The second section of the organic journey through Serbia leads into the hilly and mountainous regions of Western Serbia. Forests and woods, meadows, glades, pastures, small towns, villages and hamlets make up the picture of the western parts. Our thematic journey through the western parts starts in the picturesque and ecologically clean Azbukovica.

More than two decades ago, in the crystal clear natural environment of Ljubovija, one enterprising man – Zlatko Milutinović founded a company for processing berries. He gathered fruit growers from the area and taught them modern production methods. Today, surrounded by raspberry and blackberry plantations, the cold storage facility of this company processes organic fruit of highest quality. Aside from visiting the fruit growers, the “list of tourist recommendations” includes Sokolske Mountains and the wondrous Gradac River, the canyon of Trešnjica, Tribuća, as well as the unconquerable fortress Soko Grad.

maline7ARILJE – RASPBERRY CAPITAL

Among the hillocks where clean mountain rivers, the Rzav and the Moravica, run their course, the small town of Arilje is located, known as the hub of Serbian raspberry growing. The “Ariljska” raspberry is the national brand which is currently undergoing the official procedure for protecting the designation of origin. Most of the local population is involved in producing the “red gold”, and out of respect for the fruit that provides a livelihood for them and their families, the people have erected a Monument to the Raspberry in the centre of the town. In this town of enterprising people there is BMD company growing and processing organic raspberries and blackberries. The range of its products include frozen fruit mixes that contain also wild strawberries, redcurrants, and blueberries. With the motto “Welcome to the world of organic mushrooms and berries”, the BMD company designed a whole array of products originating from the forests of Western Serbia. In addition to organic “rewards” from the area such as Ariljska raspberries and wild mushrooms, quintessential to the tastes of this region may also be found in prosciutto from Užice, cheese from Zlatar, curative juniper brandy and a special type of flat bread lepinja often eaten with kajmak, and the dense tourist road signs point to the magical places of this region: National park Tara, the canyon of the Drina River, Nature Park Mokra Gora and the “Šargan Eight,” Zlatibor Mountain, the biosphere reserve and nature park Golija which is under the protection of UNESCO, the meanders of the wondrous Uvac River…

vocnjakEvery autumn the Plum Fair is held in the village of Osečina, promoting the “Serbian Queen of Fruit” and the traditional products made from plums such as plum brandy or slivovitz, jams and preserves. It is worth noting that there are as many as one million plum trees in the area of Podgorina. In Europe in particular, the high quality of Serbian organic prunes is recognised and they are an essential ingredient to the best known mueslis and fruit yoghurts.

STRAWBERRIES, BLUEBERRIES AND A TASTE OF FOREST

Central Serbia is dominated by Kopaonik – the largest and highest mountain of Serbia. From Kopaonik the ranges of smaller mountains spread like spikes from the hub. This truly mountainous area with a harsh climate is well known for its curative waters and its health-friendly coniferous, beech and oak woods.

Our journey through Organic Serbia continues on the eastern slopes of Kopaonik, in a small town of Brus, where old recipes are used to make perhaps the most delicious sweet in Serbia – wild strawberry confit or slatko. Handpicked berries full of flavour that grow in large numbers on the slopes of Kopaonik are made into confit of quite unique taste. In order for it to be both delicious and nutritious, it is cooked in home-like atmosphere, in big pots, on wood-burning stoves… It is cooked slowly, for hours, just like this sweet, slatko, used to be prepared in days gone by. Wild strawberry slatko is produced by Foodland, one of the leading Serbian food producing companies and it is a part of their range of organic products.

And from Kopaonik – the roof of Serbia – the tourist road signs take us to the spas with healing mountain water: Jošanička, Mataruška, Vrnjačka, Ribarska… and also to some of the most precious cultural and historical monuments of medieval Serbia.

Text: Milena Mihaljčić
Photo: Dragan Vildović

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BelGuestOrganic food of Serbia

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