Cevapchichi

In Skopje, sometimes we would go for lunch in the old city. One of the most reliably good choices was a chevapi place, which sold small grilled sausages, which were served with bread and minced onions, with a small bowl of hot paprika on the side. They didn't blow your mind the way a gyro in Athens, dripping with tzatziki, or a bratwurst in Vienna, swaddled in black bread and mustard, or other similar street foods do--I could ramble on awhile here--but they were pretty damn tasty, as AJ would say. Apparently,  they are all over southeastern Europe, and the name is etymologically related to the Turkish "kebab," which is familiar to everyone,

Belgrade also has its chevapi, although they are called chevapchichi here. They are a little larger than the Macedonian version, and, sadly, they don't seem to have much in the way of flavor. One recipe I found suggests onion, garlic and salt, and that sounds about right.

The quality of the meat, though, seems pretty good. I brought home a half kilo from the supermarket last night, and pan-fried a few of them until they had a nice crust on the outside. With a little mustard, they were pretty good, and I think they have promise as an ingredient in pastas, rice dishes and stir fries. We will see.