Proja has been baked in Serbian villages for hundreds of years. Long ago, corn grew well in the lowlands of Serbia even when wheat was harder to find. Cornmeal was cheap, easy to store and reliable - so proja became a daily bread for many families.
Modern proja recipes often add eggs, yoghurt, cheese or chopped spinach, which make it softer and more flavourful. Some are made with melted butter on top. The basic idea - cornmeal, baked, eaten warm - has stayed the same for generations.
Proja crumbles much more than wheat bread. You don't really slice it - you break it. Whole chunks of it go straight into a bowl of yoghurt, or into a stew, or onto a plate of cheese. The slightly grainy texture is part of its charm.
Proja is also gluten-free, because corn doesn't contain gluten. So Serbian families who can't eat wheat can still enjoy their traditional bread. Many other cultures around the world have a cornmeal bread too - cornbread in the United States, polenta in Italy, arepas in Venezuela. Corn travels.