BELGRADE, Serbia (AA) – A region of Serbia with a rich Ottoman heritage is preparing to export 500 tons of one of its traditional dishes to Turkey.
A new free trade agreement signed by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during his visit to Serbia in October caused excitement among local producers in the Sandzak region, the majority-Muslim southern part of the country.
Sandzacke mantije is a traditional savory pie with various fillings such as cheese or meat. It can also be found without any additional ingredients, and is usually served with yogurt.
Fifa Koca, an expert on local dishes from Sandzak’s city of Novi Pazar, told Anadolu Agency that sandzacke mantije recipes date back centuries and are passed down from generation to generation.
Koca said that no special cooking equipment is needed to make the pies, but love and self-sacrifice are key for a delicious sandzacke mantije.
Koca said he proudly presented at many international food fairs the recipe he favors, which comes from his mother and grandmother.
– A quarter-century of sales
Sandzacke mantije can be found in almost all Balkan countries. It is produced in Novi Pazar and exported frozen to neighboring countries.
Mustafa Agusevic from Novi Pazar said that he has been producing and selling sandzacke mantije for 25 years, and the new duty-free export regime to Turkey made him very happy.
“We also want to export our products to Turkey, and I think we will do our mission properly and process extremely high-quality products, ” said Agusevic.
He added that sandzacke mantije is unique in its unchanging recipe passed through the generations.
Under the revised free trade agreement signed last month, Serbia is able to export duty free 5,000 tons of meat, 25,000 tons of crude sunflower oil, 10,000 tons of refined sunflower oil, 15,000 tons of sunflower seeds, 5,000 tons of soy, and 500 tons of cat and dog food.
