Papa’s Food Ohrid

For the development of tourism, food plays a huge role, and since we’re on the topic, we’d like to introduce you to Dimitar, a man who, despite being a graduate manager in customs and forwarding, found his place in the gastronomic family of Slow Food Macedonia.

Dimitar says that he never worked in his field of study because he redirected his career towards food, with a particular focus on the well-known "Ohrid's Makalo."

His story began to unfold from the small fishing village of Trpejca, the hometown of his wife. His wife’s family owns a restaurant located right on the beach, which operates only during the summer season.

During the peak of the season, Dimitar is of great help to the restaurant, ensuring the satisfaction of guests. He has been involved in amateur cooking for 20 years, and he says he loves cooking for his family and friends.

His inspiration comes from the women of Trpejca, whom he says enjoy preparing fish and Ohrid's Makalo in the traditional way.

In his wife’s restaurant, the main specialty is fresh fish caught from the shores of Trpejca, served with freshly baked bread and homemade milk. The daily encounters with local food in Trpejca inspired Dimitar to open his own shop, where instead of typical souvenirs, he would sell packaged homemade food. The goal of the shop, as he says, is to satisfy the needs of tourists who, instead of magnets or jewelry, will choose to buy homemade Ohrid’s Makalo as a gift for their loved ones.

To keep things as they were in the past, Dimitar decided to produce Makalo in the way it deserves. Today, in his store, "Papa’s Food Ohrid," you can find Makalo made from 100% homemade products.

Part of the garlic used in the Makalo comes from his orchards in the village of Kosel, while the rest is purchased from local suppliers.

The Makalo is packed into wooden containers right when it's made, in order to expel the air and preserve the quality. At the moment, they don't have mass industrial production, which is why the Makalo depends on the harvest and weather conditions throughout the year. As Dimitar says, they have never had a bad year, because they know that Macedonian producers always offer quality products.

Besides Makalo, the store also offers certified Macedonian organic wine, as well as various barrel-aged wines from small family wineries.

To conclude this gastronomic story, we can’t forget to mention the "gubiji" (fried bread) and "tarana" (a traditional dish) available at Papa’s Food Ohrid.

Just like Ohrid's Makalo, these products are made using traditional recipes with homemade eggs and milk.