Bosnian Food: 15 Traditional Dishes I’d Tell You to Try
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Working out what to eat in Bosnia and Herzegovina can be tricky when every bakery sells five kinds of pita and half the menu is words you can’t pronounce.
Bosnia is one of my favourite Balkan countries, and I’ve lived next door in Albania since 2017, where burek and baklava are part of everyday life too.
The catch is that Bosnian food is very meat heavy, so it helps to know what you’re ordering, especially if you’re vegetarian.
So these are the 15 Bosnian dishes I’d tell a friend to try, from ćevapi and burek to a proper Bosnian coffee.
Quick Answer: The Bosnian Food I’d Try First
⭐⭐⭐ Ćevapi and burek are the two I’d try first, and this Sarajevo food and coffee walking tour is a great place to eat both. Check availability →
⭐⭐ A proper Bosnian coffee in Baščaršija, Sarajevo’s old bazaar, and I’d stay a short walk away at İsa Begov Hamam Hotel. Check prices & availability →
⭐ Pita if you love pastry, and this burek masterclass in Mostar teaches you to roll your own. Check availability →
What Bosnian Food Is Like
Traditional Bosnian cuisine is full of flavour, fresh vegetables and lots of meat.
Bosnian dishes are often built around meat, but they also love fresh salads and cheese.
In fact, you’ll find lots of local cheeses wherever you go in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and in most other Balkan countries too.
A few of the most popular are Livanjski, Travnički and Bosnian smoked cheese.
It’s difficult, though not impossible, to be a vegetarian in Bosnia.
Veganism, however, is much more difficult if you are interested in eating local foods.
However, more and more vegan shops are opening, and some offer meat-free versions of traditional Bosnian food.
There is a lot of crossover in the cuisine of the Balkans.
A lot of dishes found in Bosnia can be found in neighbouring countries, as well.
This is fantastic if you fall in love with a dish (or five!) and want to keep travelling around.
But if you’re only visiting Bosnia and Herzegovina, or starting your Balkan travel here, you probably want to know what’s available.
There are also several traditional meals unique to the cuisine of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
1. Pita
If you love bread stuffed with delicious filling then you’re in luck.
Pita (Bosnian for pie) is one of the most common Bosnian street foods, and can be found in any bakery throughout the country.
The most popular type of pita is burek, a meat-filled pastry that’s rolled into a spiral and cut into servings like a pie.
In Bosnia, burek refers specifically to a meat filled pastry, but there are several other similar pastries that are collectively called pita with different fillings.
Variants include cheese (sirnica), potato (krumpiruša), pumpkin (tikvenjača) and spinach and cheese (zeljanica).
Both krumpiruša and tikvenjača are usually vegan, but it’s worth double-checking with the bakery.
2. Somun
People say that the smell of somun is the smell of Ramadan.
These small, spongy breads are traditionally baked in wood fires, and for Ramadan are sprinkled with a special black seed (Habbatul barakah, “the blessed seed”) which both gives them their alluring scent and is believed to bring prosperity and luck.
3. Bosanski Lonac
As the name suggests, this one is specific to Bosnian cuisine!
Bosanski Lonac (or “Bosnian Pot”) is a rich Bosnian stew made by filling a large pot with alternating layers of meat and vegetables in water and cooking it for four hours.
The strength of this dish lies in its flexibility; the rich used to use many different fine meats whilst the poor made do with whatever they had.
So no matter what your tastes, you can’t go wrong!
This is definitely a seasonal dish so if you visit Bosnia in winter, this will be a popular dish to try.
4. Ćevapi
Ćevapi is a staple of Bosnian cuisine, and a must try, unless you’re vegetarian.
It is made of grilled minced meat rolled into sausage shape.
Typically five to ten ćevapi are served in flatbreads (somun) with different relishes, most commonly onion, ajvar (a red pepper and olive oil condiment), sour cream and different Bosnian cheeses.
Bosnians eat it any time of day, and you’re never far from a ćevabdžinica (a ćevapi grill), especially in Sarajevo’s Baščaršija.
Where I’d Stay to Eat My Way Around Bosnia
(⭐⭐⭐ = my top pick)
⭐⭐⭐ İsa Begov Hamam Hotel, Sarajevo · Pick this one if you want to stay a short walk from the ćevapi grills of Baščaršija. It’s set in an old Ottoman hammam building. Check prices & availability →
⭐⭐ Swissotel Sarajevo · Pick this one if you want a modern, comfortable base in Sarajevo. It has a 9.2 from over 1,300 guests. Check prices & availability →
⭐ Hotel-Restaurant Kriva Ćuprija, Mostar · Pick this one if you’re heading to Mostar. It has its own restaurant in the old town and a 9.5 from over 2,600 guests. Check prices & availability →
5. Ćutfe
One of the most hearty dishes of Bosnian cuisine, Ćutfe are traditional meatballs served in a thick tomato-based sauce.
The sauce can be spiced according to taste, and the meatballs themselves are a simple combination of minced meat, eggs, garlic, onion and breadcrumbs.
Best served with mashed potatoes, some crunchy bread, or even on their own.
6. Klepe
This traditional Bosnian food is often compared to a dumpling or pierogi.
Klepe are made by stuffing dough with sharp cheese or minced meat (beef or lamb) and then steaming it.
Once ready, they are doused in pavlaka (a sour cream sauce) or garlic sauce.
3 Bosnian Food Experiences I’d Book Right Away
⭐⭐⭐ Sarajevo Old Town: Bosnian Food and Coffee Walking Tour · Pick this one if you want ćevapi, burek and Bosnian coffee in the old town. Check availability →
⭐⭐ Burek Masterclass in Mostar: Roll, Bake, Eat · Pick this one if you want to learn how to make burek from scratch, and eat what you make. Check availability →
⭐ Sarajevo: Traditional Bosnian Cooking Class with a Local · Pick this one if you want to make klepe with a local cook. There’s a vegetarian filling too. Check availability →
7. Sarma, Japrak, Dolma and Punjena Paprika
This very filling Bosnian dish has its roots in the Ottoman Empire, though it has made its way through the Balkans and beyond.
Sarma are stuffed rolls, made by wrapping a filling of some kind (usually ground meat, rice and spices) with a leafy vegetable, most often cabbage, though there are variations all across the Balkans.
Dolma and japrak are similar, but use grape leaves.
Dolma is usually filled with just rice, while japrak has rice and minced meat.
There is also a traditional Bosnian food called sogan dolma which is onions stuffed with rice and minced meat.
You’ll find these dishes all over Mostar and the other popular cities in Bosnia.
Lastly, punjena paprika is another similar traditional Bosnian food.
It is made by stuffing bell peppers with meat and rice in a bed of tomato sauce.
8. Suho meso (dried meat)
As previously mentioned, meat is an essential part of Bosnian cuisine.
Well, this one-ingredient dish goes a long way!
Suho meso literally means “dried meat”, and is prepared by curing smoked beef or pork in salt for several days before leaving it to dry under a fire for even longer, sometimes for weeks.
As with many dried meat dishes, it was originally intended to make sure the meat didn’t spoil over the winter months, and the correct process takes a lot of skill and expertise to perfect.
9. Begova Čorba (Bey’s stew)
Begova čorba is one of the dishes specific to Bosnia and Herzegovina, although it has its origins in the Ottoman Empire.
It’s a hearty, creamy soup made with slow-cooked chicken, okra and vegetables, finished with sour cream.
This dish is most popular during holidays and other festivities.
10. Tufahija
Originally a Persian dish that the Ottomans added to Bosnia and Herzegovina cuisine, these apples stewed in sugar water are then filled with walnuts and cream, then baked and, as with many Bosnian desserts, doused in sugar syrup.
Each portion is traditionally served chilled in its own large glass.
11. Baklava
One for the sticky dessert lovers out there!
Baklava is a popular Bosnian dessert made from layers of filo pastry intertwined with chopped walnuts and agda, a cooked mixture of sugar and water.
These are then cut into diamond shapes for serving.
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, baklava is considered a special occasion delicacy, and is often served at Christmas, Eid and other such holidays.
12. Tulumba
If you’ve ever eaten a churro, then you’ll be somewhat familiar with Tulumba.
Dough is deep fried and dipped in sugar syrup while still hot, then consumed once cooled.
Tulumba is often consumed at Iftar, the daily evening meal for Muslim families during Ramadan, though today it has become one of the most popular Bosnian street foods.
13. Krofne
These will be familiar, at least in principle, to many people around the world.
Krofne are large, airy doughnuts that are filled with marmalade, chocolate, jam, jelly and all manner of other sweet substances.
They are similar to Berliner pastries from Central Europe, and for extra decadence can be finished with a dusting of icing sugar.
14. Smokvara
This Herzegovinian dish derives its name from “smokve”, the local term for figs.
Figs grow in Herzegovina’s warm Mediterranean climate rather than in colder central Bosnia, which is why this is considered one of the most Herzegovinian dishes of them all.
To make it, dough is combined with a fig-syrup and baked into little flat discs that are doused in a sherbet concoction.
Smokvara is very sweet, and is best accompanied by a cup of strong Bosnian coffee to take the edge off.
My Number One Tip: Hire a Car for Full Flexibility
Herzegovina is fig, wine and smokvara country, and the villages and family wineries around Mostar are much easier to reach with your own car.
Check here for the best car rental companies and prices for your Bosnia trip →
15. Kahva
Coffee in Bosnia and Herzegovina is a big deal.
It is part of the country’s cultural identity!
This makes it an essential part of Bosnian cuisine.
Proper kahva (Bosnian coffee) should be made by first roasting coffee beans, then manually grinding them.
The powder is then put into a džezva, a long-handled metal pot, which is heated beforehand, and boiled water is added.
Your kahva arrives in the džezva on a small copper tray, with a little cup called a fildžan, a sugar cube and usually a piece of rahat lokum (Turkish delight).
To serve it, spoon a little of the foam into your cup first, then pour the coffee over it.
Each kahva should be served with a glass of water to sip from before tasting the coffee, which serves as a palate cleanser.
Sip first, then enjoy the rich notes of your coffee!
So that’s the Bosnian food I’d tell you to try, and if you’re travelling further around the region, my Balkan food guide covers the dishes from the neighbouring countries.
If you’re planning more of your trip, here’s my take on whether Bosnia is safe.
