Post by Bganon
On a rather sunny and bright Belgrade day it was finally time to do something to increase my enjoyment of the culinary arts. This is the tale of how to go about finding a wok in Belgrade.
My quest began (as most do) on the internet. There I found newspaper articles and recipes for wok cooking but infuriatingly not one reference to where one can purchase a wok in Belgrade. So no help there.
The most obvious place to begin is a megamarket but since that word translates as – ‘must own car’, this wasn’t an option. Plus who needs convenience right? I want authenticity.
Far better to head for the most obvious target and to visit a place I had only visited once before. Block number 70 in New Belgrade. For sake of brevity we will call it China City.
Belgrade’s Chinese community has been present for some time, through Communist / educational exchanges with its roots in the former Yugoslavia. In the 1990’s the numbers exploded as Chinese citizens were offered incentives and opportunities to profit in business trading with and living in Serbia. From a Serbian perspective the situation was beneficial because the sanctions meant that it was increasingly difficult to find foreign produced goods. And with wages in freefall it was hard to be able to afford to buy brand name foreign goods, or indeed some domestic goods. The Chinese filled a gap in the market.
However, the Chinese were seen by many in Serbia as Mirjana Markovic’s pet project (Milosevic’s wife, who was hated by reformers and nationalists alike) and she did indeed play a role in encouraging the Chinese to relocate to Belgrade. Others were resentful because of the changes the Chinese presence was making in the Serbian economy. Take textiles for example. Many of those in the domestic textile industry were priced out of the market as people flocked for the cheaper and lower quality goods. The textile industry in Serbia today is in serious trouble.
Most of the goods being sold in China City are items of clothing. The quality of the clothing has improved over the years and the Chinese working there seem like a respectable and friendly bunch. In fact it was truly an interesting experience checking out people eating from ricebowls using chopsticks and so on – in Belgrade.
But things didn’t look good when I walked into a shop selling cooking utensils. The man working there looked at me blankly wondering if he’d heard me right. ‘You mean Wok, not Vok he said’, ‘Do you have them?’ I asked ‘No’ he replied and looked away adding ‘and don’t know where you can find one’. He looked almost apologetic, obviously bemused that somebody was looking to purchase a wok. Not a good sign.
After some perseverance I found a wok on the first floor, not a proper one of course but I was delighted in any case. Then after using a Serbian translator (who didn’t know Chinese, yes Im puzzled too) to communicate with the trader who sold me the wok, I was told that Chinese food could be purchased on the ground floor. In that shop there was plenty of noodles, sauces and anything else you need to get frying.
There was also a real wok on sale.
Tram number 7 takes you straight to block number 70 which is located in New Belgrade. It takes about 20 minutes from the town centre.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
The market is still fun to visit but there is still a massive lack of food shops (even serving food) there. Such a shame.
I love that place! Being half white and half oriental, I feel at home there! It’s not really a proper china town like you would find in London or San Francisco, but it’s still a nice change from the regular pijacas in Belgrade.