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Other , 0 Comments Sep 26, 2023

Once considered a thrifty peasants’ food found only in rural areas, kačamak is now considered a trademark dish and a fundamental part of Montenegrin cuisine. This traditional Montenegrin dish can be described as a thick maize porridge, with variations that can be found in Turkish and Balkan cuisine. It is a simple meal prepared by cooking potatoes together with wheat or corn flour, subsequently mashing the combination until it becomes thick and homogenous.

Kačamak is a dish of only a few ingredients, where the main ingredient is flour. One variation, tučenjak – the beaten kačamak - uses wheat flour and potatoes, the other only corn flour. The flour is cooked to get a porridge-like consistence. Traditionally, the potatoes and flour are mashed with a large wooden stick (tučak). Since kačamak is traditionally made to serve at least a dozen people, the mashing part is preferably done by men as it is physically the most challenging part of the preparation. When thoroughly mashed, it is greased with kajmak, a dairy product similar to clotted cream or cheese fat, and mature white cheese - leafy cheese from Kolašin or white cheese from Pljevlja. 

Photo source: https://kolasin.me/en/

The second variety of kačamak is typical of East North subregion. This type is prepared by cooking only corn flour, without adding any potatoes. It cooks up to an hour while until the porridge-like consistence is obtained. Homemade mature cheese and kajmak are added later. This variety has a grainy consistency from the coarsely ground corn flour.

The exact proportions of ingredients vary slightly from one part to the other, so you won’t find two kačamaks of the same taste. Whatever the variety, this dish gives a strong sense of satiety, as it is high in energy. 

History papers state kačamak was invented soon after Petar I Petrovic Njegos, the bishop and ruler of Montenegro, introduced potatoes to his natives in 1786. Back then, Montenegrin highland regions were lacking food in general, but they were not lacking only in potatoes and dairy products, so those ingredients were added to the flour in order to make a dish nutritionally sufficient for the whole family – and families were bigger then, with six or more children. Everyday activities required hard work and lots of energy, and this dish provided a lot of it. Chronicles were stressing that this is the only Montenegrin dish in whose preparation men took part, as the process requires a lot of strength. 

Kačamak is typically served on wooden plates and consumed with yoghurt.

If you wish to get the taste of kačamak, don't waste your time and get your bust ticket on time and online. Althouh you can get your portion of kačamak almost anywhere in Montenegro, check the timetable and choose the route that suits you best to get to the North part of the country. 

You can choose a one way ticket or a return ticket to Kolašin, Žabljak, Pljevlja.. or even to the rural north areas. The timetable on busticket4.me will show the rural places you can reach by bus.

As an agency whose activity is selling bus tickets online, we offer you departures for the following destinations:

Podgorica – Pljevlja: https://busticket4.me/EN/1121-1193-132-0-0/0-1/Podgorica_-Pljevlja/

Podgorica – Kolašin: https://busticket4.me/EN/1121-1175-132-0-0/0-1/Podgorica-Kolasin/

Podgorica – Žabljak: https://busticket4.me/EN/1121-1195-132-0-0/0-1/Podgorica-Zabljak/

Beograd – Pljevlja: https://busticket4.me/EN/1213-1193-132-0-0/0-1/Beograd-Pljevlja/

Beograd – Kolašin: https://busticket4.me/EN/1213-1175-132-0-0/0-1/Beograd-Kolasin/

Beograd – Žabljak: https://busticket4.me/EN/1213-1195-132-0-0/0-1/Beograd-Zabljak/

Herceg Novi – Kolašin: https://busticket4.me/EN/1148-1175-132-0-0/0-1/Herceg_Novi-Kolasin/