Travelling vegan in North Macedonia
Macedonia is not the most vegan-friendly of countries. Traditional Macedonian food involves quite a lot of meat, but also delicious salads.
If you are up to come up with your own quick vegan meal, some supermarkets have some choice of plant-based milk, nuts, crackers, fruits and veggies.
But there are also some dishes that are vegan in the traditional Macedonian cuisine. Just keep in mind that the word vegan or even vegetarian doesn’t mean much to the majority of people. Plus not all people speak English very well, and because I don’t speak Macedonian either, google translator was my way to go.
Traditional vegan Macedonian Food
While in Macedonia there are a few things that you can’t miss trying.
Ajvar is a spread made out of roasted peppers, aubergine, garlic and olive oil. It goes amazingly well with bread and vegetables. You can find Ajvar in all supermarket. Lutenica is similar to ajvar but has carrots, onion and tomatoes.
Gevrek is a circular bread ring covered in sesame seeds. It’s easily found on the street or in bakeries and is delicious on its own or with Ajvar.
Tavche Gravche is a traditional Macedonian dish that is vegan by default. Its a bean stew made with spices cooked in an earthenware pot. Sometimes it can contain sausage so just double-check before you ask for it. Most traditional restaurants serve this dish.
Polneti Piperki is a dish where peppers are usually stuffed with meat, but some restaurants will be happy to do it with rice and vegetables.
Travelling vegan in Skopje
Skopje the capital city of North Macedonia is probably the place where you will find more vegan option, but with that, I’m not saying that it is a well-spread concept or that it is super easy to find good vegan options.
The Juicy&Co makes a perfect stop for fresh juices, smoothies, fruit salads, muesli bowls and raw balls.
The green market, also known as Bit Pazar located in the heart of the Old Bazaar is the biggest market for fruit and vegetables, a great place to buy fresh produce.
Top 3 vegan places in Ohrid
Chances are, if you are travelling through north Macedonia, you will visit the charming Ohrid. That goes without saying that doesn’t have many options for you to choose from.
Sezers serves delicious Turkish salads, soups, grilled vegetables, veggie spreads, and bean salads. It’s a perfect place to go for lunch or dinner. The food is fresh and tasty.
As stated on the name, Dr. Falafel is a place specialized in falafel. Here you can have your falafel server on bread with hummus or you can have a falafel bun with carrot, cucumber, cauliflower and cabbage. Both options are delicious and filling.
Fruit Box is a juice and smoothie bar that also serves vegan snacks, energy balls and raw cake. Everything I tried was incredible.
Have you been to North Macedonia? Do you know any other Macedonian dish that is vegan by default? ?