As part of the project “Let’s get to know each other in order to respect each other more”, implemented by the organization Daje under the auspices of the Women’s Ecumenical Initiative, five workshops have been held so far, during which believers of different religious communities in Serbia prepared dishes specific to their religion and religious holidays.
For the biggest Christian holiday, Easter, which this year was on March 31, Marija Bošnjak prepared the dishes that were served on the festive table according to Catholic customs. Marija Bošnjak, according to an old recipe, cooked and dyed eggs in onions, as well as the indispensable ham.
– For the snack itself, lunch, whatever, stew is cooked, meat is roasted. Mostly lamb is roasted, but pork, chicken, whatever is available. Cakes of various kinds are prepared from the sweet, it can be a cake, it can be a crepe, it can also be something salty, it all depends on how the people in the house like it. A glass of wine is drunk, and brandy is drunk in the morning – Marija Bošnjak explained the customs for Easter lunch.
Mirsada Berisha prepared janija, halva, sarma, and cheese pie for the Muslim holiday of Eid, April 10, and her husband Babush helped her prepare the festive dishes.
– Among us Muslims, halva is prepared, I’ve known that since I was a child, now I don’t really know its significance, I know that it’s also good for the deceased, that the smell is good for our loved ones – said Mirsada. She shared the recipe for halva with us. – oil, sugar and hot water, and this sweet is decorated with walnuts or coconut.
Janjija, a Turkish dish similar to sataras or bejar-paprikas, as stated by Mirsada, is her recipe that includes onions, peppers, tomatoes and chicken. Sarma is prepared just like her mother, and her husband Babus is the chef for the cheese pie.
For the great Jewish holiday Pesach or Passover, which began this year on April 22, Marta Pete and Gordana Todorić prepared dishes from Ashkenazi and Sephardic cuisine. Thus, the festive table included gefiltetefish – a fish dish of Ashkenazi Jews, haroset – mandatory at Pesach dinner, eggs boiled for 20 hours on low heat, matzo dumplings, minnikadi karni kun porus – meat pie of Sephardic Jews.
-This is Hamanatashen or Haman’s ears cake, which does not belong on the festive table for Pesach, but for Purim – the Jewish New Year. It contains 250 grams of flour, 250 grams of margarine or butter, a little dry yeast and jam – Marta shared a cake recipe that, as she stated, is loved by children.
Nada hosted the team of the Daje organization and prepared a fast meal. Orthodox believers fast for seven weeks before Easter, and during that time they abstain from any food of animal origin, and priest Gligorije talked about fasting itself and its importance for believers.
That’s how Nada prepared the indispensable lean beans, several types of fish and seafood specialties, potatoes, various salads, but also cherry pie and several types of small cakes. Of course, without eggs, milk and other fatty ingredients, but topped with lean, dark chocolate.
The Daya team was hosted by Radojka Morina, whose family respects both Muslim and Orthodox customs, according to Serbian Đurđevdan and Romani Ederleza, a holiday celebrated by all Roma around the world regardless of religious affiliation. Along with the inevitable roast lamb, which Radojka’s father was in charge of, there were also roast chickens on the festive table, which are adored by the younger members of the family.
In addition, Radojka’s mother Marija was preparing an old specialty, lamb stew.
– Ground or chopped intestines, white and black liver, kidneys, all offal go into it. Of course, vegetables too – onions, carrots, celery, leeks, parsnips and spices. And all of that is poured with tomato juice at the end – Maria revealed to us the secret of her lamb stew.
For the big holiday, Radojka prepared a classic delicacy for her loved ones – baklava.
Soon, as part of the project that the Daye organization is implementing under the auspices of the Women’s Ecumenical Initiative, a cooking workshop will be held in the home of Gorica, who will prepare a festive lunch for the feast of the Holy Trinity, which she and her family celebrate as litia, another custom typical of these areas.