Macedonia and the Balkan countries in general are famous for the good food. In Macedonia you can find food for each taste, our cuisine is a mix of different flavors, we have especially good quality fruit and vegetables, so lot of people said that our fruit and vegetables are more tasty and natural.
There are lot of travelers coming to the Balkans and Macedonia already prepared that here 99 % of the traditional dishes are meat-based and there is almost nothing for vegans. But we have a good news for you, don’t worry our answer is not “only salad”, we made a research and here you can find the top 10 traditional Macedonian food for vegetarians or vegans.
- Grilled bread with Ajvar (and white cheese for vegetarians)
- Ajvar or the macedonian caviar is a kind of sause and it is made of roasted red peppers and auberigines. Depends on your tastes, it can be sweet or spicy. The season for Ajvar starts in autumn, and during winter this is maybe one of the most traditional food, especially for breakfast with bread and white cheese.
2. Turlitava with vegetables
Turlitava (turli – mix/ tava – pot ) is a mix of different vegetables with some spices and onion putted all together and baked in a pottery dish .
3. Tavche gravche
- The most traditional Macedonian dish, baked beans with some spices in traditional pot, try this dish together with shopska salad and grilled bread
4. Shopska salad
- The famous shopska salad, tasty mix of tomatoes, cucumbers, olive oil, onion and (grated white cheese at the top for vegetarians)
5. Posna sarma
- Small rice balls wrapped in grape or cabbage leaves, baked in a traditional pot.
. Zelnik
- Thin layers of pastry, filled with cabbage, spinach (or cheese for vegetarians) baked in the oven
7. Grilled vegetables
- Macedonia is famous for the tasty vegetables, so don’t miss the possibility to have a dish with different kind of grilled vegetables
8. Podvarok
- This dish can be made with sauerkraut or regular cabbage, red pepper, garlic, onion and spices, usually it is made with meat but you can also ask for a vegan version without meat.
9. Polneti piperki
- Peppers stuffed with rice and spices, the original recipe contains also meat, but there is always this vegetarian/vegan version
10. Baklava
- Sweet dessert pastry filled with nuts or pistachio putted all together in sugar syrup
Bonus tip: Places in Skopje where you can find different choice of vegan or vegetarian food:
- Vega – ul. Franklin Ruzvelt br. 20
- Squeeze Me – ul. Vasil Glavinov br. 14
- Gostilnica Dukat – ul. Teodosij Gologanov br. 79
- FITNESS HOUSE – Bul. Partizanski Odredi Br. 40
- Lyra Restaurant – Nikola Tesla 11