Čuvene knedle sa šljivama mirišu na detinjstvo
Famous dumplings with
plums smell like childhood
Kao glavno jelo probajte juneće obraze u sosu od šljiva Order the main course of beef
ome of life in Serbia, as it has been with us throughout history. It has delighted us be- side hosts’distilling cauldrons, fed our chil- dren with jam when there was nothing on the dining tables, made into cakes with prunes by our grannies, and we have allowed our- selves to become disassociated with this and that kind of plum – we are told at Dva Je- lena restaurant by Dejan Maslovara, a wine shop owner and connoisseur of spirits and wines, who has dealt with sales of the best drink for decades. Plum rakija, Šljivovica, is easy to drink but hard to make, we are told by the first woman to earn the title of a knight in Serbia. Sonja Broćeta, knight of rakija, claims con- fidently that it is better to drink rakija than foreign drinks because “the fruit is divine”... - Can you pick potatoes, rice or cereals, which other drinks are made from, and eat them? No, you cannot, but you can take fruit straight from the branch and enjoy it immedi- ately. Fruit brandies are, thus, a better choice, but they are harder to make. That’s because everything depends on nature, how fruitful the year is and what the crop is like. Apart from that, plum is the only brandy that you cannot fake, because there is no extract.Thus, when you say rakija you mean šljivovica – explains Sonja, before telling the guests of Dva Jelena, where you can choose the best plum brandy, another important thing – raki- ja is indulged. It is sipped slowly, it is enjoyed with company and it is obligatory for it to be drunk with mezze snacks... Whether we sip it indulgingly, snatch it with children’s fingers from jam jars or eat it wrapped in dumplings, the plum is with us throughout our entire lives. According to an old belief, houses should be built in plac- es where this tree grows well. They also say that when you bathe a new-born child, the used water should be poured onto a fruit- ing plum tree. And when it rains at Christ- mas there is no doubt that our plums will bear fruit... Cheers!
- The savoury-sweet combination of dishes was imported from the West, but our chefs have used plum since ancient times. In the era of the Nemanjićs they are most- ly with venison and lamb, and it is said that even then they add plums, although there is not enough accurate data. We at Dva Je- lena can boast of the fact that the prunes rolled in bacon are a real hit on the menu. Of course, I would recommend that every- one ordered the main course of beef cheeks in a plum sauce, and the famous dumplings that hide a plum in their soft centre for you – says Miloš Vuković, head chef at Dva Je- lena, reminding that our plums are not on- ly tasty, but also extremely healthy, which is one more reason for them to find them- selves on the dining table in any form. And when it comes to the forms and ways in which plums can be consumed, there is no doubt that every citizen of Serbia knows that jam and brandy are the best choices. They say that plum jam and plum rakija are without rival when the year is fruitful and full of sun, and plums are as sweet as sugar. And distilling rakija has always been a hol- iday for the whole family in Serbia. Around the cauldron the people would gather, sing, play, discuss, during the time when the Ser- bian village flourished with life. What’s so wondrous in rakija brandy was explained by perhaps the best chronicler of the Serbi- an mentality and connoisseur of our char- acter, Momo Kapor. As this great writer and painter said “In rakija is the essence of the Serbian being – first joy, then celebration of taste, then anger, compassion, the feel- ing that the world is good and that all those who drink it are friends.” And with this our story returns to Dva Jelena, where they serve the best plum bran- dy. The hosts of this tavern present to us the best of their rakija, and one of the greatest connoisseurs of our drinks claims lovingly that the plum is the queen of fruits and plum brandy is the queen of rakija.
cheeks in a plum sauce
Suva šljiva rolovana u slaninici pravi je hit na meniju Prunes rolled in bacon are a real hit on the menu
- Plum is something for which we are recognised worldwide, though unfortunate- ly we did not protect it or acted towards it in the way it deserves. With the new method of production, blended over multiple years, it gains a special fullness, becoming creamier and with a stronger aroma. Plum is the epit-
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