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The cevapi is synonymous with Balkan cuisine. Now the variant from Sarajevo is to be declared a protected product and thus become a symbol for the city. This is intended to continue the culinary success story.
The grill is already in operation in the small kitchen of the Ferhatovic family’s restaurant in the morning. This is the specialty of the house: Cevapcici, or Cevapi, as they are called in Bosnia. The family has been running Cevabdzinica in Sarajevo’s old town for several generations.
The family opened its first restaurant more than 60 years ago. One of the founders is Asim Ferhatovic – known as “Rabbit” – club legend of the local football club FK Sarajevo and namesake of the Olympic Stadium.
Today’s restaurant opens for the 1984 Winter Olympics. At that time, Sarajevo was still part of socialist Yugoslavia and was at the center of world public opinion. Business is correspondingly good: Within a short time, the family opens three more Cevabdzinicas.
Everything changes abruptly when the Bosnian War begins in 1992. Sarajevo is besieged by Serbian troops for more than 1400 days. Large parts of the city are destroyed. Of the three restaurants, the Ferhatovic family only has one left. Not only the city, now the capital of the independent state of Bosnia and Herzegovina, but also the cevapi business has to be rebuilt after the war.
A culinary success story
If you walk through the narrow streets of Bascarsija – the Ottoman old town district – there are no longer any traces of the war, at least here. Tourists and locals alike stroll through the narrow streets. Shops offer all sorts of things for sale, cafes invite you to linger. The smell of grilled minced meat from the countless cevabdzinicas is in the air. Most are well attended. The Sarajevski cevapi are a popular meal.
The city administration has also recognized this. She therefore supports the Association of Cevapi Sellers in their efforts to declare Sarajevski Cevapi a protected product. One day it should be the same for Bosnia as pizza is for Italy. A gastronomic product that embodies the country worldwide – and thus makes it famous.
The Cevapi is pushing towards Europe
For the first time, an application is to be made at national level. In a second step, the Sarajevski-Cevapi should then be declared a protected product at EU level. In this way, the Cevapi could pave the way to a European future, which Bosnia also wants to tread. After years of stagnation, the country was granted candidate status at the end of 2022. Many now hope that things will move forward. But as with the Cevapi, Bosnia’s path to the EU will probably still take a while.
At lunchtime, the Ferhatovics’ restaurant is full. Many guests have been coming here for years. Most people in Sarajevo have a hangout that they remain loyal to. For many, Sarajevski-Cevapi is already an integral part of the city. Now he is to become a symbol of Bosnia in the world.
Rendez vous, 01.06. 2023, 12:30 p.m