Montenegrin food: the back story

About Montenegrin food: the back story

By the ULTIMATE Podgorica Editorial Team

Editor-in-Chief: Jai Michael

Montenegro packs mountains, a great lake and the Adriatic into a small country, and its kitchen follows the landscape. Podgorica sits in the middle of it all, so its restaurants borrow from every direction.

The mountains

In the north, cooking is hearty: lamb and veal slow-baked under a metal bell, ispod sača, with potatoes; kačamak, a rich dish of cornmeal or potato with kajmak and cheese; and cicvara, its creamy cousin. Kajmak, the soft, slightly tangy dairy cream, appears on almost every table.

The lake and the sea

Lake Skadar gives carp, eel and bleak, often smoked or baked with prunes and apples, and the coast brings grilled fish, squid and black risotto. Many Podgorica menus carry both, so a city lunch can taste of the lake and the Adriatic at once.

In Podgorica you can eat the mountains, the lake and the sea in a single meal.

Njeguši

From the village of Njeguši on the slopes of Lovćen come two of Montenegro’s proudest products: pršut, ham dried in the mountain wind, and a firm, nutty cheese. A plate of both, with olives and bread, is the classic way to start a meal.

Vranac

South of the city, the vineyards of the Ćemovsko plain grow vranac, Montenegro’s own red grape, which makes deep, dark wines. Order it by the glass and you are drinking the landscape around you.

Our advice: start with Njeguši pršut and cheese, order something baked ispod sača (it often needs to be ordered in advance), try lake fish when it is on the menu, and drink a glass of vranac. Portions are generous, so share.

Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Montenegrin food: the back story before you go.