Food of North Macedonia
North Macedonian food combines Balkan, Mediterranean and Ottoman traditions: roasted peppers, beans, lamb, cheese, yogurt and flaky pies. Ohrid trout, white cheese and ajvar are well-known specialties, and meals are leisurely gatherings with salads, grilled meat and bread.
National dish
Tavce gravce
Baked beans with paprika and onion in a clay dish.
- Main dishes (10)
- Breakfast (3)
- Street food (3)
- Soups (3)
- Salads (3)
- Breads (2)
- Desserts and sweets (5)
- Drinks (4)
- Fruits and produce (6)
Staples
- beans
- peppers
- lamb
- white cheese
- yogurt
- wheat
- rice
- vegetables
Signature flavors
- paprika
- mint
- garlic
- parsley
- savory
- black pepper
Main dishes
Tavce gravce
Baked beans with paprika and onion in a clay dish.
Key ingredients: white beans, onion, paprika
Burek
Flaky meat or cheese pie.
Key ingredients: phyllo, meat, cheeseFull guide →
Zelnik
Phyllo pie with leeks and greens.
Key ingredients: phyllo, leeks, feta
Pastrmajlija
Oval bread baked with pork and egg.
Key ingredients: dough, pork, egg
Kebapi
Grilled meat fingers.
Key ingredients: beef, porkFull guide →
Turli tava
Baked vegetables and meat.
Key ingredients: eggplant, zucchini, peppers, meatSarma
Stuffed cabbage.
Key ingredients: cabbage, rice, minceFull guide →
Ohrid trout
Trout grilled with olive oil.
Key ingredients: trout, lemonPolneti piperki
Stuffed peppers.
Key ingredients: peppers, rice, mince
Ajvar
Roasted pepper relish.
Key ingredients: peppers, eggplantFull guide →Breakfast
Burek with yogurt
Pastry with yogurt.
Key ingredients: phyllo, yogurtFull guide →
Mekici
Fried dough.
Key ingredients: dough, jamEggs with cheese
Fried eggs.
Key ingredients: eggs, cheeseStreet food
Kebapi in somun
Grilled patties in bread.
Key ingredients: beef, breadFull guide →Burek
Bakery pie.
Key ingredients: phylloFull guide →Pita
Layered pie.
Key ingredients: phylloSoups
Bean soup
Hearty soup.
Key ingredients: beans, paprika
Chorba
Meat soup.
Key ingredients: lamb, vegetables
Tarator
Cold yogurt soup.
Key ingredients: yogurt, cucumberSalads
Shopska salata
Cheese-topped salad.
Key ingredients: tomato, cucumber, cheeseFull guide →
Pindzur
Pepper and tomato spread.
Key ingredients: peppers, tomatoesTarator salad
Yogurt cucumber salad.
Key ingredients: yogurt, cucumberBreads
Pogaca
Savory bread.
Key ingredients: flour
Lepinja
Flatbread.
Key ingredients: flour, yeastDesserts and sweets
Baklava
Syrup pastry.
Key ingredients: phyllo, nutsFull guide →
Tulumbi
Fried dough.
Key ingredients: dough, syrup
Halva
Sesame sweet.
Key ingredients: sesame
Sutlijash
Rice pudding.
Key ingredients: rice, milk
Trilece
Milk cake.
Key ingredients: sponge, milkFull guide →Drinks
Turkish coffee
Boiled coffee.
Key ingredients: coffeeFull guide →
Boza
Fermented millet drink.
Key ingredients: millet
Ayran
Yogurt drink.
Key ingredients: yogurtFull guide →
Mountain tea
Herbal tea.
Key ingredients: herbsFruits and produce
Peppers
Kocani and Strumica peppers.
Key ingredients: ajvar, roasted
Apples
Ohrid apples.
Key ingredients: baking
Grapes
Table grapes.
Key ingredients: fresh
Quince
Preserves.
Key ingredients: jam
Walnuts
Baking.
Key ingredients: baking
Plums
Jam.
Key ingredients: jamDish guides from North Macedonia
AjvarSnacks and dips
AyranDrinks
BaklavaDesserts and sweets
BurekStreet food
CevapiStreet food
SarmaleMain dishes
Shopska saladSalads
Tres leches cakeDesserts and sweets
Turkish coffeeDrinks
More cuisines of Southeast Europe
About this page
Descriptions written by Intercontinental Chef. Dishes are listed as commonly eaten today; many are shared across neighbouring countries.
Photo credits
- Грав во тава(тафче гравче) (3): Oliver Manev, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Burek trokut 1: Unknown, CC BY-SA 2.5 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Зелник праз (cropped): Cuklev, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- PastrmajlijaAngela: Slavica Panova, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Cevapi s kajmakom: Christian Paul from Vancouver, Canada, CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Турлитава во традиционална, рачно изработена земјена тава. 01: Anagrkovska, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Ohridforelle 1: Albinfo, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Ajvar1 bright: Off-shell, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Mekici and jam: Biso (Biser Todorov), CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Fasolada: Miansari66, CC0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Bean soup with tomatoes and red peppers: Gillgaramond, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Cacik-1: Rainer Zenz, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Chopska: Popo le Chien, CC0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Pindjur2: Off-shell, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Turkish pogachas: E4024, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Pita Bread: Azure Dragon of the East, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Baklava(1): Sakaman, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Tulumba: Risteristevski at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Orient sweets (special halva) Samarkand, Siyab: Shuhrenataxmedov, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Mhallabiyyeh (Arabic milk pudding): Jktab, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Pastel de Tres Leches: @joefoodie, CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Türk Kahvesi - Bakir Cezve: Eaeeae, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Boza: FoPen, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Fresh ayran: Mavigogun, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Sideritis montana Sturm23: Johann Georg Sturm (Painter: Jacob Sturm), Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
- Capsicum Annum Flower: Chaitanya B D, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
- 95apple: Agricultural Research Service (Research agent of United States Department of Agriculture), Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
- Grapes, Rostov-on-Don, Russia: Vyacheslav Argenberg, CC BY 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Pancrace Bessa00: Pancrace Bessa, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
- Walnuts - whole and open with halved kernel: Ivar Leidus, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Plums African Rose - whole, halved and slice: Ivar Leidus, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
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