Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
pursuing a Wahhabist agenda in Bosnia. Small pockets of Wahhabists live in remote
areas high in the mountains, separate from mainstream Bosnian society—indeed, the
typical Bosniak on the street is as wary of them as you might be. The violent element
of Bosnian Wahhabists is just one more example of a terrorist “cell” in a country that
doesn'twantthem.ThemajorityofpracticingMuslimsinBosniaexplicitlydenounce
the Wahhabists. As in any country, Bosnia has its share of fanatics—but they make
up a tiny fringe in this predominantly peaceful nation.
Nearly 20 years later, the delicate compromises that were necessary to end a horrifying
war have become almost too complicated to maintain. For Bosnia-Herzegovina to fully re-
cover, all three groups must learn to truly set aside their differences and work together.
Pessimists(whoareabundantinthisregion)don'tlikeBosnia'schances,andBosnianSerbs
still talk loudly about secession (their president, Milorad Dodik, is a separatist who has
floated several proposals to hold a referendum for independence). But others see signs of
hope, such as the young people from the three faiths now beginning to cautiously inter-
mingle, as their ancestors did for centuries. Will Bosniak, Serb, and Croat youth manage to
transcendthefearandangerthattainted theirparents'andgrandparents'countryinthe20th
century? That history is yet to be written.
Bosnia-Herzegovina dines on grilled meat, stewed vegetables, soft cheeses, and other
foods you may think of as “Turkish” or “Greek.” On menus, look for the word
doma
ć
a
—“homemade.” For a rundown of the most common items you'll eat in Bos-
nia—and throughout the Balkans—see the “Balkan Flavors” sidebar.
Beyond the mainstays listed there, another specialty is
dolma
—a pepper stuffed with
minced meat, vegetables, and rice. A
sarma
or
sarmica
is similar, but stuffed in cabbage
rather than a pepper, while
japrak
is stuffed grape leaves.
Begova
č
orba
(“nobleman's
stew”) is a meaty vegetable soup.
Grah
is bean soup.
While Balkan cuisine favors meat, a nice veggie complement is
đ
uve
đ
(JOO-vedge)—a
spicy mix of stewed vegetables, flavored with tomatoes and peppers. And the best salad
option is
šopska salata
—a Greek-style salad of tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, and peppers,
smothered in grated feta-like sirene cheese.
Srpska salata
(“Serb salad”) is often the same
thing, but may have extra cheese.
Bosnian desserts—typically sweetened with honey rather than sugar—are another local
treat. Drop by a sweets shop and peruse your options.
Baklava
, a phyllo dough pastry with
nuts and honey, is a familiar choice.
Kadaif
is similar, but made with shredded sheets of
