Recipe Roasted Hen Turkey

Anyone engaging in a serious search for the true origin of the Linzer Torte soon finds him or herself travelling between Egypt, Verona and Milwaukee in the American state of Wisconsin. The oldest recorded tart recipe in the world which was written down by a countess in Verona is to be found today in the monastery library in Admont and even became popular in America during the mid-19th century. A cake-maker who moved to Linz in 1822 used the recipe to create the “Linzer Masse”, which was the basis for the grandiose Linz tart. Today it is the culinary emblem of the capital city of Upper Austria.

Provocative appearance and produced in an extremely interesting way is branch cake – Šakotis. Its taste is as impressing as its appearance. And no one argues about the taste of the Lithuanian branch cake – it’s fabulous. It’s for a good reason that it came to Lithuania in the beginning of the 20th century and in just over a hundred years have become the centerpiece of every Lithuanian wedding table and a mandatory sweet offering to the most honourable guests.

There are many varieties of šljivovica (a distilled beverage made from plums) in Serbia. What is common is the scent of plums, a golden colour and the Central Serbia intoxicating power of a strong liquor. Less alcoholic, but no less tasty, is a drink prepared from šljivovica when the weather is cold. During winter, when a slava (the feast day of a family’s patron saint) is celebrated, the drink of choice is Šumadija tea or mulled plum brandy.

Leskovac took its name long ago from its famed hazelnut woods, lešnik being the Serbian word for hazelnut. Today it is better know for its red peppers. The people of Leskovac speak a dialect of Serbian which preserves many features of the Old Church Slavonic language and even many Serbs find the local difficult to understand. Ajvar is known throughout the land and beyond as the name for a preparation of roast peppers, preserved in jars for use throughout the winter. Leskovac is also known for its fantastic barbecue meats: you’ll probably arrive in the town by car or bus, but once there you must try the Leskovac Train;(leskovački voz), an assortment of grilled meats which arrive at the table one after another like wagons. Nor should you overlook Leskovačka Mućkalica, a spicy medley of peppers and grilled meats, much prized among gourmets for its spicy flavour.