Christian hospitality, Kolo dancing, stuffed cabbage rolls, and plum brandy were all part of this past weekend’s Taste of Serbia.
St. Basil of Ostrog Serbian Orthodox Church in Lake Forest-Mettawa hosted its annual Taste of Serbia Festival on Saturday, August 30, and Sunday, August 31, one of the largest Labor Day weekend festivals held in Lake County.
Sofa Obradovich Scalzitti has been festival chairperson for over 15 years and says it provides an opportunity for the church to introduce Serbian culture, cuisine, and faith to area communities.
“Serbians make up a small community in Lake County, first settled in 1920, so the event is a way for us to keep our customs alive for future generations,” Scalzitti said.
“We want to ensure our children don’t lose our traditions of language, food, music, and dancing,” Scalzitti added.
Over 200 volunteers, ages 13 to 80, often with multiple generations of volunteers from the same family working together, served thousands of visitors during the two-day fest.
Mike Stanojevic of Lake Forest attended Saturday with family.
“This food festival continues the tradition of education in our culture, enabling the next generation of our kids to experience what Serbia has to offer locally,” Stanojevic said.
Traditional cuisine, music, and beverages were featured — slowly roasted organic pork and lamb made over an open BBQ pit, favorite Serbian entrées like chevapchiche, char-grilled ground beef and pork sausages, pork shish kabob skewers, and pleskavica, a Serbian-style spicy beef and pork patty with peppers and onions, and traditional stuffed cabbage rolls.
There was also a variety of pitas stuffed with cheese, meat, apple or cherry strudel, and pastries like krem pita, with pure whipped cream and vanilla custard, and much more.
The beer garden featured both American and Serbian beers and wines, the award-winning Opolo, from Serbian vintner, Rick Quinn, and Slivovitz, Serbian plum brandy.
Traditional music and Kolo dancing by Prazna Flasa Tambura, the Ansambl Sokoli, the Seoske Dame singers, and DJ Dex, with a presentation from Parish Priest, Father Milos Zivkovic on orthodox religious traditions and specialty vendors with music, books, jewelry, and icons for sale.
Gordana Trbuhovich, is a member of the Seoske Dame singing group who performed on Saturday.
“Performing these songs is pure joy – it’s music from Serbia and Macedonia and all across the Balkans, music that was sung in the villages of our ancestors,” Trbuhovich said.
The funds raised during the event support church operations, ministries, educational and cultural programs. Among these US-based humanitarian organizations are: Feed My Starving Children, Orthodox Christian Prison Ministries, International Orthodox Christian Charities, Our Serbs, and Lifeline Humanitarian Organization.
Dawn Buglio of Libertyville also attended.
“These are welcoming people, a beautiful culture inspired by ancient music and dance, and it’s good to see them keeping their heritage alive,” Buglio said.
Gina Grillo is a freelancer for Pioneer Press.
