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Learn 50+ Useful Cooking Terms In Serbian For Your Next Meal

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Editorial Team

By Editorial Team
Published on March 17, 2023

Table Of Contents

Are you interested in learning how to cook a gibanica and are interested in knowing how to say some useful cooking terms in Serbian? Have a look at this post and learn all the most important terms you can expect to be used in a Serbian kitchen!

Serbia doesn’t immediately spring to mind as an ultimate destination for foodies, and neither do the other Balkan countries. However, don’t think you can’t stimulate your taste buds with delicious treats – Serbian cuisine is filled with Balkan classics, pepper-based side dishes, and doughy desserts that will make you drool just by looking at pictures of them on the internet.

To top this all off, Serbian people love to eat. Wherever you go in Serbia, you can and should expect portions to be oversized compared to what you’re used to (except if you’re from the USA). If you’re traveling to Serbia, don’t miss the opportunity to sit in a cool kafana (a traditional tavern serving coffee, drinks, snacks, and small meals) and order a hearty meal with a traditional Serbian dish like Srpska Salata (a Serbian salad that is, in all ways, the Serbian version of the Greek salad), or Cevapi (basically Serbian grilled meat), some of the most popular Serbian foods.

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In the end, add some sweets like Gibanica (a Serbian cheese pie), and you’re in for a treat! Trust me, Serbian people really know how to make sweets, and this is coming from a Portuguese guy!

Overall, cooking is an art form that is enjoyed by many people around the world, and as with any creative endeavor, it has its own set of specialized terms and vocabulary. In the Serbian language, there are several cooking terms that may be unfamiliar to those who are not fluent in the language.

For example, if you’re planning on attempting to cook the delicious Uštipci, a mouthwatering Serbian dish, do you know what a тањир (tanjir) is? If you don’t, maybe it is worth it to first look at some Serbian cooking-related terms before starting to mess with Serbian food and recipes. BTW, тањир (tanjir) means plate in Serbian.

If you want to learn more about this baltic cuisine, don’t hesitate to check our blog about the Serbian language, where you can learn all about Serbian cuisine, along with many other topics, such as exciting things to do in Serbia, or flirting phrases in Serbian.

Cooking Terms In Serbian

Are you traveling through Serbia or simply talking to your Serbian friend? In that case, I can almost guarantee you that eventually the topic of храна (hrana), or food in English, will come up. Serbian cuisine is considered to have myriad tastes and smells, much owing to the mixture of influences of various peoples who were just passing through or were living in this region. In Serbian restaurants, you have a wide array of offerings, with every type of dish: љуто (ljuto – spicy), слатко (slatko – sweet), горка (gorka – bitter), and слана (slana – salty).

Now that we’ve started talking about food, we should start by looking at some important cooking utensils you might use to cook Serbian dishes.

EnglishSerbianTranslationPronunciation
Air fryerВаздух фритезаVazduh friteza Ваздух фритеза
Baking dishВатросталну посудуVatrostalnu posudu Ватросталну посуду
BlenderБлендерBlender Блендер
Box graterКутија рендеKutija rende Кутија ренде
Chopping boardДаска за сецкањеDaska za seckanje Даска за сецкање
ColanderЦоландерColander Цоландер
CupЦупCup Цуп
Dutch ovenДанска рернаDanska rerna Данска рерна
Food processorСецкалица за хрануSeckalica za hranu Сецкалица за храну
ForkФоркFork Форк
Fry pan/skilletТигањ / тигањTiganj / tiganj Тигањ / тигањ
GraterРендеRende Ренде
Grill panРоштиљ тигањRoštilj tiganj Роштиљ тигањ
Hot potХот потHot pot Хот пот
Instant PotИнстант ПотInstant Pot Инстант Пот
KettleКеттлеKettle Кеттле
KnifeКнифеKnife Книфе
LadleЛадлеLadle Ладле
Microwaveмикроталаснаmikrotalasna микроталасна
MittensРукавицеRukavice Рукавице
MixerМиксерMikser Миксер
OvenПећницаPećnica Пећница
PanПанPan Пан
PeelerПеелерPeeler Пеелер
PlateТањирTanjir Тањир
PotПотPot Пот
Pressure cookerЕкспрес лонацEkspres lonac Експрес лонац
Rice potЛонац за пириначLonac za pirinač Лонац за пиринач
Roasting panПечење ПанPečenje Pan Печење Пан
Rolling pinОклагијаOklagija Оклагија
SifterСифтерSifter Сифтер
SkilletТигањTiganj Тигањ
Slow cookerСпоро шпоретSporo šporet Споро шпорет
Soup potЛонац за супуLonac za supu Лонац за супу
SpatulaСпатулаSpatula Спатула
SpoonСпоонSpoon Споон
SteamerСтеамерSteamer Стеамер
StoveПећPeć Пећ
StrainerЗатезачZatezač Затезач
Tablespoonкашикаkašika кашика
TeaspoonТеаспоонTeaspoon Теаспоон
Toaster ovenТостер рернаToster rerna Тостер рерна
TongsКлештаKlešta Клешта
WhiskУмутитиUmutiti Умутити
WokВокVok Вок
Ingredients In Serbian

When you already know your cooking utensils, it is time to get your hands dirty! Serbian cuisine is a Balkan cuisine that consists of continental flavors spiced up with an Ottoman touch. It stands out from other Western cuisines through the use of ingredients such as pavlaka (a variation of sour cream). Most Serbian recipes are archaic, and trace their origins hundreds of years ago, but still have a fresh and modern taste due to the use of natural and organic ingredients.

Here is a list of some ingredients in Serbian you might want to know when you’re heading to the market! These are some of the most common ingredients used in Traditional Serbian food.

EnglishSerbianTranslationPronunciation
BaconСланинаSlanina Сланина
BeefГовединаGovedina Говедина
BreadХлебHleb Хлеб
ButterМаслацMaslac Маслац
CabbageКупусKupus Купус
CheeseСирSir Сир
ChocolateЧоколадаČokolada Чоколада
CinnamonЦиметCimet Цимет
Coffeeкафуkafu кафу
DoughТестоTesto Тесто
EggЈајеJaje Јаје
FlourБрашноBrašno Брашно
GarlicБели лукBeli luk Бели лук
JamЏемDžem Џем
Minced MeatМлевено месоMleveno Meso Млевено месо
MilkМлекоMleko Млеко
MushroomsПечуркеPečurke Печурке
OlivesМаслинеMasline Маслине
OnionsЛукLuk Лук
PaprikaПаприкаPaprika Паприка
Pavlakaпавлакаpavlaka павлака
PepperБиберBiber Бибер
PorkСвињетинаSvinjetina Свињетина
SalamiСаламиSalami Салами
SausageКобасицаKobasica Кобасица
Sour CreamПавлакаPavlaka Павлака
TomatoesПарадајзParadajz Парадајз
YoghurtЈогуртJogurt Јогурт

Cooking Verbs – The Action Of Cooking

What is a guide about Serbian cuisine without teaching you important verbs that represent the action of Кување (Kuvanje), or cooking? Here is a list of verbs that are commonly used in the gastronomical world in Serbian.

EnglishSerbianTranslationPronunciation
To boilПрокуватиProkuvati Прокувати
To boil downДа прокључаDa proključa Да прокључа
To braiseЗа динстањеZa dinstanje За динстање
To broil meatЗа печење месаZa pečenje mesa За печење меса
To chop/ minceЗа сецкање / млевењеZa seckanje / mlevenje За сецкање / млевење
To coatПрекритиPrekriti Прекрити
To cookКуватиKuvati Кувати
To cutДа сечеDa seče Да сече
To dissolve/ meltДа се ​​раствори/стопиDa se ​​rastvori/stopi Да се ​​раствори/стопи
To fryПржитиPržiti Пржити
To glazeЗа глазуруZa glazuru За глазуру
To grillНа роштиљNa roštilj На роштиљ
To grindДа мељеDa melje Да меље
To kneadЗа меситиZa mesiti За месити
To marinateЗа маринирањеZa mariniranje За маринирање
To mix togetherЗа мешање заједноZa mešanje zajedno За мешање заједно
To peelОгулитиOguliti Огулити
To pinchЗа штипањеZa štipanje За штипање
To pourДа сипаDa sipa Да сипа
To roastНа печењеNa pečenje На печење
To sautéЗа сотирањеZa sotiranje За сотирање
To scoopТо сцоопTo scoop То сцооп
To sift / filterЗа просијавање / филтрирањеZa prosijavanje / filtriranje За просијавање / филтрирање
To sliceУситнитиUsitniti Уситнити
To snipТо снипTo snip То снип
To steamУ паруU paru У пару
To stew / simmerЗа динстање / динстањеZa dinstanje / dinstanje За динстање / динстање
To stuffОсобљуOsoblju Особљу
To wrapЗа умотавањеZa umotavanje За умотавање

Other Useful Vocabularies About Cuisine In Serbian

EnglishSerbianTranslationPronunciation
WaiterКонобарKonobar Конобар
ChefГлавни куварGlavni kuvar Главни кувар
SoupСупаSupa Супа
MealОброкObrok Оброк
BreakfastДоручакDoručak Доручак
LunchРучакRučak Ручак
DinnerВечераVečera Вечера
MeatМесоMeso Месо
FishРибаRiba Риба
VegetablesПоврћеPovrće Поврће
FruitВоћеVoće Воће
SweetsСлаткишиSlatkiši Слаткиши
AppetizzersПредјелаPredjela Предјела
Main CourseГлавно јелоGlavno jelo Главно јело
DesertДесертDesert Десерт
CutleryПрибор за јелоPribor za jelo Прибор за јело
TableСтоSto Сто
SeasonsГодишња добаGodišnja doba Годишња доба
SpicesЗачиниZačini Зачини
PastriesПециваPeciva Пецива
Learn Serbian Cta

Learn More Serbian With Ling App!

Now that you’re ready to cook and speak like a chef in Serbian restaurants, why stop in the kitchen when there is a whole world to explore with Serbian as a second language? Come learn this amazing baltic language with Ling app!

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Don’t waste more time. Download Ling app and come speak Serbian with us!