THE SECRET OF GOOD KACHAMAK

There is probably no man in the Balkans who has not tried kachamak at least once. Generations have grown up on this simple yet special dish.
According to old records, he often replaced bread in eastern Serbia during Lent. It was served directly on the table, around which family members gathered. They would immediately bring a pan in which kavurma or cheese would be heated and everyone would dip the porridge in that pan.In Homolje, kachamak was prepared only for the holidays, on the occasion of village celebrations and vows.
Everyone prepares this dish as they please, but the secret of a good “wet kachamak” lies in hitting, at least when it comes to Montenegro. That is, kachamar or kachamalj – depending on whether the dish is prepared in the south or north of Montenegro, it resembles a baseball bat. Equally effective is any other wooden “tool” of a similar type, which “hits” the mixture while it is boiling. Another charm of this dish is that all the ingredients go “by eye”, that is, arbitrarily – for example, per kilogram of potatoes, there are about half a kilogram of mixed wheat and corn flour.Potatoes should be peeled and put to cook. When it is almost done, pour in the flour, leave it to stand for 15 minutes. The resulting mixture must not be gooey. Remove the sherpa from the hob or reduce the heat and then the secret magic of this specialty begins – the squid is struck from top to bottom. It doesn’t have to interfere at all, but it has to fight as much as a person has the strength – not to leave a lump of potato. Some old housewives swear that it is necessary to hit no less than 365 times!

Of course, it depends on the amount of potatoes. When a homogeneous mass is obtained without a single lump, a fig is prepared, which is made of cheese and cream, which is put into a pan and melted until a compact mixture is obtained. In the end, it is mixed with porridge and nothing more is added or touched. There is no salt, pepper or spices, sour milk is recommended as an addition to this already tasty enough dish.

Tamara Roksandić

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