Do you know what “kolobotonjica,” “češkek,” or “gunguljoš” are?
These are traditional dishes from the mountainous regions of Montenegro. While reading the publication “Mountain Bounty,” which was prepared by the Regional Development Agency for Bjelasica, Komovi, and Prokletije as part of a project funded by the European Union, you’ll learn that maize is called “kolomboć,” a word that entered to our language from Neo-Greek.
“Mountain Bounty” is a collection of recipes for preparing dishes typical of the mountainous region. Over 50 housewives, chefs, and shepherds contributed to collecting these recipes and adapting them for publication.
“We wanted to promote traditional cuisine as an important cultural heritage of our people, which must be visible in rural households. This was the driving force behind the project,” said Jelena Krivčević, from the Regional Development Agency for Bjelasica, Komovi, and Prokletije.
Through this publication, readers can learn or be reminded of how to prepare some recognisable dishes like “kačamak,” “cicvara,” “popara,” “priganice” “patišpanj,” “sutlijaš” and more.
“Among other things, we also collected recipes for dishes that maybe aren’t even eaten in rural households anymore. They have somewhat become outdated and might fall into oblivion. We collected these recipes and employed a professional chef to help us adapt and standardise them. Then, we collected stories about the dishes or ingredients that are used,” emphasised Jelena.
The publication also introduces readers to unusual ways of preparing famous dishes, so you’ll discover a recipe for “boranija sa kajmakom,” or for “posna sarma sa orasima.”
“The publication has helped us so much in empowering people to proudly talk about kačamak, skrob, Kopriva … about simple rural dishes,” adds Jelena.
The aim of creating the recipe collection “Mountain Bounty” was to showcase typical dishes from the mountainous regions of Montenegro.
The publication was awarded at the contest of the French foundation The Gourmand Awards.
The collection of recipes from the north of Montenegro won first place in the “Gastro Tourism” category, and second in the “Best of the Best Worldwide” category. It was precisely this recognition that brought new value.
“That recognition meant a lot to everyone, and all of our households now have that publication. It makes their job easier as everything is translated into English,” concludes Jelena.
The cuisine of these areas reflects the culture, tradition, and history of the people who live here. Prepared with great love and care, the publication “Mountain Bounty” portrays Montenegro’s cultural heritage in gastronomy.
