Bosnian Fast Food

Bascarcija, the Ottoman center of Sarajevo, is a lot like the markets of Istanbul. Or, it's a lot like what the markets of Istanbul would be if they took a handful of Valium and relaxed. Nobody bustles, and nobody seems to be in a hurry. A stroll downtown can take hours, and ordering a cup of coffee can take all afternoon. So I was a bit stunned when my friend offered to take me to a cevabdzinica-Bosnia's version of a fast food restaurant for cevapi, the "unofficial national dish" of Bosnia.

My friend Amir and a group of his friends slowly led me through the maze of streets in Bascarsija. We passed the bazaar that was filled with souvenir shops selling pictures of former communist leader Tito and t-shirts that had "Don't Panic, I am Islamic" boldly printed on them. We passed cafes where people were sipping Bosnian coffee and smoking, we passed Begova Mosque and made our way to Zeljo's, the best-known cevabdzinica in Sarajevo.

We sat down on the long wooden benches that lined the street in front of the restaurant and everyone ordered a large portion. The waitress brought over a plate with five little grilled sausages covered in sliced onion, lying on perfectly warmed pita, with a tiny silver dish of yogurt. It looked so simple, but like everything in Bosnia, it's complicated.

These cevapi were made of a carefully concocted mix of lamb and beef. But as Amir explained, although these cevapi were tasty, this was not the correct way to eat them. He started to draw a map of Bosnia on a napkin and labeled cities. Being from Prijador, a town north of Sarajevo, he proclaimed that true cevapi must be in the pocket pita, and it is obligatory that there is a napkin with a toothpick in it. It keeps the bread moist. Every one of his friends disagreed.

Thus began my education on cevapi and the geopolitics of Bosnia. One friend from Sarajevo claimed that cevapi from Sarajevo were the best and they must be eaten with kaymak, a spreadable cheese. Another friend, from Banja Luka, argued that actually these cevapi were not as good as the ones from his hometown. There, cevapi are made from a different meat mixture and are spicier. Another friend asserted that his father was from Croatia, and they eat cevapi that has pork in it and is accompanied by Avjar a bright red pepper spread that resembled chunky ketchup. With that proclamation an argument erupted and everyone was explaining why eating cevapi with Ajvar was close to blasphemy.

Looking down on my Cevapi-map of Bosnia, I realized that I had a map that showed a great representation of ethnicity, religion, and sacred spots in Bosnia-Herzegovina. None of the debates on the best way to eat cevapi will ever be settled, but they are all delicious.

We spent three hours in the restaurant. That's Bosnian-style fast food.