EAT IN ASIA / Destinations / Other destinations / Europe / Croatia
Ćevapčići - a Croatian alternative to a regular burger? (Part 1)
Do you need to grab something quickly for a lunch? Are you in a hurry? Do you want to enjoy the local atmosphere? Or maybe you participate in a local festival or would like to get some food from a food-truck? If the answer to at least one of these questions is ‘yes’, then Ćevapčići is for you!
But what is that? Ćevapčići is the name of the meat meal that, with Pljeskavica, is one of the most popular dishes in Croatia. For both of them, usually a beef meat is used. Sometimes you might get either of them prepared from a lamb or pork meat, but that is really rare. Well, actually we did not find a lot of places like that. Beef is the traditional one and is the sort of meat that you would find in probably 95% of all Ćevapčići dishes.
Ćevapčići is a set of narrow, minced meat grilled or fried sticks. Depending on the size of the dish, five, seven or ten pieces are served. If no option to choose, you will probably either get seven or ten of them.
Ćevapčići are usually served separately and come with some minor side dishes. So, you might get some fries, baked potatoes or bread. It also happens that ćevapčići would be served like a hamburger, what means, it would be in a pita bread.
The minced meat is well grilled, usually dark in color and slightly spiced. Pepper and salt are the basic spices, but sometimes other spices are added too.
The most popular way of serving ćevapčići is with French fries, pita bread served aside and with some ajvar. Served in this way, you will find in almost all fats-food stalls, food-trucks and bars.
If you are looking for something more sophisticated, try ćevapčići in a restaurant, where it might be also served with baked potatoes, some extra green salads, onion or chive.
The ajvar sauce is rarely spicy. It is mild, delicate and does not kill the meat’s flavor. Just nicely refreshes and tunes it up. Another option is to replace it with a pepper and tomato chutney, that is similar in taste to ajvar. Usually, chutney’s color is more red than orange comparing it to ajvar.
In some places we got it also with kaymak cheese. This kind of a cheese is a creamy one and is slightly similar to a mix of a cottage and Philadelphia cheeses. Kaymak is delicate, soft and has a cream-like texture. When combined with grilled meat, fresh onion, ajvar sauce and grilled pita bread, the whole set creates a wonderful meal. Both refreshing and warming. A composition of different textures, flavors and tastes. Not to be missed.
We also tried ćevapčići rolled in bacon slices. Quite an interesting way of preparing it, however relatively fatty due to the combination of the minced meat with bacon. As the meat used for ćevapčići includes some fat, bacon’s fattiness only increases it and makes it too greasy.
Of course, the minced meat fat gives at the same time the juiciness softness, but in composition with bacon slices it is too much of it. But there is also something positive about it. Grilled bacon gives an extra aroma and soaks the tender ćevapčići meat making it all in all more aromatic.
The basic and the quickest form of serving ćevapčići, is to place it in a pita bread.
Just like a burger or any kebab. In this case, you might expect to get only minced meat ćevapčići placed or rolled in a halved bun. I think that is the worst way of eating it and is even spoiling the whole pleasure of enjoying it. Being served without any side dishes, without any garnish or any sauce, makes it a little bit too dry and plain.
So, if you have a chance, try to find a ćevapčići that is served as a nice meal, with a lot of appetizers, ajvar or chutney, onions and with grilled bread or potatoes aside. If possible, add this local kaymak cheese to it too. In that way, you will be able to fully enjoy the meal and appreciate its richness of flavors and textures.
