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.

Irina Janakievska was born in North Macedonia, grew up in Kuwait and now lives in the UK. A consultant solicitor, Irina left the corporate world to pursue her dream of writing The Balkan Kitchen. She completed her Essential Cooking Certificate at Leiths and spent some time working as a recipe developer in the Ottolenghi Test Kitchen. She wants people to fall in love with Balkan cuisine, the Balkans and its people, and so wants to share her journey of exploring the region’s unique history and heritage through food.