Traditional Serbian cooking in Belgrade with locals

Meet Dragana

Dragana is self-taught cook who grew up in small village in Kosovo. She now lives in a quite suburb of Belgrade which surrounded by the Avala mountains, with her husband and children. Dragana enjoys growing her own food and cooking delicious Serbian food she grew up eating for her family. And now is excited to share her passion for food, gardening and cooking with travelers visiting Belgrade. Dragana believes that travel allows you to meet new people, learn new things, discover new cultures, discuss new ideas - which in turn helps people connect and understand each other better. And connecting over a homecooked meal, while sharing more about her culture, stories of growing up in a small village and her family recipes recipes, is something Dragana looks forward to.

We asked Dragana why she would like to be a Traveling Spoon host, this is what she said, “I used to travel when I was a student and the memory from my trips are those that I spent with locals learning their culture and preparing food together with them. Those experiences are priceless and I would love to give that to travelers who really want to feel the spirit and energy of a typical Serbian family and eat and cook together a traditional meal.”

What to expect

Please note menu might vary. If there are particular dishes you are interested in trying, please include your request in the booking form.

In-home meal: (1-5 guests) You can expect to try a traditional Serbian meal in Dragana’s home in Ripanj, a suburb of Belgrade. The food she will serve is what she grew up eating and learned from her grandmother and mother. Dragana also worked at a local restaurant and was known for her pitas, round flatbreads. At her dining table you can expect a homecooked Serbian meal, lots of stories and interesting insights to their daily life, food and culture. A few dishes that you might try are a traditional Serbian salad (macanica or trljanica) with sarma (Serbina stuffed cabbage) or pilav (with spices and vegetables or meat) or prebranac (baked beans) and proja (traditional Serbian cornbread). End your meal with a sweet dessert such as sitni kolaci (cookies). In the summer months, your meal will include fresh, seasonal and organic vegetables that are grown in Dragana’s own garden!

Cooking experience: (1-5 guests) In your 2 hour hands-on Serbian cooking class learn to make two dishes from scratch. Dragana will teach you how to make the main dish as well as how to bake their famous bread. Learn to make prebranac (baked beans) or sarma (Serbian stuffed cabbage), or pilav, and while that cooks learn to bake proja (traditional Serbian cornbread). After your cooking class, help set the table and share the meal you helped prepare.

Market visit: (1-5 guests) Visit Dragana's garden to see the vegetables she grows (only in the Summer months) and then later walk to the Banjica green market. This is a spacious open-air farmers' market where farmers sell fresh fruits, vegetables, meat, eggs, seafood and local food. Great place where you can interact with the farmers, learn about seasonal produce, get to witness the everyday lives of locals and understand the pulse of the city. Walk around the market with your host and guide, who will take you to her favorite vendors, teach you how to pick the best produce and after you shop walk back to her home for your cooking class and meal.

Notes: Dragana can offer vegetarian and vegan meals on request. Please let her know if you have any dietary restrictions in advance, while booking your Belgrade cooking class online.

Languages spoken: Portuguese and English

Sample menu

• Please choose one menu from the below options, it will be served with salad, bread and dessert
• Menu 1: Main (prebranac - baked beans) + Appetizer (suvi vrat - smoked meat, kajmak - clotted cream and ajvar - eggplant and bell pepper dip)
• Menu 2: Main (sarma - Serbian stuffed cabbage) + Appetizer (trljanica - salad)
• Menu 3: Main (pilav - rice) + Appetizer (dumpling soup)
• Proja (traditional Serbian cornbread) or Hleb (flatbread)
• Seasonal salad
• Sitni kolaci (sweet cookies)

Traveler reviews

I had an absolutely wonderful time. Dragana was an excellent host, warmly welcoming me into her home with coffee and conversation before we made a summertime meal of sataraš and pogača.

- J8716D August 18, 2024

Dragana was a gracious host and an excellent instructor, and was able to teach me how to cook sarma along with some fresh bread. I highly recommend this class, as I think the best way to learn about local recipes is from locals in the type of setting where you would normally be cooking.

- W9016Y June 14, 2024

Excellent little class. Learned a good bit about Serbian cuisine and the host was very hospitable. The kitchen is small so I wouldn't recommend any more than 2 people per class. The cook has a lovely home and family.

- David_S June 10, 2024

Dragana was a fantastic host, and the entire experience exceeded expectations. I would definitely recommend this, and do believe anyone who wants to learn another’s recipes should elect for this type of experience when possible.

- Alexis_S May 31, 2024