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Gibanica is a Balkan dish made with puff pastry and cheese, which can be sweet or savory. Serbian and Slovenian versions often include cheese, while Macedonian and Bulgarian versions use curd cheese. Similar dishes include burek, guzvara, and pita zeljanica.
Gibanica is a very pie-like dish from the Balkans, often made with puff pastry and cheese. Depending on the region and the cook’s personal preferences, this pasta can be savory or sweet, a dessert or a side dish. The dough is often made with yeast or phyllo dough, while the filling is usually made with white cheeses. Some recipes may also call for honey or sugar, fresh dried fruit or vegetables, and nuts or seeds.
In Serbia, where gibanica is a traditional and festive dish, this pastry is made in sweet and savory forms. The basis of Serbian gibanica usually consists of thin layers of filo pastry covered and layered in a savory feta or ricotta filling. Sweet varieties often include sugar, raspberry preserves, or dried apricots in the filling. Savory types are typically made with saltier forms of cheese, but can also include spinach, ground beef, or mushrooms.
Slovenian prekmurska gibanica can also be sweet or savoury. As with other regions, these pastas are often cheese-based but can include numerous other items. Dessert versions are very popular in Slovenia and usually feature a filling of dry cottage cheese, poppy seeds or walnuts, fresh apples or raisins. Some dessert recipes call for a yeast base in the dough and honey or sugar to help sweeten the filling. Savory dishes often contain salted cheese, cabbage or potatoes.
There are many forms of gibanica that can be found in different regions and there are also many dishes that are very similar. Some areas of Croatia produce sweet and savory varieties that closely resemble the gibanica produced in Slovenia. In Macedonia, as well as in Bosnia and Herzegovina, these desserts are often made with fat curd cottage cheese or dry curd, as well as with feta cheese. Often referred to as a banitsa, Bulgarian gibanica is often filled with pumpkin or sugared apples.
Similar dishes include burek, guzvara and pita zeljanica. Serbian burek is considered nearly identical in texture, but is usually made with stronger-flavored cheeses. Guzvara, popular in Croatia and Serbia, is similar, but differs in that the dough is often soaked in the filling, giving it a wavy, crumpled appearance. Pita zeljanica is a savory dish that has a filling made almost exclusively of white cheese and spinach.
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