Food that Connects the Balkans and Central Asia

Food. One thing that connects more people than any bridge.

After travelling to the Balkans and Central Asia, I started understanding that these geographically remote regions are quite similar, in terms of their culture and customs, and the main connection was – food!

My name is Sophie, I come from Serbia, where my name is Sofija or, in Cyrillic: Софија.

I had the opportunity to try many different dishes from all over the world. One thing that keeps intriguing me is how dishes evolve over time. How did our ancestors create them in the first place? What stories do they tell us?

With this passion for stories, I approached every table. After travelling to Central Asia: Samarkand, Uzbekistan and Charyn Canyon near Almaty, Kazakhstan, as well as across the Balkan: to Ohrid, North Macedonia, Kotor, Montenegro, and Mostar or Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, I started understanding how much in common we have.

The following paragraphs will include stories of various dishes that are either my comfort food, which I have known my whole life thanks to my grandma, or new dishes I tried while exploring Central Asian countries.

Grab a snack and keep reading – I promise this will make your mouth watery!

Growing up in Serbia, I always thought my grandma’s ushtipci were a unique family secret, a taste belonging solely to our little corner of the world. But standing in a bustling market in Almaty, smelling that familiar scent of golden fried dough and being handed a warm bauyrsaq, I realized that flavor doesn’t recognize borders. It was a profound ‘aha’ moment for me. I realized that while we might use different names or slightly different spices, the intention behind the plate – hospitality, warmth, and that undeniable ‘grandma energy’ – is a global language. Now, every time I sit down to a meal in a new country, I’m not just looking for a new taste; I’m looking for those invisible threads that remind me we’re all much closer than the map suggests.

The dishes that connect the Balkans and Central Asia

  • Plov or Pilav
  • Bauyrsaq or Ushtipci
  • Manty or Mantije
  • Samsa or Burek
  • Shashlik or Razhnyichi

Plov or Pilav

The first pair of dishes for the analysis is Plov/Palov in Central Asia (Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, etc.), Pilav/Pilaf in the Balkans.

Similarities between the two

Both dishes have a common ancestor; fundamentally, it is a rice dish with meat, vegetables (like carrots and onions), and oil or fat.

The core preparation method often involves cooking the rice in a flavorful broth or oil mixture so the rice absorbs the liquid, resulting in distinct, non-sticky grains.

The differences that emerge between them

Plov/Palov typically features a specific cooking technique where a meat and vegetable base called zirvak is prepared first in a large cauldron (kazan), and the rice is layered on top to steam. It often uses fewer spices (primarily cumin, sometimes saffron or barberries) and has a hearty, slightly softer texture; it has more ingredients compared to the Balkan version, which is simpler.

For instance, the Uzbek palov often includes raisins, chickpeas, different types of carrots, and even apples or quince. Also, in Kazakhstan, plov almost always includes qazi, sausages made of horse meat, and quail eggs. Taste Atlas made a list of 13 varieties of Uzbek plov and ranked them.

Balkan Pilav/Pilaf sometimes includes poultry or even pork (in Christian communities) instead of lamb.

Plov with beef meat and qazi (horse sausages), raisins, chickpeas, quail egg, and chili peppers.

P(a)lov is a highly significant ceremonial dish in Central Asia, often prepared for large social gatherings, weddings, and holidays, usually as a main course, eaten communally straight from the kazan or served on large platters.

In the Balkans, people usually eat pilav as a side dish or main course throughout its regions, consumed as part of a regular family meal. I haven’t seen many special occasions where pilav was served in the Balkans, which could be due to the fact that our version is simpler and considered cheaper than other ceremonial dishes.

Bauyrsaq or Ushtipci

What people in Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, etc.) call Bauyrsaq is Ushtipci in the Balkans (Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, etc.).

What connects bauyrsaq and ushtipci?

Both are types of fried dough.

They are typically small, simple, and people eat them as a snack, side dish, or part of a larger meal.

They are rather sweet, but can also be neutral and eaten with dairy products.

Ball or square-shaped fried dough is differently called – bauyrsaq or ushtipci, but have the same taste!

What makes them different?

Bauyrsaq are small, round or triangular yeast dough puffs. They are usually slightly sweet or neutral in flavor. To prepare the perfect bauyrsaq, you should fry them to a golden, airy texture. They are an important element of Central Asian hospitality and people eat them with sour cream (smetana, kaimak) or sweet with jam or honey.

In Central Asia, you will often be served bauyrsaq with other pastry and bread with the meal.

Ushtipci are a type of fritter that can vary in shape and size. Also, the variations may include eggs or yogurt into the dough, but it all depends on the region. The basic recipe is simple: water, flour, yeast, and a bit of salt. Read here more about the history of ushtipci. They can be served savory (often with cheese, cured meats, or kajmak) or sweet (with powdered sugar or jam).

Bauyrsaq is traditionally served to guests at celebrations and feasts in Central Asia. Ushtipci are commonly eaten for breakfast or a snack in the Balkans, often prepared quickly at home or found in bakeries.

A typical breakfast in Serbia includes omelette, cold cuts, sausages, and – golden fried ushtipci!

Manty or Mantije

Manty are famous in Central Asia/Turkish/Armenian cuisines, and the Balkan version is mantije (specifically the Sandzhak region). In fact, Pazarske Mantije from the city of Novi Pazar in Serbia have the title of the best savoury pastry in the world, according to Taste Atlas.

The connection between Manty and Mantije – more than just a name

Manty and Mantije are variations of a meat-filled dumpling or pastry made with a thin dough

Both are often topped or served with yogurt/sour cream and eventually garlic, and both are supposed to be eaten hot.

How to distinguish them?

Manty from the Central Asia are more of steamed dumplings; they are often larger and containing minced lamb, beef, or maybe pumpkin. They are boiled, not baked, and contain soup inside, which makes eating them interesting – you have to slurp that soup with your first bite. You have to eat them with your hands, because using cutlery would make it rather difficult!

Manty are steamed dumplings, while mantije are baked sour pastry.

Mantije from the Balkan are a regional specialty! This is a type of baked pastry (more like a small pie or burek – keep reading to learn about it). The dough is stretched, filled with minced beef, rolled into small balls, and baked in a large pan together, with the final result being a connected, layered dish, but then each piece is taken individually.

Read here in details how they prepare mantije by hands step-by-step.

While they eat manty often for dinner, mantije are more often a part of breakfast.

Samsa or Burek

Samsa is very famous in Central Asia, while Burek is the king in the Balkans.

The bridge between Samsa and Burek

Preparing both samsa and burek means baking it. Those are both savory pastries with thin layers of dough and a filling (usually meat, cheese, or vegetables).

Both are popular street food and breakfast/snack items in their respective regions.

Shape, filling, and other differences

Samsa is a single-serving savory pastry, typically shaped into a triangle or square. The dough is generally a thicker, crispier, multi-layered dough. The traditional way of preparing it is in a tandoor oven (a clay oven), which gives it a distinct smoky, slightly charred exterior. The filling is usually meat (lamb/beef) and onion.

Home-made samsa is always the best!

Burek is a savory pie with thin, flaky phyllo dough. Fillings vary widely (meat, cheese, spinach) and the texture is intensely flaky and buttery/oily. For the preparation, you need large round pans and a lot of fat or oil. Once burek is rolled in the pan, it is cut in eight pieces – cut in half, half, half, and half.

Burek is No5 must try dish from our list – check it out!

In case you want to try preparing it at home, here is how!

Samsa is often eaten plain or with a simple dipping sauce/yogurt. Burek is typically paired with yogurt or sour milk to cut through its richness.

Shashlik or Razhnyichi

Shashlik is one of the oldest hot dishes in the history of humankind! And this statement makes absolute sense – you take meat, a stick, and put it on a fire. Now, as wood burns, we needed something to hold meat – and metal played a great part in solving this problem. With the development of arms came the invention of skewers. More precisely, soldiers started using the long metal stick that served for cleaning rifles for preparing meat on fire.

The inevitable similarities

These are meat dishes central to the regional cuisines – local versions of shish kebab – the Turkish master-piece. Both rely on simple, good-quality meat prepared over an open flame or charcoal: in Central Asia, the word is “mangal”, in the Balkan it is “roshtil”.

In both cases, a fatty piece can help make it more juicy. Also, veggies are a great addition: mushrooms, peppers, some tomato… and of course, onions!

You need only the basics: meat, skewers, fire.

Both are quintessential outdoor and festive foods. Shashlik is a staple for summer barbecues (dacha gatherings) and social events across Russia and the former Soviet republics. Razhnyichi is a popular component of the Balkan mixed grill (labelled as “roshtil” in menus) and is eaten year-round at restaurants or at family grill-outs, typically served with fresh chopped onions, bread, and condiments like ajvar (red pepper relish) or a fresh salad.

The differences

Shashlik is traditionally made with lamb. The marinade often features acidic ingredients like vinegar, lemon juice, or even yogurt, along with pepper, salt, onion, soy souce, herbs (oregano, thyme, dill, parsley, etc).

Razhnyichi are most commonly made with chicken. However, since chicken is quite dry, you can see it covered in bacon – the fatty part. The marinade tends to be simpler than in case of shashlik: oil, garlic, salt, and pepper, maybe even lemon juice.

What does this tell us?

The comparison of these distinct food pairs tells us a powerful story of cultural interconnectedness and adaptive regionalism across Eurasia. Namely, the two regions are far from each other in terms of physical distance. However, there are so many things that connect us. The similarities between our mentalities are manifested in the dishes, as well as the way we approach food.

Meals – to us, in the Balkan, and to people in the Central Asian countries – are a way to connect. A warm dish on the table means family and friends around it. It means eating together. It is not simply about feeding the hunger in your stomach, but rather about answering the need we all have: the need to connect to people around us and know we are not alone.

Preparation of a dish is a ceremony as well. Every ingredient is a story for itself. Generations pass the methods and insist on the same principles: use your bare hands, not machines.

My personal impression is that these dishes had to occur in both territories. For instance, shashlik and razhnyichi are a logical improvement of the simplest hot dish from the ancient times – that one is clear to everybody. But in the case of bauyrsaq and ushtipci, I’d say that the reason for these dishes to appear is the need to have a variety in simplicity: flour, water, oil – mix it and, instead of baking it, fry it! That’s how you get these delectable snacks! Samsa, burek, manty, mantije – the same goes for these: add something to dough and you get a new meal.

All of the dishes require you to roll your sleeves and think about one thing: togetherness.

I believe this is the core of all of these dishes.

I hope this text inspired you to travel