The main specialty at almost any celebration, outing or “slava” (patron-saint day) is a pig on a spit roasting over the fire with beer being poured on it.
Of all the specialties made of meat, Serbian people seem to like roasted pig on a spit best. It has become the symbol of patron-saint days and all other celebrations in the country, whether they are big or small, in-house or outdoors.
That kind of pork is what most foreign visitors in Serbia usually order first in restaurants and “kafanas” (traditional Serbian taverns) across the country, which should serve as a proof of just how delicious it is. If you have already been to Serbia, you know why this is so. If not, roasted pig on a spit is what you should taste!
In this region, pigs have been turning on spits from a very long time ago. Legend says that outlaws and guerrilla fighters would gather in forests in the beginning of spring and celebrate the occasion with a pig on a spit.
Nowadays, this specialty is usually prepared in Šumadija (a region in central Serbia), but it could be found in other parts of the country as well. It can be eaten all throughout the year, but the best time to do it is winter because it is considered very heavy food. Pigs roasted this way are usually young because their meat is less hard or fat.
It is usually eaten as a separate dish with cabbage or horseradish salad, and when it served at a celebration that includes many dishes, pig roasted on a spit is considered main and most important course.
Wine goes great with roasted pig on a spit, although true fans will tell you that any drink goes great with this kind of pork, because it itself is good enough.
Spit-roasted pork can be ordered almost anywhere: in restaurants, kafanas, fairs, even at music festivals. However strange it may seem to people visiting for the first time, in Serbia you can often see pigs turning on spits in front of kafanas, with guests gathered around, waiting the roast to be ready. When it is finally done, people start ordering kilos of meat, and feasting can last well into the night.
Almost everyone likes the taste of pork roast, regardless of age, origin or lifestyle. Every year thousands of tourists, from Guča brass festival to Exit festival, discover the taste of this specialty, and most of them gladly eat it from then on.
Spit-roasted pork basically has a simple recipe, regardless of possible variations in different regions of Serbia: put a whole cleaned and prepared pig on a spit and keep it turning above the fire but do it carefully so it doesn’t get burned. The process can last for hours and the very smell that spreads makes people hungry and invites everyone to join the feast. Once it is done, the pig is removed from a spit and sliced into pieces.
Gourmands from Serbia always advise their guests to try the pork while it is still hot because it then tastes best. And much persuasion is usually not necessary.
Photo: Micki/Wikimedia commons
