HUGE BALKAN FOOD TOUR in Skopje, North Macedonia - MACEDONIAN Cevapi, Burek & Pljeskavica + Rakija!

Mmm. Mmm hmm. Hey everyone, I'm Steph Chris is behind the camera, and we're Hungry Two Travel. We are in Skopje, North Macedonia and we are so excited to be back in Europe. This landlocked country located in the south central Balkans, is full of culture and a history of delicious local traditional foods. Which of course is why we are here. So without further ado, let's get eating. Come on. 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 kebapi 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 eggie 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 flavour 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 here. 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! Thanks so much for watching everyone. We hope you enjoyed the video. The hospitality again here in Macedonia has been so top notch. If you enjoyed the video, share it with your friends and family, and hit that LIKE button to give it a thumbs up. 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