To term Balkan cuisine as continental food would mean, driving the various small cuisines that constitute this unique food culture from Europe into oblivion. And to bring the taste of these many small cuisines that is collectively termed as Balkan cuisine, the Portico Restaurant, at Sayaji Hotel has come up with the Balkan Food festival at the restaurant, from September 4 till September 14.

“The Balkan Cuisine is a mix of food from places like Bulgaria, Serbia, Macedonia, Epirus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Greece and Turkey. As a result the cuisine, retains its own distinct taste as compared to other cuisines from around the world," says Chef Vita Bozadzhieva.

"The influences, however, on the food culture of the peninsula reflects the tastes of Asian as well as European cuisines. The cooking style here mainly involves the usage of herbs such as parsley, oregano, and the Chubritza, which is native to the Balkan provinces,” she adds.

Elaborating about the dishes, head chef Hristo Aleksiev says, “Some of the dishes that will be on offer include the Pileshka Kavarma (chicken cooked with mushrooms, capsicums, onions and spices), the Fish Guvech (fish filled with vegetables and herbs) and the Agneshko sas zelenchuci (Lamb cooked with vegetables spices). The vegetarians can try out the Zelenchukova musaka (vegetables baked with spices and yogurt, eggs and parsley) or the Spancheno Guveche (spinach feta cheese, potatoes, herbs, and garlic baked with yellow cheese).” The Balkan cuisine primarily uses a base of homemade curds, parsley, onions, limejuice, and garlic. “As far as savouring Balkan cuisine is concerned, the cooking styles differ a lot here. Since we do not make use of hot spices, we tend to cook meats and vegetables over slow grills and spit fires; the food, thus, has a deep blend of these spices and herbs. For dessert, one can easily try the Garash (chocolate cake), the Torta malkov (Romanian sponge cake) or the Sutliag (rice pudding). For those who enjoy a little more variety, they can try the Plodova Torta (Biscuit with fruits dry grapes and chocolate cream) or the Shokolad Sofia (chocolate mousse),” says Chef Vita.

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