Macedonian Cuisine

Macedonian cuisine is hearty, sun-kissed Balkan cooking that makes the most of the country's fertile south, rich in peppers, tomatoes, beans and fresh dairy. Its national dish is tavce gravce, white beans slow-baked with peppers and paprika in an earthenware pot. Autumn brings the beloved ritual of making ajvar, a smoky relish of roasted red peppers. Meals begin with fresh sopska salad topped with crumbly white sirenje cheese, and feature grilled meats like kebapi, stuffed peppers and burek pastry, all best enjoyed with the country's good and underrated wines.

What you actually see

• Tavce gravce - the national baked bean-and-pepper stew.
• Ajvar - the smoky roasted red-pepper relish.
• Sopska salad and sirenje - the fresh salad and white cheese.
• The grilled meats and wine - the kebapi and good local wine.

When to go

Year-round; a traditional kafana is the place to enjoy the hearty dishes, grilled meats and local wine in a convivial atmosphere. Autumn is special for the communal making of ajvar, and the Tikves region in the south is well worth exploring for its long wine tradition.

Honest expectations

Macedonian food is hearty, meat- and bean-heavy and generous rather than delicate or varied, sharing much with wider Balkan cooking, so it is comfort food rather than fine dining. The country's genuinely good wines, especially from Tikves, are underrated and a highlight. Fresh, flavourful and inexpensive, and enjoyed in a lively kafana, though, it is a satisfying and authentic taste of the region.

Nearby

Skopje, Bitola and the Tikves wine region have their kafanas and cellars.