There is a place adorned not only by a most unusual name, golden glades and fresh mountain air, but by thousands of plum trees as well. The flavoursome fruits gathered from these trees are used to make the best homemade plum brandy better known as rakija. The place we’re talking about is Šljivovica!
In between Mokra Gora, Tara and Zlatibor, apart from the magnificent nature, mouth-watering homemade dishes and crisp mountain air, you’re bound to find another thing worth admiring – a small village where the locals produce a rakija, the taste and quality of which they have absolutely perfected.
But this is no surprise! Every household, without exception, produces Slivovitza for its own personal use. Even though some of these households have made this into a lucrative business, they still guarantee that every single drop of rakija they’ve produced has been made with love. We trust them, and we’re sure you would to. You only need to visit Šljivovica once, and you’ll see why!
Slivovitza for a good start of a day and a good night’s sleep
The tastiest rakija is not the only thing you will be offered should you find yourself in this loveable little village. You will surely be offered some of the local traditional delicacies. Even if you’re full, DO NOT pass up the 
smoked ham (prosciutto/pršuta), cheese or flat round bread (pogača).
You’ll be missing out on an awful lot. Very few places serve completely natural and healthy food. We recommend you try it out yourself.
Another thing to make sure for yourself is why they call this village Šljivovica. In Šljivovica, they start off their day with Slivovitza and drink it for every joyful occasion.
This rakija is an integral part of the locals’ everyday lives, and a way to greet their guests properly. And how would they do that other than with homemade rakija, fruit confiture called slatko and a glass of cold water?
The birthplace of splendid rakija
The locals guard the recipe for this rakija, intoxicating both in flavour and in fragrance, jealously. The authentic and traditional production process is kept in the family and passed on from generation to generation. This is why the glades, slopes and meadows of Šljivovica are called the birthplace of the highest quality rakija.
If we are to trust the stories of those who made this beverage immaculate, healthy and high quality soil is needed for good plum trees to grow. And Šljivovica has exactly that. The locals vouch for every litre of their “magic potions” on account of the fertile soil.
Why is Šljivovica’s Slivovitza so special?
This rakija is famous not only because of the rich soil it grows from, but because of the specific way it’s manufactured. The craftsmen who make this traditional drink store it in special barrels made from oak and locust-trees which give the Slivovitza its warm and golden colour. The production process isn’t simple either.
First the plums are picked and put in the barrels to ferment. After being distilled for the first time, pomace (komina) is added and the mixture is then redistilled. Though it might not sound too complicated, rest assured that good rakija takes a fair amount of effort, time and experience to make. And if you lack even one of these three attributes, do come to Šljivovica and try the best Slivovitza!
If you ever wondered how this famous national alcoholic drink got branded as Serbian, now you know. Slivovitza received the PDO (Protected designation of origin) status precisely because of the village of Šljivovica.
