Ajvar / Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Macedonian cuisine was ranked 59th out of 95 places in the world, according to the TasteAtlas portal.
According to the food guide portal, the most popular food is "Ajvar" (traditional peppers-and-eggplant relish), with a rating of 4.7 out of 5. It is followed by "Tarator" (cold soup made with yogurt, cucumbers, garlic, chopped dill, sunflower oil, walnuts, and a bit of water or ice), and "Zelnik" (traditional pie that can be filled with a variety of different ingredients such as cheese, spinach, eggs, meat, leeks, or cabbage).
"Lutenica" (a vegetable relish made with red bull horn peppers, tomatoes, salt, sugar, pepper, and oil) is in fourth place. Then comes "Pastrmajlija" (rustic bread pie consisting of dough topped with cubed or sliced meat, usually pork and cured mutton, and eggs).
But there's also "Gravche tavche," Macedonia's national dish, which consists of beans stewed with onions, oil, dried pepper flakes, and seasonings like salt, cumin, and pepper.
In addition, "Sarma", which consists of a filling that is snugly surrounded by leaves or leafy vegetables, is the best-rated food among the others.
According to TasteAtlas, the best traditional places to eat, recommended by food professionals, are Kamin Chamo in Skopje, Mekicite od Strazha on Strazha Pass (between Kicevo and Gostivar), then Pivnica An in Skopje, as well as Canyon Matka Restaurant on Matka Canyon, close to Skopje.
In the meantime, the Italian, Greek, and Spanish cuisines are rated as the best in the world, while the Norwegian, Moroccan, and Latvian ones are in last place.