Mostar Turist Quality Project

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Wine, Food and Crafts

Herzegovina, the most southern territory of Bosnia Herzegovina, distinguishes itself from the rest of the country due to its historical, naturalistic and climatic characteristics. The traditional flavours of wine and food and its typical crafts products raise the tourist potential of this area even higher, rendering it a most attractive and varied region.

Its Mediterranean climate encourages, above all in the Neretva River valley, the cultivation of fruit and vegetables, with an intense production of citrus fruits, kiwis, figs, pomegranates, melons, cherries, apricots, sweet-smelling peaches and tasty, seasonal vegetables. In the woody and hilly areas, aromatic herbs and medicinal plants are picked, such as calendula, camomile, hawthorn, thyme, mint, St. John’s wort, lemon balm, juniper and, especially, lavender which, during its flowering, lets off into the air its delicate perfume. This rich variety of plants and flowers also guarantees the production of an excellent honey, often used in the preparation of traditional cakes.

In this region, cheese lovers can find dairy products to satisfy all tastes – among the most famous, the Livno (“livanjski sir”) and the cheese in the bag (“sir iz mijeha”) - fresh or seasoned, to taste perhaps together with fine local wines which, produced in the area’s small cellars, make up some of the best wines of south-eastern Europe. The antique crafts tradition here, whose roots go back to the Ottoman era, is to be seen clearly in the many workshops that line the Mostar streets, whose artistic production in copper, precious metals, leather, wool and wood are a source of attraction to all visitors no matter where they come from. The purchase of unique objects is also a way of taking home a tiny piece of this beautiful city.

Traditional Flavours

Traditional Bosnian cuisine is characterized by delicious Balkan specialities which mix the flavours of both the East and West. Apart from including an extensive range of meats – above all veal, lamb, chicken and fish (particularly trout, bred in the fish-breeding tanks all over the country) – many dishes are served with legumes, fruit and vegetables; in particular, courgettes, carrots, sweet peppers, aubergines, spinach, beans, onions, garlic and tomatoes.

Then all is seasoned with salt, pepper, a little chilli pepper, a lot of parsley and, sometimes, some laurel. The use of fresh primary goods, mostly produced organically, makes this type of cuisine particularly tasty and of a high quality. Bosnian cuisine uses many spices, although only in small quantities, and the final result is light as a lot of water is used in the preparation of the dishes. The sauces are totally natural as they are based mainly on vegetable juices used in the various recipes; yoghurt is often served with the meal.

The typical cuisine has been influenced by Turkish, Greek and Mediterranean cooking in general, and also by that of northern-Europe due to the period of domination by the Austrian- Hungarian Empire. Pork is not frequently used because of its Muslim population. The Herzegovina cuisine is slightly different from that of Bosnia: it uses more green vegetables in the preparation of its dishes and is both lighter and tastier. Turkish and Greek influences are nowadays an integral part of its traditional gastronomy but, in the past few years, European flavours, particularly Italian, have also entered into its recipes.

The enormous variety of dairy products, such as milk, yoghurt, cottage cheese, fresh and seasoned cheeses (some similar to Parmesan cheese) are proudly made only by hand and many of them are available directly from the local markets.

Mostar is full of places where you can taste delicious dishes at fair prices; all you have to do is go to one of the many restaurants and cafes of the old city. Amongst the cheaper places to be mentioned, are the buregdžinica, which offer snacks based on savoury and stuffed tarts, and some snack bars with traditional, take-away dishes (“aščinica”).