Bosnian cuisine is a mixture of the local regions such as the Balkan countries, Greece, Italy and Turkey, with many recipes coming from the Ottoman era. It uses somespices, but usually in moderate quantities. Most dishes are light, as they are cooked in lots of water; the sauces are often natural, consisting of little more than the natural juices of the vegetables in the dish. Typical ingredients includetomatoes,potatoes,onions,garlic,bell peppers,cucumbers,carrots,cabbage,mushrooms,spinach,zucchini, dried and freshbeans,plums,milk,paprika and cream calledpavlaka andkajmak. Typical meat dishes include primarily beef andlamb due to the Islamic faith of theBosnian Muslims,[1] although theBosnian Croats andBosnian Serbs can consume pork. Some local specialties arećevapi,burek (börek), 'zeljanica' spinach piespanakopita, 'sirnica'cheese pie, 'paprike'stuffed peppers,sarma, 'pilav'tagliatelle, grah [butter bean soup], cured meats and cheeses (charcuterie)gulaš (goulash),ajvar and a whole range of sweets inspired by the Middle East likebaklava. Food is prioritised for being organic and of good quality. Bosnians enjoy many natural fruit juices but often use cordials from various fruits and herbs. The best local wines come fromHerzegovina where the climate is suitable for growing grapes. Plum and apple brandyrakija is produced inBosnia.
Meat undersač (meso ispod sača) – a traditional way of cooking lamb, veal, or goat under a metal, ceramic, or earthenware lid on which hot coals and ashes are heaped
Burek – a meat-filled flaky pastry, traditionally rolled in a spiral and cut into sections for serving. The same dish filled with cottage cheese is calledsirnica; withspinach and cheese,zeljanica; with squash orzucchini,tikvenjača, and withpotatoes,krompiruša. All these varieties are generically referred to aspita (Bosnian for "pie").