Ćevapi are the kind of food that everyone eats - at street stalls, in restaurants, at sports stadiums and at family barbecues. They are quick to make, easy to carry, and taste best eaten standing up with both hands. The smoky, chargrilled flavour of the meat mixed with the softness of the bread is something people remember for years.
The word 'ćevapi' comes from a Persian word for 'grilled meat', which tells you how far these little sausages have travelled through history and across cultures. Similar grilled meat dishes appear from Turkey to Bosnia to Croatia, each country adding its own twist in spice or shape or serving style.
In Croatia, a popular ćevapi meal includes six to ten little sausages nestled in a half-open flatbread, with finely chopped raw onion piled on top. The kajmak - a creamy, slightly tangy dairy spread made from slow-skimmed milk - is spooned generously on the side. Nothing fancy, everything delicious.
Making ćevapi at home is a weekend tradition in many Croatian families. The minced meat is mixed with spices the evening before, then left in the fridge overnight so the flavours deepen. Grilling them over charcoal rather than gas makes the outside crisp and the inside soft and juicy.