72 HOURS of the BEST BALKAN FOOD in Skopje, Macedonia 🇲🇰 MUST TRY MACEDONIAN Food in North Macedonia

72 HOURS of the BEST BALKAN FOOD in Skopje, Macedonia 🇲🇰 MUST TRY MACEDONIAN Food in North Macedonia

Welcome to Skopje, Macedonia,
a landlocked gem in the heart of the Balkans, tucked
between mountains and layered in history. Shaped by 500 years of Ottoman rule
and a blend of Balkan and Mediterranean influences, the food here is proudly made
with fresh, seasonal ingredients. From colourful salads and hearty beans,
to flaky Burek, meaty Pastrmajlija, juicy kebapi with rich kajmak,
and meat like you’ve never had before. This city is unlike any other. On our first trip to Skopje,
we explored the deep, fresh flavours of the local cuisine,
where the meals are slow, the hospitality is unbeatable,
and new friends appear around every corner, always with a cheeky shot of rakija
to wash it all down. So, grab a snack,
and let the flavour explosion begin! We’re here this morning at Bakery Ziki,
which is a very local spot for some traditional Macedonian
breakfast pastries. They specialize in Burek,
as well as a whole ton of other things. So we’re going to head
back into the kitchen and see what they’re making up this morning. Come on. This is how he makes the dough. Wow. Wow! Such an amazing process. So, you can see he gets
the layer of dough so thin and massive. So impressive. Must take years of skill for that. Just look at this. Yeah, my father has been doing this since 8th grade. Since eighth grade? Yeah, when he was little. He used to work for others. Mmm hmm.
And then in 2007 we opened our own. Oh amazing. He learned this all by himself. He watched others do it, and then he learned it. With meat, yeah. Meat and onions? Meat with ah… Yeah, a little bit of onions. Wow. So many layers! Here at Bakery Ziki, they do all kinds of traditional Macedonian pastries. And it just smells so good back here. Ah, pork? Yeah, that’s pork, yeah. Thank you. I’m here with the father and owner, and ultimately
head bakery chef back here. And we’ve got Pastrmalija here to try. Now, this is a very traditional
Macedonian pastry. It is made with fresh bread and pork on top. And it just looks so good. It’s brushed with, like, a margarine, fatty lard as well. And, just look at this. Looks incredible. Oh, wow. Okay, here we go. Mmm. Mmm hmm. It’s so good. Delicious! Very, very tasty, ooh. The pork is so meaty and tender. Just look at that. And it has a nice fatty taste to it. It’s a little bit salty,
but the bread itself is just so nice and fresh,
and light, and airy. Oh my gosh, this is delicious. And fresh hot, right out the oven. Doesn’t get any better than that. Look at the Burek. Oh, wow. Oh! So golden and flaky. Oh my gosh. Wow! So good. It was so nice getting to try that Pastrmalija
in the back there. But this is what we came for. The Burek. Now, this is a very popular Macedonian
breakfast here. And you can see it has quite
an Ottoman influence to it. All Macedonian cuisine actually
has a decent Ottoman influence to it. we have two different
kinds of burek here, and we’ve got a meat
and a white cheese one. And the process of making
it is really cool. He gets that dough
so thin, that phyllo dough. And you can just see with it how light it looks. Just look at that super flaky. We’ve got huge chunks of meat in our meat one here. Just look at that. You can see the spices in there too. And again, it just looks so light, even though it’s meaty,
that dough is just flaky. And… all right, here we go. Mmm. The flavour of that meat. Oh my goodness. it actually tastes so spiced. That meat has such a nice flavour. And the onions in there
give it such a nice taste as well. Has a nice pepperiness to it,
but that pastry is honestly so thin. It’s a little bit oily and greasy And just so light actually,
even though it is greasy, if that makes sense, mmm. Oh, that is incredible. Look, we’ve got a nice outer edge of the burek there. Mmm. That’s got a nice crisp to it. Oh, that pastry just so good. And, one of the things
that you have to have with your burek is a nice yogourt to go with it. So let’s… Open that up. Look at that. Oh, nice and thick,
but definitely drinkable. Mmm. Cheers. Mmm. Wow. That’s really good. Has quite a strong sourness to it. A little bit salty, but not too much. Honestly just a really nice thick yogourt. Mmm. I want to get a nice big of this cheesy one, ooh. It’s so warm and fresh because it just came
right out of the oven. Which is the best way to have your burek. Look at that there. Nice… Thick layer of that cheese. Mmm…
Mmm hmm, mmm hmm. That cheese is really nice. It’s super creamy, very light. It actually doesn’t have
too much of a strong flavour either way. Like salty or anything like that. But ooh… it’s just so good. Delicious. Delicious. Yeah, it’s very tasty yeah. Just so tasty, delicious, ooh. So tasty, yeah. Both of them are incredible, yeah. Really, really good. Just look at how thin and flaky, and light these layers are. And the cheese one is just packed
with cheese. Look at that. But again, just so many layers. So crispy on the top and the bottom. Oh, it’s so good. Mmm. Mmm. I really just love how light and flaky it is, but just so savoury and hearty. It really is the perfect way
to start your day. Because… I mean meat, cheese,
flaky pastry. Look at that. You’ve got to end it all off… With an ultimate burek bite. Mmm. Amazing. Amazing. The burek is good here? Ah, the burek is amazing. The best, yeah. Thank you so much for having us. This has been such an amazing experience. It’s such a local family run business here since 2007. You guys have been running the bakery here. And, I have to say,
it’s got to be the best bakery in Skopje, for sure. And we’re glad that you enjoyed it. Oh, thank you so much. The food, everything was just delicious, yeah. Thank you. Yeah, thank you. Skopje is often referred to as the city of statues. And for good reason. The city boasts nearly 300 statues, many of which have been added
in the last ten years. Their presence adds
a distinctive character to the city that makes it a pleasure to explore. Throughout Skopje, you’ll find sculptures of local revolutionaries, writers, educators, politicians, artists and historical figures
who have left their mark on the region, as well as memorials
and depictions of historical events. From small to enormous. Experiencing the sculptures of Skopje
is an adventure in and of itself. That’s kajmak? Kajmak, yeah. We are here at Venice Fontana, which is a restaurant
that’s been around since 1957, to try one of North Macedonia’s
most popular dishes, kebapi. Now, kebapi is a Macedonian kebab. And it can be made with beef, pork, lamb
or a mixture of all of them. But these are 100% beef. And we got it made with Kajmak,
which is a clotted cream. Super rich and creamy cream. That looks, amazing! It smells so, so good. And they were grilling up, like, hundreds and hundreds of the kebapi
on the grill over there. So this whole place
smells like grilled meat. And we also got a ‘Selsko Lepce’ bread, which is a Macedonian village pan bread. You can see there. And that gets put on the grill too. So that just smells like grilled
meat as well. Look at these kebapi here. They are so perfectly grilled. And just glistening with that melted kajmak on top. Just look at that. It looks so creamy and almost, really like cheese there. You can see there, but just look. But just look. The char marks on the kebapi. Wow. And we got eight kebabi here. So let’s cut one open… And give it a try. Oh, look at that. Grilled to perfection there. This smells amazing. The meat just melts… in my mouth. Oh, wow. And that kajmak, is so rich. It is almost like cheese. Holy moly! The kebapi have such a nice, beefy, meaty flavour. And it does taste
like the char from the grill. And it’s a charcoal grill that they cook
the kebpi on. Just cooked to perfection,
like I was saying. And just so tender. Melt in your mouth. Mmm. And I love how they put it on a bed of this kajmak, this clotted cream. It’s savoury. Because we’ve had kajmak before,
and it’s been sweet. But this one is savoury. And like I was saying,
it’s almost like a cheese. Mmm. It tastes… like a cheese curd. That is unreal. We have our bread here. So, I want to try this
‘Selsko Lepce’ bread. That we’re supposed to eat, and dip into our kajmak with our kebapi here, so. Ultimate… Kebapi bite. Mmm. Just so fresh. It’s soft on the inside,
but crispy on the outside. Tastes like that grill. Such a charred meat flavour infused in the bread. And just goes perfectly,
soaks up the kajmak there. And the grease and oiliness of the kebapi here. Mmm. With Macedonian cuisine, you have to have bread with your meal. And this bread, is just so good. You can see there. Just so airy on the inside there. But, just so fresh. Mmm. This is a meal that I can have any time of the day, This is, amazing. The Macedonian kebapi is different than other kebabs that we’ve had because
it’s not actually skewered and grilled. It’s just thrown onto the grill,
and grilled up. So it’s more sausage like,
just so juicy and tender I can’t get over, this kajmak… On the kebapi. So, so creamy. It’s so nice to try one of
North Macedonia’s most popular dishes. And this kebapi is so yummy. With the addition of that kajmak, it just brings these kebapi to a whole other level. Mmm. The perfect meal here in Skopje. Ooh… Perfect. So, we are here
with the owner of Venice Fontana. He is the second generation. And this is his son,
who is the third generation. And this is the grandfather,
the patriarch of this whole place. Since 1957, he started this restaurant, and the food was, ooh… Delicious, thank you.
Thank you so much. What a wonderful experience here. A family run restaurant. Definitely visit
this place when you’re in Skopje. Thank you, thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you. Our next stop is here at Fast Food 7. Now, this is one of the only local Macedonian fast food chains
in the entire country. This is a super popular spot, and they are known
for their massive burger and fries. But not just any burger and fries. Let’s go have a taste. Thank you. Thank you so much. Wow. Look at this burger. So, here we have our enormous burger and fries from Fast Food 7. Now, you can see this is not your typical
regular burgers and fries. They take the fries
and put them inside the burger. And not just a few fries. The whole entire order of fries goes inside, on top of the burger here. So you can see, it is just massive. We have a sesame seed bun here. You can see it looks pretty fresh. We got some lettuce there. Somewhere… Buried underneath all of the fries is a nice juicy beef patty there. But, the star has got to be… Look at all of those fries there on top. She put a homemade mayo, ketchup, and it looks like a spicy chili flake on top as well. This smells and just looks incredible. I have no idea how to attack this. They give you a little forks
to eat with your fries, but. I think I just need to go for it
and have a bite. So, cheers. So you can see, my first bite, I barely even got to the burger
patty there. It was just mostly all fries. But, that mayo is so yellow, and it’s just creamy, rich and… Really eggy tasting too. Wow, that is incredible. And again, those fries are massive. Let’s just get some of the fries here, with that chili flake on top. I love how
they give you a little fork here. We’ve seen people eat it like this. Mmm. Ooh… That chili flake has a little bit of a kick to it. Mmm. But again, just so creamy with that mayo. And the ketchup, of course adds such a nice tomatoey
flavour to the burger. Let’s try to get a bigger bite of the
patty here with the lettuce. Mmm. That is a juicy, juicy hamburger patty. Wow! So flavourful, actually. Really strong flavour of beef. And, here at this restaurant. They are known for their
very fresh ingredients. Even though it’s a fast food restaurant,
they use no frozen goods. It’s all fresh ingredients
here from Macedonia That burger patty is incredible. Mmm. This side is just spewing out
with all those French fries. Look at that. We found a nice surprise, actually, underneath our juicy, juicy patty. There’s actually pickles as well, so Mmm. Gives it that nice crunchy pickle flavour. Really adds a nice flavour
to the massive french fry burger Mmm. Oh, yeah. Delicious. Delicious. Delicious. Really good. Thank you. Oh… This is got to be one of the most tasty burgers that we’ve ever had. It’s not just a mountain of French fries put on top that makes this burger so huge. The bun is massive as well,
and it’s really soft and fluffy, and fresh. Mmm. And the patty is actually super,
super big. You can see there. It’s juicy. Put some of the fries on here. It’s like a Jenga tower. If you pull the wrong one… It could all just fall right off. This place has been around since 1987. There’s a constant flow of people
coming in and out. So you can really see that
this is such a popular burger spot. This is an ultimate Skopje
fast food experience. A definite
must when you’re here in the city Let’s get one last ultimate bite here. With everything. Mmm. I love this… Burger dinner plate. It has been such a delicious day
so far here in Macedonia. But, we’ve got one last
stop to top it all off. Come on. Beef? Yes. Kebab. Kebapi. And the cheese. Yes. Okay. We’re at Bratski Merak, which is a very traditional
Macedonian restaurant, To try their ‘Sharska Pleskavica’, which is a Macedonian burger. Now, the one we have here is stuffed with cheese chunks of
nice orange yellow cheese. And their special is covered in mushrooms, bacon and kajmak again. Can you just look at this massive dollop
they put on top? Super creamy. That rich clotted cream, look so good. We have a few other things
to try with this. This is ‘Ayvar’, which is a very popular,
like a dip or spread. And it’s made with roasted
red peppers and eggplant. And it just looks nice
and oily, and super tasty. And the way you want to eat
it is with fresh bread, as well as nice white cheese. So, we’ve got quite a traditional
looking spread here. Look at how thick this burger is. And that kajmak on top. Oh my gosh. So creamy. Just look thick… That burger is there. Oh, wow. And you can see the cheese. Looks like there’s onion
in there as well. Oh, this looks so good. I’m just going to get a nice bite
with everything. And a huge dollop… of this kajmak. Just look at that. Oh my gosh. I don’t even know where to begin. That burger… Is so juicy and meaty. 100% beef. So tasty. The cheese inside of it is nice and rich. Bacon, delicious. I mean, you can’t go wrong with bacon. The mushrooms give a nice
earthy flavout to it, but, ooh. That kajmak on top is on another level. It’s interesting. It’s different than other kajmak we’ve had before. It’s super creamy, but it has a bit of a salty cheesiness to it
that is just so good. It works with a savoury dish like this I… just haven’t quite eaten a burger like this before. And, obviously you can tell, it’s way different than a regular burger,
because… where’s the bun? There’s no button,
which we’re kind of okay with with because sometimes
it’s just way too carby. So, having just a nice meaty burger like this on bun… is just incredible. Mmm. Oh, my gosh. That kajmak… Is seriously insanely delicious. Delicious. No, thank you very much. So delicious, wow. Thank you. The kajmak… You are the best. Ooh. And, this is local beer, right?
From Skopje? The best local beer. All right. Skopsko. Skopsko. Like the capital city. Yeah, yeah. Skopje, Skopsko. Ah, I love it. Look at that, perfect pour. I think he’s done this
a couple of times before. Thank you. Thank you so much. You’re welcome. Apparently the best way
to enjoy your sharska burger, is with a local beer. Cheers. Cheers! Mmm. Ooh… Very refreshing. Oh, so good. That definitely goes perfect with it. Needed that, needed that. Next I want to try this. Ayvar, which is such a typical Macedonian dish. Just look at the colour of that. So red and orange. And so thick and chunky. Look at that. We’ve gotta get our nice, ooh, firm white cheese to go on top. Look at that. Look at that. Talk about a bite. Mmm. Wow. It is honestly, like a little flavour
explosion in your mouth. The ayvar itself, You can really taste those roasted
red peppers, and the eggplant too. Such a rich, deep flavour. But that cheese has a sharpness
to it as well That gives it
a very different opposite flavour. So actually having the both of them
together is just perfect. And on that fresh bread, ooh. Mmm. That is delicious. Mmm. this has been another
incredibly delicious meaty meal here in North Macedonia. I just can’t get over the use of
the meat, and the kajmak. And just how homemade all the dishes are with just such
delicious, fresh, local ingredients. And, props to the hospitality here in Skopje. Everyone has been so incredibly
friendly and welcoming. And I feel like, in order to do the city justice, we need to top it all off… With this ultimate Ayvar, Kajmak Meaty bite. Cheers, everybody. So, the very kind owner, Jovan, and the entire staff here
at Bratski Merak Said that we cannot leave the restaurant
until we try North Macedonia’s
drink of choice… Rakija. So, we have a shot each year. This is the most popular alcohol
you find here in North Macedonia. You pretty much can’t leave the country
without trying it. And apparently we can’t
leave the restaurant without trying it. They won’t let us leave,
so I guess we just have to. So… All right. Cheers! Cheers. Ooh! Ooh… That’s strong. That’s strong, but… It’s good! That’s nice. It almost has like, a caramelly,
like after taste. Like a flavour to it. Almost like a wine. Like a very rich alcoholic wine taste to it. Yeah, yeah, it’s really good. It’s delicious. The staff here wanted to. The staff here wanted to watch us
try our first rakija. They’re watching behind here, yeah. But, that is good. And, they said you just
have to sip it nice and slow. Have it with water as well. But, we got our beer here. That’s good enough. I think it’s like a water. Mmm. An alcoholic water… The Rakija, amazing. The perfect way
to end an amazing meal here. And our first day in North Macedonia,
and here in Skopje. Amazing. And always don’t mind my faces because
I really can’t help my face when I drink. The perfect end, the perfect end. That’s strong. Cheers. That’s good. Three drinks in, and we just learned the better way to say cheers in Macedonian. ‘Zhiveli’. ‘Zhiveli’. ‘To life, let us live’. Cheers! On day two of our food tour, we explored the old bazaar and tried some delicious traditional Macedonian dishes. We’re here this morning at Kaçamaku for breakfast,
and we are here to watch the preparation of their number one dish, Kačamak Obviously,
the restaurant is named after it. Now, this is a cornmeal breakfast dish
that’s very popular in the Balkans. And the first stage here is to boil
a ton of water before they add a massive amount of corn
flour to it to make a very interesting porridge
with butter and everything. So, it’s going to be really cool process. And I think a very delicious
and hearty breakfast. Corn flour goes in The stick And the most important part here. To let the steam out. Wow! So much corn flour. Wow, look at that. When they said to stick was the most
important part in making the Kačamak, I’m not going to lie, we didn’t actually
completely understand what that meant or how that was going to look,
but that was a really cool process. They just take it out
and it creates a hole in the centre
where all the water bubbles up. The steam comes out just like they said. Now it’s just going to sit here
and boil away for about an hour. It’s actually a really, really cool process and,
this stick, which has no special name, is just a stick, is definitely
an important part of this dish. After an hour, the corn flour bubbling away with its
little hole of steam in the center. A lot of butter is added to it,
melted butter, and it is all mixed together. And then the end product is
what we have here. You can see it looks super fluffy and kind of crumbly as it all
just kind of binds together. But this looks very interesting
and I can’t wait to try it. Thank you. Thank you so much. Kačamak is arriving here. The special…. Kačamak. Perfect. Bon Appétit. Thank you, thank you so much. Look at this. I have to say, that is such a cool process
that’s used to make the Kačamak. Now, this is such a traditional
Balkan breakfast, and it’s actually made in the mountains
by shepherds, and it’s at least like 500 or more years old. So it’s very traditional. So you can see
it turns out to be very crumbly, as that corn flour
was mixed in with the water, and turns into
a very interesting texture. He poured butter all over it at the end, and you can eat it with a number
of different dairy products. But, yogourt is the most popular,
which is what we have here. But you can also have with cheese
and sour cream. But… yogourt is definitely the way to go. But before I do anything,
I just want to have a nice bite of it on its own,
just to get the true flavour of it. You can see it steaming there. Look at that.
All right, here we go. Okay. That’s actually very interesting. It’s almost like eating bread,
like corn bread, but a little more kind of flaky
and broken apart. It’s very simple. It doesn’t have too strong of a flavour. Mostly just the corn. But that butter gives it
a nice hint of saltiness to it. That’s good. Okay, let’s get a little bit of this
nice, thick, thick yogurt there. Look at that. Okay. Now, this is a breakfast. Mmm. Mmm. Mmm. That yogourt, completely changes
the flavour. It’s quite a salty yogurt
that they use here. Similar to, kind of like, an Ayran drink. Much more of a salty yogourt. It’s not sweet or anything like that. So it actually goes quite well with it
because it makes it much more savoury. And actually, the contrast
between the cold yogurt and the hot Kačamak is very nice. It’s like a nice little cold, hot flavour
explosion in your mouth there. Mmm. And although this has been in for thousands of years
in the mountains, it’s becoming more popular in the cities
because it’s actually quite healthy. It’s gluten free. Anyone can eat it from little kids
to any age really. So it’s definitely becoming more of a popular dish,
I think, than it has been in the past. As just more of a sort of like country dish. Can’t forget… our nice raspberry drink that we’ve got here to go with it. Mmm. Oh. Okay, that’s a nice little sweet addition
to the salty savoury breakfast. Mmm. So traditional. Super flavourful. This is actually a very,
very nice breakfast and a super hearty way to start the day. We are now in the Old Bazaar
here in Skopje. Now, this is the largest Ottoman bazaar
in all of the Balkans. It is filled with restaurants,
cafes, shops. There’s a ton of people around here. And, after having travelled to Turkey, there is definitely a certain
Turkish vibe going on around here. We’re here now at Kosmos. And this is an institution
here in the old Bazaar. This place has been around since 1952,
for over 70 years. And we are here to try Macedonia’s
national dish. This should be good. Kebapi? Kebapi, kebapi. Macedonian kebab. Here we have Tavče Gravče. Now this is Macedonia’s national dish. And it consists of fresh white beans
that are first boiled and then baked in this clay dish. What makes this special is the roux
or the sauce that it is made with. It consists of fat, like lard, butter, oil, flour and paprika, which gives it that nice
red tinge colour to it. And this just looks
really rich and hearty. And we have a side of
all beef kebapi to go with it, as well as a bread here
that is called Lepinja. This dish is just filled with these perfectly baked white beans. Look at that. Absolutely filled. And that roux is actually called ‘ Zaprshka’. That really special sauce
that they are baked in. Look at that. Okay, let’s get a nice big bite of the Tavče Gravče here. Baked beans. Wow. Mmm. Oh, yeah. Those beans just mush right in my mouth. Nice and soft and actually, yeah, really, really rich. Fatty tasting and oily,
but all in a good way. It has such a nice flavour. It’s not too salty at all. And there’s a slight paprika flavour
there as well. I just love… how soft the beans are though. If you like baked beans,
these are amazing. Let’s get some with our fresh bread here. Dip it right in. Look at that, ooh. Spilling everywhere. Mmm. With that bread… It just makes it a very, very heavy meal. Let’s try some with our a Kebapi here. Everything gets dipped
in the Tavče Gravče. Mmm. Oh, wow. Those kebapi are so juicy and tender. All beef. Really really nice beef flavour. And, just taste like the grill over there. And they are cooking up a whole ton
of these kebapi to go with the Tavče Gravče. The meaty flavour, goes really well with the fat and rich bean flavour as well. And we have some of that Bukovec to sprinkle on too. That nice paprika chili powder there. Look at that. Mmm. Okay, that… Is the perfect combo. With Tavče Gravče
being the national dish of the country, it is part of Macedonia’s culture. With Macedonians being mainly orthodox, a lot of them don’t eat meat on Fridays, which is why this became
a meatless staple around the country. But now, it is eaten any day,
and anytime of the day. And is a beloved dish here in Skopje
and all around the country. And, we cannot end, with anything less, than an ultimate… Tavče Gravče bite. Mmm. Perfection. We’re here now at Gradska Kafeana Kaj Jole,
which is a Kafeana. Now, these are traditional
Macedonian taverns that you find all over the country. They usually sell alcohol, coffee as well as traditional Macedonian foods. This one here has been around since 1963. So over 60 years now. And it’s in
such a beautiful old building. They have a massive tree in the center,
and of course they sell all kinds of traditional Macedonian foods,
which is why we are here. We’ve got ourselves a nice coffee
while we wait for ‘Selsko Meso’, which is a traditional stew that sounds so good
and I just can’t wait to try it. This restaurant just got even cooler. The roof opens to the outside air,
and you can see that beautiful tree. Our traditional
Macedonian feast has arrived. And I love, we’ve seen this in Skopje so far. I love how they just put everything on a cheese board
like this for you to share, because all the food is such a sharing
kind of thing around here. But, this just smells and looks so good. So over here
we have our Selsko Meso, our stew. And just look at that, covered
in that delicious looking cheese. We’ve got some nice fresh potatoes here, some roasted potatoes. We also got ‘Pindjur’, a traditional dip and spread here in Macedonia. As well as in ‘Nafora’,
which is like a stale bread. It’s covered in cheese
and some other things, a little bit of salad. So, our Selsko Meso is full of pork and mushrooms. And look at that. Just covered in cheese. Huge chunks of mushroom there. And what looks to be massive chunks of that pork. Just look at that. Oh my gosh! So cheesy. So rich and hearty. You can see that stew down here. Oh, look at that. Wow. I can’t believe how massive
these chunks of pork are. And that mushroom. Oh, my gosh. Mmm. That pork, seriously, just melt in your mouth. That’s incredible. It’s meaty. It’s fatty. I was not expecting that at all. And the mushroom is nice and soft
with that little bit of firmness to it. But, the stew itself is so rich and savoury, and hearty,
and incredibly flavourful. It’s a little bit salty, which is nice. I love that. Oh, man. And that cheese on top. It’s like the cherry on top,
it’s the cheese on top. That is so perfect. Oh my gosh. Before I forget, we have a Macedonian spice blend here called ‘Bukovec’. Now this is a combination of chili
flakes and paprika that you just have to put on your Selsko Meso. So, let’s get some of that on here. Look how red that is. Oh, wow. Mmm. Ooh… that’s got a nice kick to it, wow. There’s actually different cuts
of pork in this stew. We have actual pieces, chunks of pork like that. And even pork meatballs. Look at that. Mmm. So tender. Wow. This stew just keeps getting
better and better. So here we got our Nafora, which was like
a stale kind of crusty bread. It’s covered in cheese as well as that Bukovec. And just look at this. Oh, this looks super tasty. We’ve got our Pindjur here,
which is very popular dip and spread in Macedonia. It’s made of paprika and garlic. And just… look at that. Oh, wow. It’s pretty thick. Nice and chunky. I’m losing all my cheese there, but. Oh, look at that. Mmm. Mmm. Oh, that’s such a nice, fresh flavour. Wow. It’s got such a nice roasted
flavour to it. And you can really taste the garlic,
but that paprika, I don’t know how to describe it. It’s just very fresh. But, that bread is honestly so nice with it. The cheese goes very well. It’s kind of a light,
not too sharp of the cheese, But, I love how crusty the bread is, ooh. This is definitely a must to go with, I feel like any meal
you can have this with. Mmm. Mmm. Adds such a freshness to everything. Can’t forget our nice roasted potatoes. Look at these guys. It looks so good. So, Selsko Meso translates to village meat or village stew. And I can definitely see that
this is a traditional dish here in Macedonia. It’s just so tasty and hearty. Ooh, I love it. Those pieces of pork are huge! The potato adds such a nice heartiness to it,
and those are grilled deliciously. A couple of little herbs on top. But, something that’s also very popular here in Macedonia is their salads,
their fresh salads. We got one here with onion, tomato. Looks like maybe some paprika peppers
or something like that. But always just so fresh. Mmm. Just so simple. That’s one thing
I love about Macedonian food in general, is everything is just very fresh,
simple ingredients. But that honestly always leads to the absolute best food. And, I just want to get a nice big
ultimate bite. to finish off this delicious Selsko Meso. Mmm. Mmm hmm. Mmm. We are finishing off our Skopje food tour here at Chardak, and this is going to be
a meaty way to end the day. Come on. Chardak is a traditional restaurant
that’s been around since 1963, focusing on serving true Macedonian food. They offer
only local dishes made with local quality seasonal ingredients. The owner, Dragan, is an extremely
friendly and lively character, who’s passionate about sharing
Macedonian cuisine with the world. With live music every day, the atmosphere and food at Chardak
is something you just have to experience. We are here at Chardak, which is a very popular restaurant here in Skopje. And we have been provided an amazing
starter feast, here behind me. What’s it called Steph? So, this is a ‘Makalo’ platter. So, it’s full of all kinds of traditional Macedonian
mezes, starters, and dips. And… This looks amazing! And the kind owner Dragan
has provided us with this starter, Along with some, Rakija. To life! To life! Cheers. Love the rakija here in Macedonia. Ooh, so good. So, here we have a stuffed fried pepper with cheese on the inside there. That looks amazing. And, I’ve got a sarma. So, this is a little bit different than the typical sarma
that you find in Macedonia in the wintertime. This is more of a summer Sarma. Oh, this smells incredible. All right. To life. To life. Mmm. Oh, look at that. Rice on the inside there, with this one. The vine leaves are so good. These stuffed peppers. Oh, that cheese is so fresh and soft. That sounded really crispy, too, actually. It’s crispy and the pepper is crunchy as well. Mmm. That’s amazing. So, we’ve got two different kinds of cheese,
this is a very special cheese. It’s a sheep’s cheese
from the west of Macedonia. And you can’t buy this in stores. It just comes straight from the farmers,
in the mountains, to the restaurants. And it’s so fresh and light, and soft. It looks really soft. Yeah. It does. All right. Is it good? Okay. You need to try some of that. That is incredible. Wow. That’s so soft! It’s like butter almost,
like when you bite into it, It’s so soft. It’s creamy. It’s milky. It’s salty. That’s really good. Oh, my gosh, we love cheese. Oops, I just got some on you there. It’s got a pretty strong flavour as well, but. I think being sheep’s cheese,
it’s different obviously than cows cheese,
so it has a really nice flavour to it. Oh my gosh. That’s really good. That is incredible. You can tell that’s not something
you get stores that’s for sure. And here we have a pastry. Look at that, with some cheese in there. Stuffed! Look how stuffed that is. Yeah, that looks really good. Wow, okay. That’s crispy. That’s flaky. So crispy. So flaky. Ooh… And that cheese. So soft on the inside, too.
Mmm. Bite with more cheese? Double cheese. The owner, Dragan, said that the best way to enjoy your cheese is with the ajvar. So let’s get that on our nice
grilled bread here. Get some ajvar on there. Oh, wow. Look at the colour. So this is the ultimate Macedonian combo here. Mmm. The taste of that full flavoured cheese, with the roasted ajvar on top. Those red peppers. Oh my gosh. That is an incredible combo. i think I need to try a bite as well. Definitely. Right, right? It is the perfect combo. You’re done, you’re done. So, we’ve got a number of different Makalo here, of these spreads and dips,
and one of the best ways to eat them is to put them together on a plate,
so I’m going to make a nice little plate and try them out here. This one here, we’ve got a sheep’s cheese, but it’s like a curd
with green peppers and garlic. Look at that. And a little green parsley in there, too. This one looks quite interesting. So, it’s dried cheese with rosemary, olive oil and dried chili peppers and… Oh, my gosh, you can just smell this one. Smells incredible. Look at that, all those herbs in there. Oh my gosh. Oh, look at that. There’s so much hiding inside of this one. This one here we’ve got loads of leeks cut up, with that red pepper again that makes it so nice and red. Look at that. Look at that. Ooh. Okay, let’s these Makalo out. Oh, these look so good. Mmm. Ooh. That dried cheese… Is so flavourfl, and spicy too, wow. Yeah, that one with the pepper, too,
that one has a bit of a kick to it, too. But, it’s nice and smooth, and creamy, ooh. I want to try these leeks, with the red pepper. I go the potato here. Mmm. Those have a nice kick to it as well, actually. The leeks are nice and crunchy, actually,
the leeks. The potato one is nice.
It’s very starchy. Oh, it has a really good flavour. All right, last ones to try. Walnut. Mmm. Really nutty. That was the beans. That’s good. Super hearty. Yeah. Good flavour of the red pepper. I love how all of them have pepper. Peppers eight different ways
with the Makalo. Super tasty. It’s a really interesting, dips. It’s really good. So good.
There’s just so much going on here. Here we have another appetizer
and starter here, it is stuffed in eggplants with mint, cheese, tomato and garlic. You can just see their
their absolutely packed and stuffed. And, look at those nice
pieces of eggplant there. Oh, wow. All right, let’s go for it. That was a mouthful! That is so, so yummy. Garlicky. Cheesy, creamy, and… Oh, man, that eggplant. So soft and fresh too. That is amazing. Who would have known that appetizers like this could just be
so flavourful and incredibly delicious. I honestly just can’t get over how fresh and tasty
these Macedonian vegetables are. I can see why they are the base to so many dishes in their cuisine, mmm. Mmm, mmm, mmm. So, after that amazing starter
and appetizer feast, we have two mains here. So, we have what I’m holding here,
is Kolenica, which is a roasted pork knee,
and you can see, it is massive! You can see the bone there, so meaty! And Steph has… And, so I have Obras, which is the
cheeks of a cow, beef cheeks. And, it looks like it’s in a nice stew here. We’ve got a pepper on top. Ooh, and eveyrhting just smells
meaty, amazing, delicious. And again, chili peppers here,
peppers in everything here. I love these dried peppers. Yeah. So nice. So flavourful.
But, let’s dig into this meat! Let’s do it! I want to start with this pork knee. And it is just falling apart on me. Oh my goodness. Look at that. It is literally just fall off the bone. Ooh, that is so tender! Oh my gosh. Look… At that. Just came right off the bone. And there are huge, huge chunks. Look at that, of meat there. It’s just stripping away. Wow. Oh. Falling apart, yes. This meat, is just… So tender. Look at that. Before we try it,
we were told by the owner, Dragan, to crush
some of these dried chilies on it. So, let’s give that a try. Ooh. Ooh. That’s crunchy! Wow. It is super crunchy. And you get all the little chili
flakes on there. You can see, ooh. Look at that. And, we were also told that, here in Macedonia, eating with your hands is okay because you just got to get dirty
and enjoy your food. So… Cheers. Hahaha. Oh man… That just melts like butter. That is so… tender. Just look… At that. I honestly don’t have to chew it. If I don’t want to. It is that tender And with that chili,
it adds a nice bite to it. But, ooh, it’s just so good. The meat was sous vide first and marinated, and then finished off
and roasted in the oven. So you have this nice, thick
sauce on the bottom with all these vegetables, mushrooms as well. This is unbelievable. This probably is the best thing
that we’ve had in Macedonia so far. Wow. I just can’t get over the size of this bone, for this pork knee. It is unbelievable. This is a must try
when you’re here in Skopje. And definitely
when you’re here at Chardak. Oh, man. So… So tender. Ooh. Dragan… Delicious. I hope you like it, I hope you like it. Oh, it is unreal, amazing. Thank you. ‘Very delicious’? ‘Very delicious’. ‘Very delicious’. Very delicious. Our next main and meaty dish we have here is beef cheeks. These smell incredible. It’s in such a nice thick sauce that’s almost like a stew here. Just look at this. Oh my gosh, it smells so good. Look at these huge chunks of the cheeks there. All right. Oh my gosh! That meat is so tender,
unlike anything I’ve had before. It’s beyond just melt in your mouth. It actually has a different texture to it than just your typical muscle of a cow. That is incredible, it just falls apart. Again, you don’t need teeth to eat this meat. That’s insane! No knife necessary at all. Look at that how tender that meat is. And the savouriness of that sauce that it’s in, with again, all those fresh Macedonian vegetables, is just, honestly, on another level. This is an incredible main dish. Mmm. Just so good, delicious! This is on, seriously, a whole other level of tenderness. Don’t forget your pork knee. Ultimate Chardak meat bite! Mmm. If that’s not meaty heaven,
I don’t know what is. And for dessert. To finish off our meal,
we’ve got some nice sweet cubes Of… Pork! But, not belly. Even though it looks like pork belly. This is pork ribs. So these are boneless. So, they take the bone out
and then they cook them without the bone. And it just gets super
juicy and succulent. Oh, wow. It is piping hot. Just look at this. Oh, and it smells incredible. It is so simple as well. Just some salt seasoned on there. Nothing crazy, just… Cheers to that. Meat deliciousness. Dessert meat. Cheers, to life. To life. Oh, wow! It’s like the juiciest pork ever. I was gonna say that
pretty much just fell apart in my mouth
when I bite into it. Top of it, nice and crispy, but that meat. Just look at those layers. So juicy. Thin layers of fat with the meat. I’m expecting to taste that, like, pork belly flavour, but it just has that nice, meaty rib flavour. Oh my gosh, that is so, so good. And we were told by the owner
that this is a special type of pig that they get these pork ribs
from too, here in Macedonia, so. From a farm in the mountains. All the food here, honestly, is just so fresh. I might like sweets every now and again. But, I’m not gonna lie. Pork, for dessert… is the ultimate… Dessert! You can’t go wrong with more meat. Amazing. This has been a wonderful experience
here at Chardak in Skopje. We cannot thank the owner here, Dragan, enough. For the wonderful experience he has provided us. He is an ambassador of Macedonian food and the culture, and,
we just cannot thank you enough. And just of Macedonia itself. It’s been wonderful, again,
not only being just introduced to your restaurant, but to the, to the food of Macedonia. We’ve learned so much about the
culture and the country. And it’s just been an amazing experience Thank you so much, thank you. Thank you. Thank you for coming, and I hope you will come another time, so. We will. We will, yes, and yeah,
oh, my gosh. I hope you enjoyed. Ooh, it has been an incredible day,
ooh, just… Mind blowing experience here. And the food, the Macedonian food is… Just… No words to describe. On a whole other level.
There are no words. Thank you, thank you so much. Delicious! Delicious! On our last day in Skopje, we tasted the best pastrmajlija with some new local friends, finishing the day with an insane meat feast! Hello!
Aleksandar? Yeah, yeah. Nice to meet you. This is the owner of Fotka here. Aleksandar. Thank you so much,
thank you for having us here. Thank you. Oh, wow. Your restaurant is beautiful. Beautiful restaurant here, and… Yeah. We can’t wait for this experience. It’s also our home, as I said. Yeah. We are living here. Yeah, so this is a family business. A family restaurant
that’s been around since 1995. Started from Aleksandar’s parents. So, this is a very, very local restaurant. Traditional. And yeah, we’re so happy to be here
for them. Thank you. It’s our pleasure
for you to be our guests. Thank you, thank you. 30 years? 1995. Almost 30 years. Next year is 30 years. Almost 30 years. Yeah. Wow. Cheers. So, thank you. And… ‘Let us live’. A little Rakija to start our day off today. Wow. There’s no better way. For Macedonia… And when you go at the restaurant. First of all, is Rakija. Yes! Because it’s antibacterial for everybody. Ah, so it just cleanses. Cleanses the system before eating food, yes. Wow. Oh my goodness. Wow. So, Ayvar, Pindjur. And this is cheese, white cheese. From sheep. Of sheep, yeah. From here in Macedonia. Traditional Macedonia. Wow. So, we have
some starters here to begin with our rakija, because we heard that you have to have some starters with
your rakija to start the meal, right? Rakija is only for start. Yes. After that, because we will, you wil try the pastrmajlija. Pastrmajlija is dish which is good with wine. Ah, okay, yes. Like, with wine is perfect. Perfect. Amazing, thank you.
Thank you. So Aleksandar is going to show us
how to eat the Ayvar and Pindjur here. Yes. Something that is traditional Macedonian food. Okay. Ayvar. Oh, onto the plate. Yeah. This one is Pindjur. As I said, Ayvar is only from red peppers. And Pindjur is with green pepper and tomato. Green pepper and tomato . And red pepper, okay. It’s good with White cheese. The sheep’s cheese. Yeah, sheep cheese. And… Sour cream with yellow pepper. Ah, wow. It’s a little bit of a winter dish,
but it’s very good. Combination with all of them. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I love the dips in the starters
here in Macedonia. So, I will do it like this now. Will split this for three. Thank you, thank you. You eat with bread? With bread is the combination. Everything. You need to try. This is hard, inside is a little bit… Soft? Soft, yeah. You will try. Hello. My daughter’s My daughter’s Hello. Hello. Say hello. Hello. Hello. So cute. Oh my goodness. Hello. Amazing. You can see tat this is a
family restaurant. No, no, no. Yeah, it’s family restaurant. Yes, yes, of course. My daughters are here. My mother and father. Oh my gosh, yes. Everybody is here! And don’t forget that, rakija is something that is, very good with this. Yes, of course, we have to have our rakija. So, let’s go. Like this. The inside is very soft. Wow. It is so crispy actually, yeah. Homemade. Homemade. It’s hot too. So warm. Fresh, fresh bread. We are going. Ayvar. Ayvar. Yes. Put sour cream. Sour cream. And, you can try it. All right. Mmm. Any words? Delicious! I’m glad. So good. The bread is so fresh. Like Aleksandar was saying,
it’s soft on the inside, but so, so crispy and warm on the outside. It’s all, it’s all homemade. Yes! We prepare all of this. Wow. You can see, yeah. It’s just very, very red pepper tasting. The sour cream is just so creamy. And again, the bread. Ooh… Amazing. Cheers, one more time. And a cheers, yeah. I am very glad that you are here. ‘Let us live’. Of course you have to have your rakija
with your ayvar and pindjur, right? But, only one rakija. Just one. Two, maybe a little bit difficult. Ah, okay. Yes. So, we’ll just have one. Difficult, difficult for strangers here. Like you, here. We’ll have some wine later maybe. Yeah, definitely. In Macedonia… If you don’t try red wine, it’s like
you’re not in Macedonia. No. You must try. You will try it. I want to try the pindjur as well. Mmm. Oh, very garlicky. Yeah. Super garlicky with that green pepper, too. Little bit garlic, yeah. That’s really good. Okay. Our bellies are full of the starters, the ayvar and the pindjur,
and our rakija, but… We came here because
this restaurant, Fotka, is very, very well known for their Pastrmajlija, which is a very,
very popular dish here in Macedonia. And apparently they do an amazing one. So, we’re going to head
back into the kitchen and see how it is made and prepared, and… Let’s do it. As you can see, they already are
preparing the pastrmajlija. Ah, they’re preparing
the pastrmajlija here, look. Aleksandar’s daughters here are preparing
the pastrmajlija for us. Ah, hard at work, the two girls. Let’s go. Our kitchen. Hello. Our friends from Canada. Wow. Betty is my Aunt (niece). Oh, wow. Yeah, we are family. Yes, ooh. So again, such a family restaurant here,
everyone is related. And even the chefs
who are cooking all the food here at Fotka. The first phase. The first phase! Making the form for pastrmajlija. Yes. The second phase is putting the pork meat. Ah, so this is the pork meat. Pork neck, that’s pork neck. So much pork there. And the pork is marinated? Yes, it’s marinated. And this is… This is a very important part. Yeah, pork lard. Oh, my goodness. Pastrmajlija without this is not pastrmajlija. Wow. That’s it. 12 to 15 minutes and you will try the best pastrmajlija in Macedonia. Oh, fantastic. So, always with the pork, right? Always with the pork. There is option chicken, but… That is not pastrmajlija. This is cheese. The third phase. Also very important Ooh, the fat from the pork. Yes! Ooh, brushing the fat all over the dough. And one more thing… You wull hear now the the sound of the cutting. So crispy! And this is the cheese. Ooh, beautiful! Beautiful! Beautiful. So beautiful. And they are pumping out so many here. Aleksandar was telling us that they make
a minimum of 100 to 150 a day, depending on the busyness of the restaurant, but. These look so tasty. So, let’s head back to our table
and tastes these. Thank you Betty! Thank you so much, ooh. Amazing! So here we have our two different types of,
three different types of pastrmajlija here, yeah. So, you want to explain what they are? Yes, definitely. This pastrmajlija is half only with pork meat. And then this Štipska pastrmajlija. Form the town Štip? From the town Štip. And… And, the other part is with egg and, and that is very Veleška pastrmajlija. It is from the city of Veleš. Ahh, so different types
come form different cities. You will try, yes, the other, the… The one and the other type. And, you will say which one is better. Yes. Okay. Look at this. Oh wow. Look at that yolk. Ooh… So runny. This is for you. Thank you, thank you. And this is for me. Wow. Okay. Yes, ooh. Yes, you know how to eat this one. Only with hands. Wow, look at that. Just look at the egg there. And just so, so crispy and just soft. Is it good? Okay. Let’s do it! Everyday, I eat pastrmajlija. But, this one is really good. So? Do you need a napkin? No, no, no. That egg, the yolk. So creamy. Just soaks into the bread. Wow. But the bread is actually very soft. The dough. Very soft. The middle of the pastrmajlija is tiny. Yes! This is very important. Very, very thin. You can see there, the difference
between the outer edge crust there, and the middle where all the pork is. Very, very thin, but. Oh wow. And, not to forget, red wine. It’s a very, very, very important
part of pastrmajlija. Cheers. Cheers, ‘let us live’. ‘Let us live’. ‘Let us live’. A great combination. Yeah. That’s perfect. Oh, wow. That is so… I am glad. So good. This is amazing. Wow
It’s so fresh. You can just taste the airiness
from the dough And from the meat. Mmm. And I love how she spreads the fat and the lard from the pork,
and just brushes it. Paints the bread and the crust
with that fat and that lard. Just gives it so much flavour. Fatty flavour. And the pork is so tender. And the pork is so tender. Yesterday we prepared this meat
that we are using today. Wow.
So, it’s like marinating for a very long time. For one, for one night. Wow. Oh my goodness. What a meal, Aleksandar. Yeah. Are you satisfied right now? Amazing. I couldn’t be more satisfied
this morning. I am glad. This is, yeah, an amazing
start to the day and… Wow. Thank you guys. For visiting our restaurant. Thank you, thank you. It was my pleasure to be your host. This has a been an amazing experience. Thank you so much. This is… Delicious. Delicious. Very delicious. You know more words than rakija in Macedonian. Yes. Just a few. Do you want to try… from this one? Of course!
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah., yeah. So we have the regular one, from Štip? Štip. Štip.
And you can just see… Look how airy the bread is there. Aleksandar was telling us that,
what makes pastrmajlija very special, is that the dough is twice fermented. So makes it just so, so soft. Again, the important part is the middle there,
very thin. Once the dough is made that day,
you can’t use it, reuse it the next day, so. It’s just so fresh,
and you can just see by how thin it is, how airy it is,
and just how deliciously the soft it is. Yes, I will try too. When I hear you how you speak about the pastrmajlija,
I am hungry. I must! Oh, wow. Mmm. Unbelievable. For me, favourite. The one from Štip is amazing with the pork. Just plain. But, I do love the egg. The egg really makes it nice and creamy. That is good for our friends from Veleš. Yes. It’s also very good pastrmajlija. I love the eggs. I can’t, I mean, I just love eggs. Mmm. Last up. We have the pastrmajlija with the cheese. And Aleksandar is going to put
some Bukovec? Bukovec from Macedonia. Which is like paprika? Red pepper. Red pepper. A little bit spicy. Ah, okay. But it’s good combination. Good combination. I will take with hands
because it’s originally like this. Wow. So it gives it a nice little spicy kick. Spicy bite to the pastrmajlija. Depends on that. How much spice do you want. I put a little bit if you want. So you can see that nice fresh cheese there with the bukovec spice there. Last type of pastrmajlija. Oh, wow! Mmm. That cheese… Is melted. It’s cow cheese, not sheep cheese. It’s almost like a cheese curd.
Mmm. It’s a bit squeaky. Oh… It goes really well with the meat, yeah. A little bit salty,
but it’s a good combination. The addition of that bukovec
just really adds a nice slight kick This pastrmajlija experience has been unbelievable. It is, so tasty.
And… ooh. Delicious… To the max! Just eat well. Always, thank you so much. The hospitality here at Fotka
has been amazing. Aleksandar wanted us
to come back into the kitchen and see the preparation of one more dish. So, let’s head inside
and see what they have cooking up for us. Baked potatoes and… Oh wow.
Look at that sizzling rib there! Yes. Wow. Wow, look how delicious that pork rib looks. Wow. This rib is baked for, over eight hours. Look at this. This is rib. Ooh… Wow! You see this? Look at how tender that is. Just falls apart. The boys have been having some fun here, and I think it’s my turn to try a little bit of this delicious
looking meat. Let’s just break into this, because, honestly,
it smells and looks so good. I got to get a taste. Oh, wow. Just look… how… soft that is. You got the layers of meat and fat, and it just falls apart. No knife necessary. Oh, my goodness. Look at that. Ooh. There are no words. That is seriously on another level. Just the flavour of the meat. With those thin layers of fat in there, just add so much juiciness to it. Look at her hand! It’s dripping down my head. You can see, that’s just how juicy and delicious, and flavourful this is. And again, it’s very plain, in the sense
that there’s not a lot of seasoning added to it, but you don’t need it
because the flavour of the meat is just so rich and tasty,
and oh my gosh, delicious. Mmm. And it’s just dripping onto my hand. Oh my gosh. On another level. Got to pair it… With our red wine, of course. Elixir! Elixir! It really is, ooh. There’s no better word. Oh my gosh, this is just… The perfect way
to end an already perfect meal. I can’t just, you know, from one dish to the next, and finishing it off
with another pork dessert, I feel like, is just absolutely perfect. Mmm. Sorry boys,
but this might all be for me. We just want to say a huge thank you to you, Aleksandar,
and your whole entire family for the amazing experience here at Fotka. The food was just amazingly delicious. Oh, delicious. We cannot thank you enough. Thank you. So much. Thank you so much. Guys… Really appreciate it. Not guys, I will say friends. Friends, yes! It was my pleasure for you to be our guests. Not even in my restaurant. You are now in my home,
because we are living here. We are working here. And, ah…
I want to give you some present. What?!? We were drinking one, one kind of wine
that was called Alexander. Everything in this country. What is good, is the same name, Alexander, Alexandria. And his name is Aleksandar. My name is Aleksandar. As well as yourself. I want you to try also this red wine that is called Alexanderia. And it’s also
one of the best in Macedonia. Thank you. One more thank you. Thank you for your visit, in our home
and our restaurant. And it was a pleasure to be your host. Thank you. Thank you so much. Wow. Amazing. Look at this. Oh, a traditional Macedonian wine. Ooh, this has been… an amazing experience. Definitely, when you’re here in Skopje, pay Aleksandar a visit here at Fotka. And the restaurant
is actually named after his mother. So, there’s just so much local tradition here. History, since 1995, again. So, this is just a place of just unbelievable
Macedonian hospitality. Thank you so much brother. It was my pleasure. Oh, my gosh. Thank you. Amazing. Thank you, thank you so much! Thank you. Here in Macedonia, fresh veggies and salads can be found on
almost every menu here in the country. So, our next stop is here to try Macedonia’s most popular salad. I have a feeling that this is going to be good. It looks like here in their patio area
they have rakija sampling. So, I think we’re going to have
to try some stuff at home. Hello. Hello. All rakija? Yes. Wow. So, they got apricot. Pear. Some other different flavours.
Oh, wow. Thank you. Look at that. So nice and clear. ‘Let us live’. Ooh… ooh. That pear taste. Really, really nice pear flavour. A bit sweet, actually. Oh, delicious. It’s really good. This is a perfect start to our salad meal that’s about to come. That’s really good. Thank you. Thank you. Here we have are Shopska salad. Now, this is the, if not most popular, one of the most popular salads
here in Macedonia. And you can see it is pretty huge. It consists of tomatoes, onions, cucumber and a white Macedonian salty cheese that’s similar to feta,
but it just looks amazing. So fresh. There’s so much cheese on top of there. Yeah. And so, the kind of salad culture here in Macedonia is huge. There’s so much fresh local vegetables. And, one of the things you do
when you go out to eat, is the first thing you have is a salad. Usually the shops shopska salad,
and to go with it… You have to have your rakija, your local alcohol here. Now, this is just a part
of the whole culture. When you start your meal,
you have your aperitif. That’s just, that’s just being Macedonian. And so… Not before, not, sorry, after your meal, but definitely before, with your salad
and your starters. That’s how you get it going. So we’ve got two different
kinds here, a yellow, golden, rakija, as well as a white one,
I believe. And we were told the main difference between the two is that
this is the strong one. So, it’s probably a good idea
that I have this one then. Oh, I’m definitely try that one. Oh, yeah. Just watch her face after. Alright, ‘let us live’. ‘Let us live’. Cheers. Ooh. That one is nice. This is really nice. It’s strong. Way stronger than the two
that I sampled over there at the rakija sampling. This one’s really nice. It’s got that kind of like, a strong wine flavour. Mmm, yeah, this one as well. You can really taste the grapes,
but it has that like grape, brandy flavour to it. That’s super alcoholic, and… Okay, yeah, we’re going to have to switch it up. A little swap-a-roo. I love the colour of this one though. It’s just so yellow and golden. So, so cool. All right. Second one, ‘let us live’. Cheers. Okay, that one is definitely stronger. This one really smooth, actually. Much smoother
than the white one. I kind of like them both. This one’s definitely a little harsher. Yeah, I think I like this one more,
to be honest. Yeah, me too. It just, it just has a smoother taste. And actually… A bit fruitier. I was going to say, you usually see people
drinking the yellow one. Like it’s not often you see people with these glasses
and they’re having the white one. So I think this is
definitely the more popular one, which makes sense
because I feel like it’s easier to drink. Yeah,
I love these little glasses to so cool. Okay. Onto our sjopska salad. Ooh, looks so fresh. Oh, man. There’s so much cheese here. Oh there’s some paprika pepper I think there as well. Chopped up paprika pepper. Red onion… tomato. Let’s just get a nice big, ultimate, shopska salad bite. Yeah, get it all, get it all there. Ooh… Okay, we got the onion. We got the paprika pepper. We have the tomato. We have all that cheese. Look at that. And of course the tomato as well. So, let’s do it Mmm. So fresh. So fresh, mmm hmm. Everything is crispy, crunchy. The cheese is nice and soft, and salty, which goes really well
with the vegetables. There’s not really a dressing
on the salad either. No, I think sometimes I use sunflower
oil or something, like there seems to be maybe a little oiliness to it,
but I’m not 100% sure. But… you can just tell, honestly. Like, I find the flavour of the tomatoes
is just so nice and strong. And they say here,
that you judge of place by their tomatoes,
which is actually very interesting because at the front of the shop here, they have a display case of tomatoes. And they are huge! They all look really good. So you can tell that
they’re locally grown. I don’t think they’re GMO
or anything like that. They just look so fresh and flavourful, and no wonder people
go crazy for the salads here, because… That white cheese definitely
makes this entire salad. Just makes it so creamy and salty. That’s really, really good. Of course… Try some with the rakij with it. Oh… that’s nice because it’s, yeah,
this has a slight sweetness from the rakija, really compliments the saltiness of the salad from the cheese. It like… shudders through my body. Give me this one. And the thing is, it’s not I don’t like it. It’s just… It comes out in my face. I don’t know, I don’t know
how to describe it. It always does, but. Mmm. There’s so much salad here, too. Whenever you do order the salads, like,
I feel like they’re definitely for two people because they’re so big,
they’re pretty much a meal in themselves. Like, you could not eat this
to yourself, I don’t think. And there is some Macedonia in lore that says that Macedonians can survive with only shopska salad for days and days, so. And we can see why. Because this is not like, a light salad. With the tomatoes
and all the ingredients, and the cheese. It is pretty heavy,
like almost as heavy as, like a main. Mmm. But so, so fresh. When you visit Macedonia,
you have to try the shopska salad. It is a must, and it is just, amazing Salad with rakija… The perfect combo. Oh, yeah. We’re finishing off our food tour
here today in Skopje on the mountain of Vodno at ‘Baba Cana’ for a very meaty finish to our day. Come on. Cabbage, lettuce, carrots. Lettuce, carrots. Little bit of bacon. Bruschetta. Little bit of vinegar. Apple vinegar. Little bit of olive. Olive oil. Yes, virgin olive oil. And now she’s mixing it. Prosciutto on top. Prosciutto on top, wow. Yellow cheese. Now we put the dressing. Balsamic vinegar. Virgin olive oil. And sesame seeds on top. Sesame seeds on top. Oh, wow. Beautiful. Beautiful. Very nice. Yes. We are oiling the stone, brother. Ah, butter. Yes. Now, some dates. Like Spanish. Little bit of eggplant. Eggplant. Wow. Beautiful. And the… meat. The tenderloin? Yeah. The meat is final. The meat is still cooking on top. As you can see, the meat is still pink now. Yes. A little bit of herbal touch. Table side finishing off the meat. We were not joking when we said that Baba Cana does
their grilled meats right here. You can see we have got an absolute feast, and everything is locally sourced. You got a couple of different mains here,
as well as delicious looking starter platter, salad. This is way
too much for me to tackle on my own. So I think we’re gonna need
to get Chris in here to help me out, because this just looks and smells incredible. If you’re a carnivore, this is where you want to be right now. As with all meals here,
as we’ve been saying in Macedonia, you have to start with a nice fresh salad. This one is on another level. We’ve got it in a bread bowl,
and we’ve got lettuce, cabbage. There’s prosciutto
on top, fresh cheese, sesame, a balsamic vinaigrette, as well as carrots. Just everything. Okay, this looks like an insane salad. Okay, I want to just dig right in. Got a nice
a little bit of everything here. This is a meaty, meaty salad. Ultimate bite! Mmm… Oh, that cheese… is really nice. And with the prosciutto, nice and salty, mmm. That lettuce is nice and fresh. But the cheese there too,
there’s actually quite a few different textures as well tastes. Salty. And that vinaigrette… Is actually quite light. It’s super nice. And, like we said
we’ve got it in a bread bowl. Look at this guy. Ooh… That’s a crispy bowl! Mmm. That is a crispy bread bowl. This is a salad… I was going to say, that eats itself,
but like, you’re eating it. But, you know what I mean. You’re gonna eat the whole thing. We have our second starter here which is a beautiful meat
and cheese board. You can see all of the cured meats here. And the sheep’s cheese. And let’s start with this nice prosciutto here. Look at that fat on the inside there. Smokey. Fatty. Ooh, salty. That is delicious. I want to try a little bit
with the sheep cheese. So white. So soft! So soft. Oh, and you can really smell
that sheep cheese smell. That goat cheese smell, almost. Mmm. Oh, wow. The sheep cheese here in Macedonia, is just on another level. Nothing that we’ve had ever before, in the rest of the world
that we’ve been to. That is unreal. Oh my goodness. We have our mortadella here. And you can see pieces of the peppercorn
that is inside the meat there. Oh, this one looks really, really good. Mmm. Again… fatty and meaty. But very, very peppery actually
with those peppercorns inside. Mmm. All of these, so local, so fresh, the meats, just such a specialty here at Baba Cana. What a way to start the meal. And, we have so much other meat here to eat. But… Let’s get to it. Let’s get to it. Let’s just have… An ultimate… Cold cut, meat bite. With some cheese, before we move on to our cooked meats. Mmm. So smoky. To follow up our starters, we have our main meal here
of grilled meat. So, I have a grilled beef steak,
which looks incredible. And Chris, you’ve got a pork tenderloin. Pork tenderloin that was finished off on this stone grill,
which is still really, really hot. Oh, wow. Just look at these pieces of the
pork tenderloin. So juicy and thick. Look at that. Wow. And look at this steak here. Just cooked to perfection. Like a medium rare. You can see it’s just grilled on the outside,
but nice and raw on the inside. Looks like you got a sauce there, too. We do. So this is. Oh! Whoa! That is sticky. Super sticky. Look at that. Oh my gosh! Wow! Okay. All right, let’s do this. Enjoy. Mmm. That’s so tender. Pork tenderloin is tender. That is so sticky. It’s all in my teeth, it’s like candy. Mmm. That beef is seriously cooked
to perfection. It’s just that
little bit cooked on the outside, but so nice and soft, and just medium
rare on the inside. And that sauce is like a glaze. Like a sweet. The kind of sour,
almost like a cherry glaze or something like that with sesame seeds. That’s insane. That is cooked so well. Smells so good, too. But, this pork tenderloin… Is really, honestly, like butter. Because it was just finished off
on the stone. It’s cooked to perfection. Just a little bit pink still, but… Just so, so soft and tender. That looks really, really good. Amazing. And I feel like you can really taste like the quality of the meat. You know it’s fresh. Yes. Fresh from the butcher,
which is actually in the restaurant here. Yeah, so good. Oh, man. Mmm. That is good pork. Let me… I just want to taste… The beef here. Get in there, mmm hmm. Oh that is a sticky, sticky sauce. Oh, wow! Isn’t it good? That is rare steak. Ooh… that sauce is so good. Mmm. Mmm. Okay, the herbs that they use for this
pork is really, really nice and fresh. I love that.
This is really really tasty. Wow. Meat here in Macedonia and here in Skopje, and especially here at Baba Cana… So good. Unreal! And I think it’s because like we said,
everything is locally sourced. Beef, pork, ooh. So good. But… Don’t forget. We cannot forget about… Our special sudjuk sausage here. Look… at that. This is a local sudjuk from coming Kumanovo, which is outside of Skopje, and Sudjuk is a type of sausage,
but it’s almost more like a salami. Like it’s denser. It’s a little bit different. Oh, that smells so good. It smells like the grill. Here you go. Take a little bite. Oh, my gosh. Super tender and soft too, there. I’m gonna have a little dip of mine
in this mustard. Yeah, you go for it. You try yours on your own, maybe. Oh, yeah. Chris is not a big fan of mustard,
so I just like the. I just like the smokiness, but…
All right. Mmm. Okay, I have to say… With the mustard, it is just like… a sausage. Like, crispy outer casing to it. But, inside, super meaty. Yeah, I think you like that. Even though you’re not a big mustard fan. No, I like mustard… On the meat like this. Okay, fair enough, fair enough. Mmm. Right? It’s actually very good with it. That goes perfect with it. We cannot end, without trying… An ultimate… Do it, do it, do it. Meat… Bite here, with all three of our grilled meats. We have a meat sandwich here. Oh, my gosh. Pork tenderloin… beef steak. Sudjuk sausage there. This is Macedonian meat at its finest. How is it?
Come on, give me a bite, give me a bite. Now that, is an ultimate meat bite. I think that’s how you should eat them,
mmm hmm. That does it for our food
tour here in Skopje today. Thank you all so much for watching. The hospitality in Macedonia
is seriously on another level. I love this country, and I seriously
don’t think I ever want to leave. So top notch hospitality. We should just stay. We should just stay. If you enjoyed the video, give it a LIKE. Give it a thumbs up. Make sure you hit that bell icon below
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72 hours of the best Balkan food in Skopje, Macedonia. In this video we’re taking you on a 72 hour Balkan food tour around Skopje, North Macedonia, tasting some of the most mouth-watering, must try Macedonian food in the country.

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DAY 1 – We started our food tour with the only breakfast you need in Macedonia, burek. From there we tasted the best meat, from fresh kebapi with rich and creamy kajmak, to the classic Fast Food 7, finishing up our day with an epic pleskavica feast. These are some of the most popular foods in Macedonia and we were already blown away!

DAY 2 – On our second day we headed to the old Bazaar in Skopje for some must try Macedonian food, tasting local kačamak, and the national dish of tavče gravče & kebapi. Next, we tried the classic selsko meso at an old, traditional place, finishing off our day at a must try restaurant for an insane traditional feast, making new local friends.

DAY 3 – For our last day of our 72 hours of the best Balkan food in Skopje, Macedonia, we tasted the best pastrmajlija in all of Skopje! This is one of the most popular foods in North Macedonia, and a food to eat in Skopje. We got healthy trying the famous shopska salad, then finished off our day with another meat feast, this one of epic proportions. You need to see this one!

We hope you enjoy these 72 hours of the best Balkan food in Skopje, Macedonia. There are so many must try Macedonian foods in North Macedonia, and so far, we’ve loved them all! Stay tuned next week for more street food adventures.

#balkanfood #macedonia #skopje #macedonian #balkan

00:00 Introduction
00:47 Burek
10:45 Kebapi & Kajmak
17:48 Macedonian Hamburger with Fries
22:59 Sharska Pleskavica
31:27 Kačamak
37:42 Tavče Gravče & Kebapi
42:19 Selsko Meso
48:46 Traditional Macedonian Feast
1:03:48 Pastrmajlija
1:22:29 Shopska Salad & Rakija
1:29:17 Macedonian Meat

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Hey there, we’re Chris and Steph, an adventurous couple in search of trying out all the amazing food the world has to offer! We believe the ultimate best way to experience a culture is through their food and the people that you share it with.

On this channel, we’ll share with you our love of trying new and interesting foods, while experiencing different cultures and street food around the world. We hope you enjoy our food tour videos and follow along with us as we explore the globe, stepping out of our comfort zone to try new foods and be adventurous.

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