Ćevapi

Name and etymology

The word ćevap is derived from the Turkish kebab. The word is sometimes used in conjunction with the common South Slavic diminutive ending -čići (Serbo-Croatian: ćevapi/ćevapčići / ћевапи/ћевапчићи; Macedonian: ќебапчиња, romanized: ḱebapčinja; Albanian: Qebapa/Qofte; Bulgarian: кебапчета, romanized: kebapcheta; Czech: čevabčiči; Slovak: čevapčiči; Slovene: čevapčiči). The word ćevapi is plural; the singular form ćevap is rarely used, as a typical serving consists of several ćevapi.

History

During the Ottoman administration, hajduks (rebels, outlaws) made the hajdučki ćevap ("hajduk ćevap"), which was easy to make, out of pieces of meat and smoked lard on a skewer roasted over fire. The recipe of the Leskovački ćevap ("Leskovac ćevap"), a local specialty of Serbia, was based on traditional pljeskavica (meat patty), formed as ćevap.

Leskovac has a long history of grill shops. In Belgrade, ćevapčići first came from Leskovac in the 1860s, into the kafana "Rajić" at the Great Marketplace (today Studentski Trg), from where they quickly spread across the city, and subsequently, country. The industry quickly multiplied, as ćevapčići was the drinking public's favourite.

The ćevapčići were served at shops, known as ćevabdžija (pl. ćevabdžije). A 1927–28 study in Belgrade told that people either ate in the restaurant or outside ("on the kaldrma"), often take-away. The shops served from early morning to 10 AM, while often the dish was bought for breakfast.

Before the 1930s, they spread to the rest of Yugoslavia, including east of Serbia and the Macedonia region. By 1932, ćevapčići were regarded a local specialty in southern Serbia, Skopje and Peć. In 1933, the first street food vendor appeared in Maribor, Slovenia, who came from Leskovac, and served grilled meat, including ćevapčići. In 1940, ten pieces cost one Yugoslav dinar. In the second half of the 20th century, ćevapčići and other Oriental dishes entered Croatian cuisine. The Leskovac-styled grilled meat, including ćevapčići, have today become part of everyday-diet in Slovenia. Today, ćevapčići are found outside former Yugoslavia in the diaspora communities.

Today, the grill shops are known as ćevabdžinica (pl. ćevabdžinice).

Leskovac organizes an annual grill festival, the Leskovac Grill Festival, as a showcase of ćevapi and other grilled meat.

Preparation

They are usually served of 5–10 pieces on a plate or in a flatbread (lepinje or somun), often with chopped onions, sour cream, kajmak, ajvar, cottage cheese, minced red pepper and salt. Bosnian-type ćevapi are made from two types of minced beef meat, hand mixed and formed with a funnel, while formed ćevapi are grilled. Serbian-type ćevapi (ćevapčići) are made of either beef, lamb or pork, or mixed.

In Austria, Czech Republic and Slovakia, čevapčiči is generally served with mustard mixed with finely chopped raw onions and potatoes or French fries, in a common fast food manner.

Varieties

• Sarajevski ćevap, from Sarajevo, Bosnia, meat mix of beef and sheepmeat traditionally served in a traditional flatbread from Sarajevo called somun
• Travnički ćevap, from Travnik, Bosnia, meat mix of beef, veal, mutton and lamb
• Banjalučki ćevap, from Banja Luka, Bosnia, beef meat
• Tuzlanski ćevap, from Tuzla, Bosnia, meat mix of beef, mutton and lamb
• Novopazarski ćevap, from Novi Pazar, Serbia, traditionally sheepmeat
• Leskovački ćevap, from Leskovac, Serbia, veal meat

There are variations in meat content and seasoning. The dish is kept simple, and traditionally served with Flatbread with onions and/or kajmak and yogurt as appetizer.