Traditional recipes and customs are an important part of the intangible cultural heritage of every nation. Records in old books tell about what it was like nutrition in eastern Serbia at the beginning of the 20th century.
Savatije M. Grbić, in his book Serbian folk customs of the Boljevac area, talks, among other things, about the way of eating in that area. By the way, since 1860, the Boljevac County was part of the Crnorečki District, together with the Zaječar County.
Here is an excerpt from the book Serbian folk customs of the Boljevac section about the diet of the population at that time (1925):
"Peasants usually eat three times a day. They have lunch around eight o'clock in the morning, and a little later in the winter. It's called lunch. Around one o'clock in the afternoon they eat again and call it snack, lunch, and often a big lunch. In the evening there is dinner. In the summer, when the days are longer, around Asr, they catch up a little bit at a time and this is called catch up, but this happens very rarely.
At home, it is eaten around the sovr, and in the field, instead of the sovr, a bag is spread out. Before they sit down to eat, everyone washes their hands. Usually, the youngest daughter-in-law sprinkles everything in turn, and where there is no daughter-in-law, it is done by other younger sons-in-law. No one will sit down until the host sits down.
Before they start eating, everyone crosses themselves. If brandy or wine is served during lunch, the first glass is always given to the host, then to the others in order of seniority. No one will drink a glass of wine or a glass of brandy until they cross themselves, because that's how they roll.
Everyone eats from the same bowl. Always break the hot bread with your hands, because it is not good to cut it with a knife. If someone gets a morsel, he should pick it up and eat it, because if this is not done, the devil will rejoice. It is not good to leave a bite of anything, it must be eaten.
When rolling the bread on the sovr, always make sure that the broken end is facing the middle of the sovr and not towards the field. Also, make sure that the bread does not stand upside down, even if it is the smallest piece. When it is set, bread and salt should be placed on the table first, and only then spoons, forks and dishes."
Source: Serbian folk customs of the Boljevac area, Savatije M. Grbić, 1925.
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