 Slatko with woodland strawberries | |
| Type | Dessert topping |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Bulgaria,Serbia and theBalkans |
| Main ingredients | Fruit or rose petals |
Slatko (Serbian:слаткō /slatkō;Macedonian:слатко,romanized: slatko;Bulgarian:сладко,romanized: sladko; meaning "sweet") is a thinfruit preserve made of fruit or rose petals inBulgarian,Macedonian, andSerbian cuisine. Almost any kind of fruit can be used, includingwild strawberry,blueberry,plum orcherry.[1]
Traditionally, all guests in Serbian and Bulgarian homes are greeted with a spoonful ofslatko/sladko and a cup of water immediately after being seated.[2] Particularly honoured guests are offered twice, although any guest can ask for another taste, to honour the housekeeper. For the second taste another spoon must be used. To ask for the third taste, if not offered, is regarded as an improper behaviour, although usually granted. Alternatively, in the same manner, the guests may be offeredhoney (or asked to choose between the two). Prior to the creation ofYugoslavia, the tradition of slatko was common and widespread only in thehistorical Serbia, south ofSava andDanube, and was unknown inVojvodina or other parts ofAustro-Hungarian Empire.
The most common types of slatko are those made of whole strawberries, slightly unripe skinned plums or sour cherries. Other fresh fruits likeraspberries, sweet cherries,watermelon cubes,rose petals,quinces,grapes,figs, skinnedapricot halves or quarters,peaches, blueberries,blackberries orredcurrants can also be used. If a plum slatko is prepared,walnut halves oralmonds may be added to the mixture or even inserted into the plums themselves to replace the pits. Some fruits and vegetables (likerhubarb andphysalis) rarely grown in Serbia have also been demonstrated to be well suited for slatko.Frozen berries and fruits are sometimes used as well, in which case the amount of water used and the cooking time are adjusted accordingly.[3]
.jpg)
