Balkan cuisine

It is found in the Balkan Peninsula of Southeast Europe, a region without clear boundaries but which is generally considered to at least include the modern countries of Albania, Bulgaria, Turkey, Romania and Greece and the former Yugoslavia, with the exception of Slovenia and northern inland regions of Croatia.

[7] The Ottoman Empire introduced the use of peppers to the region and it also brought börek, a filo pastry with origins that may lie in Ancient Roman cuisine.

[8] At the same time pork became popular in northern Serbia as pigs were not taxed under Ottoman Islamic law.

[11] The involvement of Austria, Hungary and Italy in the Balkans led to the introduction of breaded-meat dishes and goulash, as well as an emphasis on seafood.

[12] There are also some contributions from Jewish cuisine, such as patišpanja, the sponge cake found in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Cooking is typically done using a sač, a type of baking lid covered with hot coals or ashes,[8] a technique dating back to Ancient Greek cuisine.