Ćevapi

Ćevapi (Cyrillic: ћевапи, pronounced [tɕeʋǎːpi]) is a grilled dish of minced meat found traditionally in the countries of southeast Europe (the Balkans). It is considered a national dish of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia, with Bosnia and Herzegovina taking steps in branding and placing them on the list of intangible heritage, with a nomination for inclusion on the UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage. Ćevapi are also common in Albania, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and western Romania.

They are usually served in groups of five to ten pieces on a plate or in a flatbread (lepinja or somun), often with chopped onions, kajmak, ajvar (optional), and salt.

Bosnian ćevapi are made from two types of minced beef meat, hand-mixed and formed with a funnel, while Serbian ćevapčići are made of beef, lamb, pork, or a mixture.

The word ćevap is derived from the Ottoman Turkish kebap. The word is sometimes used in conjunction with the common South Slavic diminutive ending -čići/-čiči. Albanian: qebapë; Bulgarian: кебапчета, romanized: kebapcheta; Serbo-Croatian: ćevapi / ћевапи; Macedonian: ќебапчиња, romanized: ḱebapčinja; Slovak: čevabčiči; Slovene: čevapčiči. The word ćevapi is plural; the singular form ćevap is rarely used, as a typical serving consists of several ćevapi.

During the Ottoman administration, hajduks (rebels, outlaws) made the hajdučki ćevap ("hajduk ćevap"), which was easy to make, out of pieces of meat and smoked lard, on a skewer roasted over fire. The recipe of the Leskovački ćevap ("Leskovac ćevap"), a local specialty of Serbia, was based on traditional pljeskavica (meat patty), formed as ćevap.

Leskovac has a long history of grill shops. In Belgrade, ćevapčići first came from Leskovac in the 1860s, into the kafana "Rajić" at the Great Marketplace (today Studentski Trg), from where they quickly spread across the city, and subsequently, country. The industry quickly multiplied, as ćevapčići was the drinking public's favourite.

The ćevapčići were served at shops, known as ćevabdžija (pl. ćevabdžije). According to a 1927–28 study in Belgrade, people either ate in the restaurant or outside ("on the kaldrma"), often take-away. The shops served from early morning to 10 AM; often the dish was bought for breakfast.

Before the 1930s, they spread to the rest of Yugoslavia, including east of Serbia and the Macedonia region. By 1932, ćevapčići were regarded a local specialty in southern Serbia, Skopje and Peja. In 1933, the first street food vendor appeared in Maribor, Slovenia, who came from Leskovac, and served grilled meat, including ćevapčići. In 1940, ten pieces cost one Yugoslav dinar. In the second half of the 20th century, ćevapčići and other Oriental-Turkish dishes became prominent in Croatian cuisine.Serbian dishes such as ćevapčići have become popular in Slovenia as a result of migration from Serbia during the 20th century. Today, ćevapčići are found outside former Yugoslavia in the diaspora communities.