Serbian food is generous, meaty, and deeply satisfying. The cuisine sits at the crossroads of Central European and Ottoman traditions, and the result is one of the most underappreciated food cultures in Europe.
Cevapi are the national street food -- small grilled sausages of minced beef and pork, served in a lepinja (flatbread) with raw onions and kajmak (a rich, creamy dairy spread). Leskovac-style cevapi from southern Serbia are considered the best. A plate of ten with kajmak and a cold beer is one of the great simple meals.
Pljeskavica is Serbia's answer to the hamburger -- a large, spiced patty of mixed meat, grilled over charcoal and served in bread with kajmak, ajvar, and urnebes (a spicy cheese spread). It is bigger and more flavorful than any fast food burger you have ever eaten.
Ajvar deserves special mention. This relish of roasted red peppers and eggplant is made in enormous quantities every autumn, when families roast hundreds of kilos of peppers in a ritual called ajvariada. Good ajvar is smoky, slightly sweet, and absolutely addictive. Buy a jar to take home.
Sarma -- cabbage rolls stuffed with minced meat and rice, slowly braised -- is the classic winter comfort dish. Gibanica, a flaky filo pastry layered with cheese and eggs, is a breakfast staple. Burek, filled with meat, cheese, or spinach, is eaten at all hours from bakeries across the country.
Serbian bread is excellent and served with every meal. The coffee culture is strong -- Serbian coffee (essentially Turkish-style) is brewed slowly and served with a glass of water. Sitting over coffee in a kafana for an hour or two is not laziness; it is a way of life.
Rakija (fruit brandy) is the national drink, with sljivovica (plum) the most common variety. It is offered as a welcome, a toast, and a cure-all. Serbian wines, particularly from the Fruska Gora region near Novi Sad, are improving rapidly and offer excellent value.