Sharena sol
Bulgarian dry seasoning of salt, paprika, dried herbs and spices, with household and regional variations.
Lyutenitsa (lutenica)
Лютеница (lyutenitsa) · Ljutenica · Lutenica · Lütenitsa · Lyuto
A Balkan relish of cooked peppers, tomatoes, aubergine and garlic in oil, sometimes made hot, served cold and named for its spiciness.
A relish named for its heat
Lyutenitsa is a cooked vegetable relish of the Bulgarian, Macedonian, Serbian and Turkish kitchens. Its name comes from the word for spicy, and the Wikipedia article gives it as lyuto, ljuto or luto in the local languages, as well as the spellings ljutenica and lütenitsa. Depending on the cook it can be spicy hot or mild, and it can be served as a spread, a salad or a relish.
Its base is peppers and tomatoes, cooked with garlic, oil and salt. Aubergine, carrot, sugar and walnut appear in some versions, and chilli gives the hot forms. The texture ranges from smooth to chunky; the Wikipedia article lists smooth, chunky, chilli and aubergine variants as the main kinds.
Sources for this section
Relatives on the table
Lyutenitsa belongs to a family of red-pepper condiments that includes ajvar and pindjur. The Wikipedia article places it beside Kyopolou, an aubergine relish, zacusca, a vegetable spread from Romania, and biber salçası, a Turkish red-pepper paste. The article also links chushkopek, the appliance used to roast peppers for it.
The ingredient lists differ: the Wikipedia article gives tomatoes, carrot and walnut for lyutenitsa, and ajvar is described separately. The sources do not describe a fixed recipe, and this page does not invent one.
Sources for this section
Industrial and home versions
The Wikipedia article notes that in recent years industrial production of lyutenitsa and ajvar has grown, and that large-scale production has taken both relishes beyond the Balkans.
The sources read give no shelf life, no processing time and no acidity target for lyutenitsa. Anyone preserving it should use a tested method rather than rely on this page.
Sources for this section
History
Lyutenitsa is a vegetable relish of the Bulgarian, Macedonian, Serbian and Turkish kitchens. Industrial production has grown in recent years and has spread the relish beyond the Balkans, according to Wikipedia. Its first date is not established by the sources read.
Ingredients
PeppersRoasted and peeled, or cooked.
Amount not stated
Quantity not given in the source read.Amount not stated
Aubergine (optional)
Some varieties.
Carrot (optional)
Amount not stated
Garlic
Amount not stated
Amount not stated
Sugar (optional)
Amount not stated
Amount not stated
Walnut (optional)
Amount not stated
Listed among ingredients.Chili pepper (optional)For the hot variety.
to taste
Method
- Roast or cook the peppers, aubergine and tomatoes until soft, then peel and chop them.
- Cook the vegetables down together with vegetable oil, adding sugar and salt to taste.
- Add garlic and any walnut or chilli, and continue to cook until the relish reaches the texture you want, smooth or chunky.
- Serve cold, as a spread or relish.
Places
Bulgaria
Traditional preparation · Country evidenceNamed in Bulgarian cuisine; the source gives no locality.
North Macedonia
Traditional preparation · Country evidenceNamed in Macedonian cuisine.
Serbia
Traditional preparation · Country evidenceNamed in Serbian cuisine.
Turkey
Traditional preparation · Country evidenceNamed in Turkish cuisine as lütenitsa.
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Sources
WikipediaIdentity · Variations · Ingredients · History
LyutenitsaNames lyutenitsa, ljutenica, lütenitsa, lutenica; meaning spicy; relish or chutney in Bulgarian, Macedonian, Serbian and Turkish cuisines; ingredients peppers, aubergines, carrots, garlic, vegetable oil, sugar, salt, tomatoes and walnut; smooth or chunky, with chilli or aubergine, hot or mild; cold serving; industrial production of lyutenitsa and ajvar has grown in recent years
Cited in: A relish named for its heat; Relatives on the table; Industrial and home versions
Wikimedia CommonsImage
File:Lutenica.jpgImage of the lyutenitsa relish; the Commons file page names Off-shell as the author and explicitly licenses the photograph under CC BY-SA 4.0.