The Balkan Kitchen

"The Balkan Kitchen is a treasure trove of delicious recipes, history and personal stories. A book to cook and learn from, to get lost in the beauty of a colourful diverse culture…and make you dream of visiting the region." – Olia Hercules

"The Balkan Kitchen achieves what only the best recipe books can achieve…It is a book to come to for the food and stay with for the stories." – Tara Wigley

"Irina's food is rich with history that tells of a region at the crossroads of myriad peoples and cultures." – Melissa Thompson

In The Balkan Kitchen, Irina Janakievska gives a voice to the vast and varied dishes and cultural heritage of the Balkan region.

Explore this diverse and expansive region of cuisine with recipes including everything from Aubergine in Walnut Sauce and Leek, Lemon, and Olive Salad to Easter Roast Lamb and Chicken Paprikash, and of course sweet treats such as Vanilici Cookies and Chocolate Baklava. Irina's food is as vibrant and joyful as the stunning location photography and evocative essays, and with over half of the recipes being vegetarian or vegan, this is a book for all to enjoy the flavours of the Balkans. 

With cultural anecdotes, history and personal stories, The Balkan Kitchen will be a book that inspires cooks around the world for years to come.

“The Balkan Kitchen is a treasure trove of delicious recipes, history and personal stories. A book to cook and learn from, to get lost in the beauty of a colourful diverse culture.” -- Olia Hercules
“The Balkan Kitchen is a treasure trove of delicious recipes, history and personal stories. A book to cook and learn from, to get lost in the beauty of a colourful diverse culture.”
“The Balkan Kitchen achieves what only the best recipe books can achieve. It's bursting with food we want to cook and eat but, also, we get something more. We get to pull up a seat at the table of Irina's family story and, more widely, the history and story of the Balkans as a whole. All-too-often thought of as a largely besieged region, Irina shows us the boldness and beauty of the Balkans (as well as its bureks and bakes). The Balkan Kitchen is a book to come to for the food and stay with for the stories.”
“The Balkan Kitchen achieves what only the best recipe books can achieve. It's bursting with food we want to cook and eat but, also, we get something more. We get to pull up a seat at the table of Irina's family story and, more widely, the history and story of the Balkans as a whole. All-too-often thought of as a largely besieged region, Irina shows us the boldness and beauty of the Balkans (as well as its bureks and bakes). The Balkan Kitchen is a book to come to for the food and stay with for the stories.” -- Tara Wigley

Irina Janakievska is a London-based Macedonian-British writer and recipe developer. She has contributed to the Guardian, Foodnetwork US, Whetstone Magazine and Mediterranean Lifestyle magazine, and The Balkan Kitchen was shortlisted for the Jane Grigson Trust Award in 2023. Irina lives with her husband Peter and young son Alexander, cooking, researching and writing about Balkan history, food culture and culinary traditions.

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