Burek is a common savory pastry in Serbia, typically filled with meat or cheese. It is a traditional dietary staple and is inexpensive. It is also widely available at pastry shops throughout the city. My cheese burek and yogurt cost only around 250 Serbian dinars, or approximately $2.39 USD, a small price to pay for a delicious Serbian meal.
Cheese burek (burek sa sirom) with plain yogurt.
I loved trying the cheese burek. It was an incredbibly filling meal and a delicious one at that. Burek is often eaten alongside plain yogurt, and I noticed that many locals drink the yogurt as they eat the burek. This was different from how I initially approached it, as I preferred dipping pieces of burek into the yogurt or pouring the yogurt over it. I found it interesting that I could immerse myself in another culture’s cuisine while still bringing my own habits and preferences to the experience. Although I enjoy yogurt, I wanted to balance the flavors and savor the process of eating the burek in my own way. At the same time, noticing how the people around me consumed the same meal differently made me more aware of the small, often unspoken cultural practices that shape everyday life.
