EAT IN ASIA / Food destinations / Other food destinations / Europe - european food / Montenegro - montenegrin food
Montenegrin Ćevapi with cream and fries
We have already tried Ćevapi in Hungary, Romania, and Croatia (Ćevapčići - a Croatian alternative to a regular burger?). Now, it is time for the Montenegrin version. All these countries have different cuisine, use different spices, herbs, and meat. So, given the fact that that multiple regional and international influences are visible in the way of meals’ preparation. And the same is reflected in Ćevapi.
Although the name of the dish is almost the same in all these countries, the taste is different. If you are more interested in our impressions on Ćevapi in Romania, Croatia, or Hungary, just jump to previous posts.
Montenegrin Ćevapi, Plužine, Piva Lake area
The best Montenegrin Ćevapi we had, was in the area of the Piva Lake in Plužine. It was served in a little guesthouse offering not only local meals but also a lot of home-made Montenegrin products. Wines, liquors, juices, lemonades, and sauces. It is a really nice experience to try something prepared in a traditional way. The same applies to prepared meats and vegetables. Everything was fresh, cut, minced, or julienned in the local kitchen. No salad mixes from any supermarket. No defrosted burgers, fish, or any other meat. So, this Ćevapi was as we expected it to be. Definitively the best one!
Balkan version of Ćevapi in Montenegro
This Balkan version of Ćevapi in Montenegro was unique. Apart from the really good taste, the quality of ingredients was also the best one. Minced meat was fresh, not so finely minced as it is in many supermarkets or bars. You could distinguish in it different meat pieces, what is really nice. It was also well seasoned. A little bit salty, however not too much. Spices that were used for Ćevapi had a nice herbal aroma. The outer part of each Ćevapi stick was well grilled; however, the inner part was tender and not to dry. The meat was juicy and soft.
The set composed of ten Ćevapi, French fries and sauces. While fries were just regular fries, nothing special, just OK; sauces were great. You could feel that they were made at home and from best ingredients. Aromatic and very natural.
Local, home-made sauces for Ćevapi
The first sauce was a garlic-herbal mayonnaise sauce. It was a little bit salty, but just as much as it was needed to strengthen the garlic aroma. The second one, that was rather not a sauce, but a little side-dish was amazing. Although from the first glance it is nothing really special and worth being excited about, but just at the moment you tried it, you were definitively changing your mind. So, what was it? Just cream. Yes, cream. But that cream was not a cream you might know. This one had a completely different texture and flavor. Apart form that it was a sour cream, it was salty too. It was dense and was served cold in a small bowl. Cream had a homogenous texture and was almost as hard as a cold butter. The flavor was slightly sour and had delicate salty notes.
Finally, the whole Ćevapi set was garnished with red onion rings, that not only created a nice visual composition, but also added an extra rustic style.
Why should you try Montenegrin Ćevapi?
Although the meal did not look so tempting, it was amazing. You could feel that everything was prepared just at that exact moment and with passion. Ingredients were natural and the cooking process was at it was years ago.
Our dinner was perfect. The place where we were sitting in had a beautiful rustic design. A lot of wooden elements, furniture, and traditional decorations. Apart from that, many books, and a pleasant, relaxing music.
The weather was not ideal for sightseeing. It was cold, rainy, and misty. However, inside the guesthouse you could feel the warmth coming not only from the oven or from the stove, but also given by the owner and people that stayed there too.
Author: Beti – A passionate traveler and lover of Asian cuisine, especially Thai and Japanese dishes, Bernadeta brings her culinary and cultural experiences to life in her writing. Beyond her travels, she’s an avid technology enthusiast with a deep interest in data processing, merging her love for exploration with analytical insights.
Photographer: Adalbert – An aficionado of computers and photography, Adalbert captures the essence of diverse cuisines with a discerning eye. A connoisseur of rich flavors and particularly fond of meat-based dishes, he combines his technical skills with his passion for the culinary arts in every shot.
EAT IN ASIA / Food destinations / Other food destinations / Europe - european food / Montenegro - montenegrin food
