Balkan Culinary Battle: 3 Countries and Their Meatball Battles – Part 2

The saddest song about meatballs in history dates back from the 1950s when it became a total hit. “One Meatball” tells a story about a poor man who goes into a restaurant and the only thing he can afford to buy is a single meatball. For good or bad, today this food is literally everywhere. Not are meatballs only a source of pleasure, but also of artistic inspirations. Countries ‘fight’ with each other about the best meatball recipe since years. Check out what we talked about last time as you read this article! So, here’s something more to know about the different countries and their culinary battles:

1. Turkey

There’s been some rumors that in Turkey alone (along with its regions) there are more than 80 types of meatballs. Can you imagine?! The only thing they have in common is the fact that the meat is minced and…it’s not pork. All in all, there are a lot of different recipes, which vary according to the area. In Istanbul and Izmir, for example, one can have a tremendous meal with meatballs made of lamb, hot peppers, onion and tomatoes. What’s best is they always go with a piece of bread! Almost like a homemade dinner, right? By the way, one of the most popular meatball types in Turkey is the so called Çiğ köfte (or chee kofta). Basically, it’s a raw meatball dish, which wouldn’t be the best idea for those of you who have sensitive stomach. However, it’s an exquisite delicacy and makes the simple ingredients turn into a gustatory explosion.

2. Bulgaria

Traditional Bulgarian cuisine is full of meatball recipes – from fried meatballs (very similar to the very famous keftedes) to juicy grilled rissoles and many more. People in this country usually serve them together with white bread and a mixture of ground dried herbs, which make the meal taste great. The homemade fried meatballs, on the other hand, are a symbol of domesticity and love. The classical meatball recipe, though, contains 60 percent pork and 40 percent veal mince. It’s very important for the pork to be relatively greasy. In comparison to the Greek keftedes, the Bulgarian version contains lots of savory instead of cumin.

3. Albania

Albanians’ meatball recipes are actually quite similar to the ones you can find in Turkey. Now, who steals from who!? Anyways, the only difference here is that in some variations there is peppermint, which gives an extra flavor to the dish. To cut a long story short, each country does whatever it wants! Luckily, all of us, tourists, have the opportunity to enjoy each and every version and choose our most favorite one. As far as a TOP 10 list of best meatball recipes is concerned -you better forget about this! Even food experts are hardly going to give an authoritative chart. Just eat and enjoy! 5 Things you Need for the Perfect Chickpea Brownie Meat Chemistry: 8 Surprising Facts about Meat and its Uses 4 of the Best types of Meat you Can afford to Eat