Traditional Serbian Cooking In Belgrade With Locals

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Host Bio: Dragana is a self-taught cook who grew up in a small village in Kosovo. She now lives in a quiet suburb of Belgrade which is surrounded by the Avala mountains, with her husband and children. Dragana enjoys growing her food and cooking delicious Serbian food she grew up eating for her family. And now is excited to share her passion for food, gardening, and cooking with travelers visiting Belgrade. Dragana believes that travel allows you to meet new people, learn new things, discover new cultures, and discuss new ideas - which in turn helps people connect and understand each other better. And connecting over a homecooked meal, while sharing more about her culture, stories of growing up in a small village, and her family recipes recipes, is something Dragana looks forward to. We asked Dragana why she would like to be a Traveling Spoon host, this is what she said, “I used to travel when I was a student and the memories from my trips are those that I spent with locals learning their culture and preparing food together with them. Those experiences are priceless and I would love to give that to travelers who want to feel the spirit and energy of a typical Serbian family and eat and cook together a traditional meal.” Meal Description: You can expect to try a traditional Serbian meal in Dragana’s home in Ripanj, a suburb of Belgrade. The food she will serve is what she grew up eating and learned from her grandmother and mother. Dragana also worked at a local restaurant and was known for her pitas and round flatbreads. At her dining table, you can expect a homecooked Serbian meal, lots of stories, and interesting insights into their daily life, food, and culture. A few dishes that you might try are a traditional Serbian salad (macanica or trljanica) with sarma (Serbina stuffed cabbage) or pilav (with spices and vegetables or meat) or prebranac (baked beans) and proja (traditional Serbian cornbread). End your meal with a sweet dessert such as sitni kolaci (cookies). In the summer months, your meal will include fresh, seasonal, and organic vegetables that are grown in Dragana’s garden! Cooking Description: In your 2 hour hands-on Serbian cooking class learn to make two dishes from scratch. Dragana will teach you how to make the main dish as well as how to bake their famous bread. Learn to make prebranac (baked beans) sarma (Serbian stuffed cabbage), or pilav, and while that cooks learn to bake proja (traditional Serbian cornbread). After your cooking class, help set the table and share the meal you helped prepare. Market Tour Description: Visit Dragana's garden to see the vegetables she grows (only in the Summer months) and then later walk to the Banjica green market. This is a spacious open-air farmers' market where farmers sell fresh fruits, vegetables, meat, eggs, seafood and local food. Great place where you can interact with the farmers, learn about seasonal produce, witness the everyday lives of locals, and understand the pulse of the city. Walk around the market with your host and guide, who will take you to her favorite vendors, teach you how to pick the best produce, and after you shop walk back to her home for your cooking class and meal.