Local Drinks

1. Турска кафа

   Tur-ska ka-fa

   Unfiltered coffee boiled in a džezva

   Usage

   Ground coffee boiled in a small pot called a "džezva" and poured unfiltered into a small porcelain cup. ⚠ The grounds settle at the bottom — do not drink the last mouthful. The Serbian way of doing it is called "crna kafa": water and sugar are boiled first, then the coffee goes in, and the sugar is served on the side

   Grammar Note

   The feminine adjective "turska" agrees with the feminine noun "kafa"

2. Чај

   Čaj

   Tea

   Usage

   Covers both leaf tea and herbal infusions. Name the kind with "od" plus the genitive: "čaj od kamilice" is chamomile tea. ⚠ Asking only for "čaj" leaves the choice to the café, so it is safer to name the kind

   Grammar Note

   Masculine; genitive "čaja". ⚠ The letter ј (U+0458) is Cyrillic, not the Latin j

3. Минерална вода

   Mi-ne-ral-na vo-da

   Mineral water

   Usage

   Water carrying more than one gram of dissolved minerals per litre. Serbia has many mineral springs; Knjaz Miloš of Aranđelovac is the best-known label. ⚠ Its flagship product is carbonated, so add "negazirana" if you do not want bubbles

   Grammar Note

   Feminine adjective plus the feminine noun "voda"; "lekovita voda" is used with the same meaning

4. Газирана вода

   Ga-zi-ra-na vo-da

   Sparkling water

   Usage

   Water charged with carbon dioxide under pressure; also called "soda" or "soda voda". Labels read "prirodna mineralna gazirana voda", and the lightly fizzy kind is marked "blago gazirana"

   Grammar Note

   The participle "gaziran" takes the feminine ending to agree with "voda"

5. Негазирана вода

   Ne-ga-zi-ra-na vo-da

   Still water

   Usage

   "Gazirana" with the negative prefix "ne-". Bottles are labelled "negazirana prirodna mineralna voda". ⚠ Say the full "negazirana voda" rather than plain "voda" if a flat bottle is what you need

   Grammar Note

   The prefix "ne-" attaches directly to the adjective and is written as one word, not "ne gazirana"

6. Воћни сок

   Voć-ni sok

   Fruit juice

   Usage

   The general term for a soft drink pressed from fruit or vegetables. ⚠ Products with only 25–50% juice are labelled "voćni nektar" instead. In a café, plain "sok" is enough

   Grammar Note

   The masculine adjective "voćni" agrees with the masculine noun "sok"

7. Цеђени сок

   Ce-đe-ni sok

   Freshly squeezed juice

   Usage

   From the participle of "cediti" (to press), distinguishing juice squeezed on the spot from the carton kind. Name the fruit with "od" plus the genitive: "ceđeni sok od pomorandže" is fresh orange juice

   Grammar Note

   "Ceđeni" is the masculine definite form of the participle "ceđen"; the fruit follows with "od" plus the genitive

8. Јогурт

   Jo-gurt

   Yoghurt, usually poured and drunk

   Usage

   A semi-liquid ("polutečni") cultured milk product. ⚠ The standard pairing is with burek, whose richness it cuts, and bakeries sell the two together

   Grammar Note

   Masculine; genitive "jogurta"

9. Кисело млеко

   Ki-se-lo mle-ko

   Soured milk

   Usage

   The general term for milk soured by fermentation, made at home or bought in shops. The classic way to eat it is poured over kačamak

   Grammar Note

   The neuter adjective "kiselo" agrees with the neuter noun "mleko". ⚠ Serbian is Ekavian, so it is "mleko" — not the Ijekavian "mlijeko"

10. Кефир

    Ke-fir

    Kefir

    Usage

    A cultured milk drink listed alongside jogurt and kiselo mleko among Serbian beverages; sold in the dairy aisle

    Grammar Note

    Masculine; genitive "kefira"

11. Боза

    Bo-za

    Sweet fermented cornmeal drink

    Usage

    A thick non-alcoholic drink made by fermenting cornmeal, sugar and yeast in water. ⚠ It has become hard to find — some supermarkets stock it bottled in one-litre plastic bottles

    Grammar Note

    Feminine; genitive "boze"

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