Going out to eat in Bosnia is an experience of its own, especially for those not familiar with the different foods. Since most of us foreigners don’t speak much Bosnian, if any, the locals have done us the favor and translated some of their menus. The end result often makes me smile, as the literal translation into English conjures up quite a different picture in my mind.
Such was the case with the grilled minced fingers, which was supposed to refer to Cevapcici, a traditional Bosnian dish of sausages and onions packed into greasy bread. Or the special topping of piggish on our pizza last night. The cabbrage sop, Trappist cheese, breaded brain or the sousages. And please don’t ask me to translate the sentence on the bottom of the menu – “the complaint book is in the shank”.
But who am I to laugh? They speak 10 times more English than I do Bosnian and they are the ones making the effort so that I can understand. It’s in places like these restaurants where you see how far Bosnia has come since the war and the changes that have taken place in the meantime.
The country is moving on, preparing its people and economy for outsiders who might be here as tourists or on business. And while it will surely cause the occasional laugh, we should appreciate the effort and enjoy the diversity of foods of which we have never heard of.
Posted By Pia Schneider (Bosnia & Herzegovina)
Posted Jun 8th, 2004