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

Cooking Terms in Serbian

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.

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
Baking dishВатросталну посудуVatrostalnu posudu
BlenderБлендерBlender
Box graterКутија рендеKutija rende
Chopping boardДаска за сецкањеDaska za seckanje
ColanderЦоландерColander
CupЦупCup
Dutch ovenДанска рернаDanska rerna
Food processorСецкалица за хрануSeckalica za hranu
ForkФоркFork
Fry pan/skilletТигањ / тигањTiganj / tiganj
GraterРендеRende
Grill panРоштиљ тигањRoštilj tiganj
Hot potХот потHot pot
Instant PotИнстант ПотInstant Pot
KettleКеттлеKettle
KnifeКнифеKnife
LadleЛадлеLadle
Microwaveмикроталаснаmikrotalasna
MittensРукавицеRukavice
MixerМиксерMikser
OvenПећницаPećnica
PanПанPan
PeelerПеелерPeeler
PlateТањирTanjir
PotПотPot
Pressure cookerЕкспрес лонацEkspres lonac
Rice potЛонац за пириначLonac za pirinač
Roasting panПечење ПанPečenje Pan
Rolling pinОклагијаOklagija
SifterСифтерSifter
SkilletТигањTiganj
Slow cookerСпоро шпоретSporo šporet
Soup potЛонац за супуLonac za supu
SpatulaСпатулаSpatula
SpoonСпоонSpoon
SteamerСтеамерSteamer
StoveПећPeć
StrainerЗатезачZatezač
Tablespoonкашикаkašika
TeaspoonТеаспоонTeaspoon
Toaster ovenТостер рернаToster rerna
TongsКлештаKlešta
WhiskУмутитиUmutiti
WokВокVok
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
BeefГовединаGovedina
BreadХлебHleb
ButterМаслацMaslac
CabbageКупусKupus
CheeseСирSir
ChocolateЧоколадаČokolada
CinnamonЦиметCimet
Coffeeкафуkafu
DoughТестоTesto
EggЈајеJaje
FlourБрашноBrašno
GarlicБели лукBeli luk
JamЏемDžem
Minced MeatМлевено месоMleveno Meso
MilkМлекоMleko
MushroomsПечуркеPečurke
OlivesМаслинеMasline
OnionsЛукLuk
PaprikaПаприкаPaprika
Pavlakaпавлакаpavlaka
PepperБиберBiber
PorkСвињетинаSvinjetina
SalamiСаламиSalami
SausageКобасицаKobasica
Sour CreamПавлакаPavlaka
TomatoesПарадајзParadajz
YoghurtЈогуртJogurt

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
To boil downДа прокључаDa proključa
To braiseЗа динстањеZa dinstanje
To broil meatЗа печење месаZa pečenje mesa
To chop/ minceЗа сецкање / млевењеZa seckanje / mlevenje
To coatПрекритиPrekriti
To cookКуватиKuvati
To cutДа сечеDa seče
To dissolve/ meltДа се ​​раствори/стопиDa se ​​rastvori/stopi
To fryПржитиPržiti
To glazeЗа глазуруZa glazuru
To grillНа роштиљNa roštilj
To grindДа мељеDa melje
To kneadЗа меситиZa mesiti
To marinateЗа маринирањеZa mariniranje
To mix togetherЗа мешање заједноZa mešanje zajedno
To peelОгулитиOguliti
To pinchЗа штипањеZa štipanje
To pourДа сипаDa sipa
To roastНа печењеNa pečenje
To sautéЗа сотирањеZa sotiranje
To scoopТо сцоопTo scoop
To sift / filterЗа просијавање / филтрирањеZa prosijavanje / filtriranje/
To sliceУситнитиUsitniti
To snipТо снипTo snip
To steamУ паруU paru
To stew / simmerЗа динстање / динстањеZa dinstanje / dinstanje/
To stuffОсобљуOsoblju
To wrapЗа умотавањеZa umotavanje

Other Useful Vocabularies About Cuisine In Serbian

EnglishSerbianTranslationPronunciation
WaiterКонобарKonobar
ChefГлавни куварGlavni kuvar
SoupСупаSupa
MealОброкObrok
BreakfastДоручакDoručak
LunchРучакRučak
DinnerВечераVečera
MeatМесоMeso
FishРибаRiba
VegetablesПоврћеPovrće
FruitВоћеVoće
SweetsСлаткишиSlatkiši
AppetizzersПредјелаPredjela
Main CourseГлавно јелоGlavno jelo
DesertДесертDesert
CutleryПрибор за јелоPribor za jelo
TableСтоSto
SeasonsГодишња добаGodišnja doba
SpicesЗачиниZačini
PastriesПециваPeciva
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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!

Ling app is a language learning application where you can master over 60 languages from all over the world through fun and engaging methods, like games and puzzles! These methods help you retain information much faster, allowing you to see improvements at a much faster rate than traditional methods!

This application is available on your phone anytime, anywhere, so you can learn whenever you want!

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

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