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Burek, an iconic Balkan dish popular in North Macedonia, is best enjoyed with a sour, fermented yoghurt drink.
Photograph by iStockphoto, Getty Images
The culinary culture of this Balkan country is seasonal and steeped in tradition.
This article was produced by National Geographic Traveller (UK).
Sitting on the Balkan Peninsula of southeast Europe, North Macedonia is fairly self-contained and self-sufficient — meaning it’s steeped in local food traditions. Agriculture weaves through society, and markets heave with independent farmers displaying rich cheeses, juicy olives, fresh fruit and veg and much more. By the side of the road, men sit on upturned beer crates selling plastic bottles of homemade rakija (grape brandy) or dried herbs from the fields surrounding their homes.
Summer in North Macedonia is scorching hot, while winter is a time of snowfall, and we eat with the seasons — salty grilled meats and sweet tomato salads in the warm months and stews to get us through the cold. Then, there are almost mystical moments in the culinary calendar, such as making huge batches of yufki (egg noodles) at the end of August to allow them to dry naturally in the sun. Or ritual preserving, which sees the whole family capture the end of the harvest in September.
Many food traditions come from the 70% of the population who observe the Orthodox calendar, but the strongest current that defines how we eat and feed is the notion of hospitality. When calling on someone, you’re given slatko (fruits preserved in a thick syrup) to sweeten your visit, and even if you’re just popping in for a coffee you’ll probably end up staying for dinner.
Eating out is defined by kafanas (local tavernas), of which there are more than 5,000 in a country with a population of only two million. The obsession with these all-day, all-welcome establishments is representative of how we like to eat: at a slow pace, enjoying each morsel. We start with a shot of something strong, some salad and a gossip. And each person who joins the table throughout the day or night orders something new, meaning the plates are always full.
Must-try dishes in North Macedonia
1. Burek
Layers of super-thin pastry are stretched out and filled with white cheese, meat or spinach before being baked. Pick one up wrapped in grease-soaked paper from a burek shop and wash it down with a drink of sour, fermented yoghurt to cut through the fat.
2. Kajmak
This take on clotted cream is made by slowly heating raw milk and carefully skimming the top layer of cream. Enjoy it on some fresh bread or on top of grilled meat in a kafana — it will melt away and add extra richness.
3. Tulumbi
This syrup-drenched, fried dough has been mastered by a local called Dostana, whose shop is tucked away in the Old Bazaar of Skopje, North Macedonia’s capital. Just ask for the ‘older lady who makes the tulumbi’; you’ll be sent in the right direction.
Published in the May 2024 issue of National Geographic Traveller (UK).
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