Note: This is NOT an official website of the U.S. Department of State. The views expressed in this blog are my own and do not represent the views of the Fulbright Program or the U.S. Department of State.
Macedonia’s a country you’ve probably heard of in passing—one of
those places in the Balkans that was once a part of Yugoslavia. A
country that’s often overlooked and passed over for the more alluring
countries on the sparkling coast—like Croatia and Montenegro. It’s a
place that’s spent most of its life stuck between war-torn countries
(Serbia and Kosovo), making it hard for Western visitors to give it a
chance. Which is heartbreaking, considering the landscapes are
breathtakingly beautiful, the people are some of the world’s most
welcoming, and the food is some of Europe’s most comforting. No matter
where you go, every meal is made with passion and love—whether it’s at a
hole-in-the-wall in the middle of Skopje or the living room of a farmer
in a local village. Not only that, the focus is entirely on
quality—which means everything is made from scratch without the
additives and preservatives we’re so accustomed to in Western food.
That’s why the cuisine of Macedonia fits so perfectly with Slow Food,
an organization that was founded in the 1980s by Carlo Petrini. The
nonprofit was created to preserve and highlight regional and local
cuisine all around the world. The objectives are simple, to encourage
sustainability and farming, promote local businesses, celebrate
heritage, and educate consumers on the harms of pesticides and fast
food. The organization may be relatively new, but the concept certainly
isn’t—especially in a country like Macedonia.
“When you talk about Slow Food, you talk about the normal life of a
common person in Macedonia. It doesn’t represent just the food, but also
the lives of the people who live here and their passion for tradition,”
said Tefik Tefikoski, the founder of the Macedonian chapter of Slow
Food and owner of Hotel Tutto in Janche.
Tefik, or Tutto as most call him, grew up in the Mavrovo region of
Macedonia, one that’s known for its cheese and vegetable production. At
home, he learned to cook the same recipes his mother and his grandmother
grew up on. Dishes like ajvar—a slow-roasted red pepper dip, which is
stirred and simmered for eight hours—were a common staple at home. For
him, slow food was nothing more than just his life and his childhood,
not a mission. It wasn’t until he left to work in Italy at 21, something
many young people do in a place of such staggering unemployment, that
he realized how special the cuisine of home was.
“Twenty years of work experience in Italy was huge for me. In 2006, I
returned to my birthplace and truly felt and appreciated its untouched
beauty and the special cuisine. Thankfully, the time abroad gave me the
experience I needed to open a hotel, get into alternative tourism, and
found a Slow Food chapter in my village of Janche,” Tutto said.
Luckily for him, it was easy to convince the
Italians he worked with that the cuisine of his homeland was special. He
simply cooked the dishes he grew up on, like pindjur (a relish made
from tomatoes, eggplant, garlic, salt, and pepper) and kifli (flaky
pastries) and served them to his friends. When he came back, he brought
many of his Italian comrades to visit so they could see where the food
they loved so much came from.
It was the bond he made with one Italian that really gave him the
push to open a Slow Food chapter in Janche. The first product he took to
Italy during the annual meeting was his family’s sheep cheese, which is
semi-hard and just slightly salty. The overwhelmingly positive feedback
he received helped further tailor his passion for promoting the
country, his village, and the fresh bounty of the area. Soon, he was
convincing other local farmers and food producers in the country, like
Naco Jovcevski—an organic beekeeper and honey producer in the village of
Dihovo—to join the movement.
“It was an easy sell for me. I’ve always found it
important to showcase the biodiversity of our honeybees (Apis mellifera
macedonica) and preserve the traditional ways of beekeeping (in
traditional old-style beehives made from trees, which is called Trmka).
As part of the movement, we’re able to organize workshops, local honey
tastings, and honey sales both nationally and internationally,” Naco
said.
Jane Josifovski, founder of Macedonia Experience (a Balkan-based land
tour operator) and freelance guide for Intrepid Travel, is appreciative
to the Slow Food movement for bringing more awareness to Macedonia
cuisine, but also wants people to know that it’s really just a
label—this type of lifestyle has been prevalent in the republic for as
long as its been around.
“This style and concept of organic farming and
small-scale food production has always been here. We’ve been doing it
for years, far beyond the 10 years that the movement has been recognized
for here. I think Slow Food is more about emphasizing the local impact,
keeping the money here in Macedonia,” Josifovski said.
To understand the cuisine of Macedonia, you need to understand its
heritage, which is almost wholeheartedly influenced by Turkey. For
centuries during the Turkish occupation, the Macedonians and Turks
remained separate—with the locals in the mountains and the Turks in the
cities. However, as the climate shifted and more jobs became available
in the urban areas, the mountain people (or Macedonians) made their way
to the cities—which led to a shift in cultural identity and, inevitably,
the cuisine.
“Both cultures, their food especially, started to adapt and influence
each other. Macedonians, who are predominately Christian, started
adding pork to the traditional Turkish dishes since pigs were plentiful.
The influence may be heavily Turkish, but our cuisine has evolved into
something special on its own,” Josifovski said.
European and Turkish influence aside, what makes the tomatoes so
juicy, the lamb so tender, and the peppers so crisp is entirely due to
the republic’s climate and diverse geography. Macedonia is a mostly
mountainous country influenced by different climates, from the valleys
of the south to the peaks of the southwest region, or the lakeside area
of Ohrid and Prespa. This alone is one of the main reasons why the
country can produce such a wide range of fruits, vegetables, and grains.
But that’s just one piece of the puzzle. The other comes from the fact
that farmers here rarely use pesticides or additives. In fact, their
farms have always been organic, mainly due to the lack of understanding
of modern farming.
“While the world is still intensely seeking to bring back organic
food in gastronomy, the rural areas of Macedonia and the households here
have been doing this for decades. This ‘old school’ concept gives our
agricultural products the full flavor. It makes every vegetable and
fruit juicier, the meat fresher and more tender. Some of our dishes may
not be pretty—but they’re tasty and healthy,” Goran Mickoski, owner of
the homestay and restaurant Plevna in Kuratica, said with a laugh.
For visitors looking to experience this gastronomic scene firsthand, Intrepid’s food tour
is a great place to start. Launched in June of this year, the tour
takes people to these off-the-beaten-path villages, into locals’ homes
and family-run restaurants, and gives them a chance to authentically
enjoy the food that makes the area so special. Josifovski, who pioneered
the partnership and created the entire program, can already see the
impact the tour is having on the locals, like Goran, Tutto, and Naco.
Not only that, he can see a shift in the people who join the tours, most
who come from Western countries (like Australia, the U.S., Canada, and
the U.K.). For him, most people come with no expectations, but leave
completely and utterly changed.
“The obsession with the fast taste of life and the
obsession with work is one priority in the Western world. On the other
side, in our world, it’s not the main thing. People have more time to
spend on the simple pleasures of life here. That’s one big difference
with our cultures and our mind-sets. People don’t work all the time, so
they have time to prepare the slow food dishes—like ajvar,” Josifovski
said.
However, there’s a shift happening with the mind-set of the locals in
the urban areas of Macedonia, which is both a blessing and a curse for
the economically challenged country. The unemployment rate, which sits
at 25 percent now, is steadily decreasing as new companies make their
way to the republic. More jobs mean more money, which is imperative for
many locals, but it also means less time will be spent on preserving
traditions, and ultimately, preparing the food that’s made the country
so special. Josifovski, who lives in the capital city of Skopje, can
already see the change.
“Downtown, for example, you can buy already prepared food and it’s a
new wave of fast food. It’s practically garbage,” he said with a smirk.
“But people are eating it because the lifestyle is quickly changing.”
Luckily, though, this Western notion of fast food and TV dinners hasn’t
spread past the urban areas—leaving the small villages still relatively
untouched by the change, at least for now.
“The love and passion for preparing our ancestors’ dishes, like
roasted pork with Macedonian paprika, makalo [creamy garlic dip], or
spinach börek, probably won’t change—at least for a while. There will
always be someone at home to produce food and bring the family together
over cooking—whether it’s the grandmother, mother, wife, or daughter,”
Josifovski said.
Here, a few must-visit spots. Chardak
Located in the bohemian neighborhood of Debar in Skopje, Chardak is one
of those restaurants that’s alive with live music and the sound of local
laughter nearly every night of the week. Not a place often visited by
tourists, the menu is traditional Macedonian. Kamin Chamo
If you want to dine where the locals do, go to Kamin Chamo, a popular
lunch spot for the working crowd. Serving traditional and home-cooked
dishes, like tripe soup and veal tongue and ajvar, you won’t find a
better taste of the country. As a note, the restaurant closes at 6:00
p.m., so try to get there for a late lunch. Hotel Tutto
Boasting one of the most beautiful 180-degree views of the lush
mountains and red-tiled roofs of Mavrovo National Park, Hotel Tutto also
has ample outdoor seating so you can enjoy the view while you eat. The
best part? The owner, Tutto, often hosts cooking classes with the
mushrooms and vegetables he grows outside of the property. Whatever you
do, try the sheep’s cheese (made from his family’s sheep) and the ajvar,
which is a family-honored recipe. Dalga
In the heart of Ohrid, Macedonia’s most popular tourist destination, is
Dalga, one of the city’s best seafood restaurants. Located right on the
lake, you get incredible views of the neighboring Mount Petrino and
Mount Galicica while you nosh on some of the Ohrid’s freshest seafood
dishes, like trout soup, fried belvica (small, indigenous fish) and a
hearty spread of makalo, the creamy garlic dip that you’ll never want to
share. Stobi Winery
One of Macedonia’s largest wineries, Stobi produces some of the area’s
crispiest whites and richest reds. Locals love the refreshing Muscat
Ottonel and the hearty Cabernet Sauvignon. Not only is the winery open
for tours and tastings, they also have a fully functioning restaurant
that serves some of the area’s most well-known cuisine, like spicy dips,
house-cured prosciutto, and an assortment of cheeses.
