Bosanski lonac

Bosanski lonac or Bosnian pot is a traditional, flavorful stew consisting of layers of large and chunky pieces of meat and vegetables that are covered with water and slowly simmered in a big pot. Due to the size of the meat (usually lamb, veal and beef) and the vegetables (cabbage, potatoes, carrots, tomatoes), it takes about four hours or more to properly cook the dish. Spices and seasonings should be kept to a minimum to let the meat and vegetables flavor the dish with their own juices and aromas. The traditional clay pot (lonac) that the stew is cooked in is such an important part of the dish that the whole dish is named after it. The pot was created in the Middle Ages by coal miners, and since Bosnia has long been a mining country, the miners were forced to prepare their own dishes, so while working, they would leave the stew to simmer until their lunch break. Later on, the dish spread throughout the whole country, with new, regional variations and additions to the pot such as ground meat, carp, eggplants, green peppers, and rice.