in a white wine sauce.
I cooked some garlic in olive oil, then added breadcrumbs, tomato, parsley, and white wine. After a few minutes, I added the shrimp. A few minutes more and the dish was ready!
I ate this with some homemade bread and a glass of the wine I used to cook with. It was a delicious meal and so quick and easy to make!
This recipe is from Chasing the Donkey.
Podgorica Popeci (Breaded Veal Stuffed with Cheese and Prosciutto)
This dish, also known as njeguški steak, makes use of a very popular food item in Montenegro—njeguši prosciutto, made in the town of Njeguši in the south. It consists of a piece of veal wrapped around the prosciutto, as well as kajmak (a type of cream cheese), then breaded and fried. I didn’t have the proper prosciutto or cheese, so I used Italian prosciutto and mozzarella to make a version of this dish. Sometimes, but not always, there is a creamy sauce on top, which I decided to include.
First, I pounded the veal pieces so that they were thin. I sprinkled them with salt and pepper, then topped each piece with a slice of prosciutto and some mozzarella. Then, I rolled up each slice. I used toothpicks to keep the rolled together as they wouldn’t stay intact.
I coated the rolls in flour, then beaten egg, and then in fine breadcrumbs, and pan-fried them in oil. I realized that my rolls were too thick; I needed to use smaller slices of mozzarella. My rolls were not as nice as the ones in the photos I was looking at!
I served the rolls with a sauce made from sour cream, mayonnaise, mustard, and parsley, with salad and fries on the side. They were delicious, just not very pretty!
The recipe I used is from Cool Inarika—it’s in Croatian but the translate function in Google Chrome works well.
Other Popular Montenegrin Dishes
- Burek – a pastry typically enjoyed either for breakfast or as a snack. Meat and cheese are common fillings but there are many types available.
- Punjene paprike – peppers stuffed with various fillings.
- Priganice – fritters or doughnuts served with honey, cheese, or jam, usually alongside coffee.
Final Thoughts
This was another great week filled with delicious food! My favorite food from Montenegro was probably the podgorica popeci.
Next week, I will be cooking food from Morocco.