Balkaniranje Festival Reinvents Tradition With Urban Flavor and Playful Surprises

Balkaniranje festival is a homage to Balkan culture, but with a modern twist - combining nostalgia and the spirit of childhood with the urban sensibility of an audience that loves music, themed parties, and a good story.

"This is an urban version of the festival and entertainment for a younger audience and those who love the flavors of regional delicacies, but here they are served in a new twist version. And of course, all of it is served with a healthy dose of humor, recognizable to all of us," announces the new project chef Marin Medak.

Darko Tomas/Cropix

Balkaniranje starts on Friday, September 19th at Rougemarin Park and lasts until the end of the month with the motto ‘We‘ll manage, it‘s easy!‘

Gastro paradise: a meter of ćevapi and peanut baklava

The menu includes yakitori ćevapi with spring onions, a meter of ćevapi cut with scissors, rolled ćevap with kajmak and hollow pljeskavica with kajmak, as well as pljeskavica with cheddar.

For the brave and the hungry, there is kajmak burek, kajmak burek with melted cheddar, and kajmak burek with cheese and meat (pljeskavica in the middle). For the nostalgic, a classic - bauštela sandwich with mortadella and mayonnaise.

Dessert is a story in itself, there are tulumba filled with kadaif chocolate and peanut baklava with ice cream, caramel, and a pinch of salt. An Instagram moment that ends as a sugar rush.

/Balkaniranje

Drinks the Balkan way

Rakija and wines from the region, beer from a canister (3L - because what would the Balkans be without exaggeration), and there are also soup cocktails - served with an extra syringe filled with liqueur or rakija. In short, the drinks are a happening, not just a refreshment, say the organizers.

At Balkaniranje, all the rhythms of the region are played - from Dubioza, Edo Maajka, and Brkovi, to DJs who mix house, techno, and drum and bass with familiar melodies.

Why come? If you ask the organizers, because this is the only place where you will eat a rolled ćevap with kajmak, enjoy peanut baklava, get your order stamped, and take a photo with a stork or the boss.