ajvar

The ajvar can be consumed as a bread spread or as a side dish.

It is also known for the production of ajvar, a widely popular type of relish in Kosovo.

In recent years, industrial production of ljutenica, as well as ajvar, has flourished.

In the Balkans, where it originated, ajvar is made with eggplant, tomato and spices.

Domestic ajvar, meaning caviar, used to be a very popular dish in Belgrade homes and restaurants.

Traditional Bulgarian lyutenitsa is less hot than ajvar.

Breakfast in Kosovo is simple, usually consisting of bread and cheese, ajvar or scrambled eggs, with milk.

But the ajvar tops my list.

Its food - particularly the rich, cool ajvar (chopped pepper salad) and tender lamb - ranks among the city's best.

He would know right away, for instance, that he had eaten ajvar and liver smothered in garlic.

Peppers are also the main ingredient in the traditional tomato and pepper dip lyutenitsa and ajvar.

Fried eggs or omelet and Vienna sausage with mayonnaise, mustard or ajvar are very often consumed.

Original homemade ajvar is made of roasted peppers, while some industrial producers use cooked peppers, which leads to a lower quality.

The preparation of ajvar is somewhat difficult, as it involves a great amount of manual labour, especially related to peeling the roasted peppers.

Thus, Kosovo tends to be a country with a variety of traditional recipes and common vegetables such as ajvar, pickles, cheese and other dairy products.

Ajvar (Fried or roasted capsicum relish)

NPR article and recipe for Ajvar, the "Serbian Salsa"

For $5.50 at lunch, you can get a plate with cucumber and yogurt salad and ajvar, a regional spread made from red peppers and eggplant.

The name ajvar comes from the Turkish word havyar, which means "salted roe, caviar" and shares an etymology with caviar.

Some local specialties are ćevapi, burek, dolma, sarma, pilaf, goulash, ajvar and an extensive range of Eastern sweets.

These include rakija (fruit brandy), slatko, jam, jelly, various pickled foods, notably sauerkraut, ajvar or sausages.

Most cuisines in Tetovo have a strong Ottoman influence or foundation such as Ajvar, Sujuk and Gevrek.

Ajvar is popular appetizer or side dish made of roasted paprika, ripe tomatoes, and even string beans can be combined into ajvar.

Their ajvar has won a "superior taste" award from the Brussels-based International Taste and Quality Institute of independent chefs and sommeliers.

And one of my favorite snacks, Marco Polo Red Pepper Spread, called Ajvar and made in Bulgaria, turns out to be perfect on a grilled burger.