Kafana
Encyclopedia
Kafana is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the...
, and Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
, kafǎna), kafeana (Macedonia
Republic of Macedonia
Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
), kavana (Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
, kaʋǎna) are terms used in the former Yugoslav
Former Yugoslavia
The former Yugoslavia is a term used to describe the present day states which succeeded the collapse of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia....
countries for a distinct type of local bistro
Bistro
A bistro, sometimes spelled bistrot, is, in its original Parisian incarnation, a small restaurant serving moderately priced simple meals in a modest setting. Bistros are defined mostly by the foods they serve. Home cooking with robust earthy dishes, and slow-cooked foods like cassoulet are typical...
which primarily serves alcoholic beverage
Alcoholic beverage
An alcoholic beverage is a drink containing ethanol, commonly known as alcohol. Alcoholic beverages are divided into three general classes: beers, wines, and spirits. They are legally consumed in most countries, and over 100 countries have laws regulating their production, sale, and consumption...
s and coffee
Coffee
Coffee is a brewed beverage with a dark,init brooo acidic flavor prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant, colloquially called coffee beans. The beans are found in coffee cherries, which grow on trees cultivated in over 70 countries, primarily in equatorial Latin America, Southeast Asia,...
(and occasionally light snacks
Meze
Meze or mezze is a selection of small dishes served in the Mediterranean and Middle East as dinner or lunch, with or without drinks. In Levantine cuisines and in the Caucasus region, meze is served at the beginning of all large-scale meals....
), and which sometimes also has a live band.
The concept of a social gathering place for men to drink alcoholic beverages and coffee developed in Ottoman Turkey
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
and spread to Southeast Europe
Southeast Europe
Southeast Europe or Southeastern Europe is a relatively recent political designation for the states of the Balkans. Writers such as Maria Todorova and Vesna Goldsworthy have suggested the use of the term Southeastern Europe to replace the word Balkans for the region, to minimize potential...
with the extension of Ottoman dominion into the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
where it further evolved into the contemporary kafana.
Nomenclature and etymology
This distinct type of establishment is known by several slightly differing names depending on country and language:- SerbianSerbian languageSerbian is a form of Serbo-Croatian, a South Slavic language, spoken by Serbs in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia and neighbouring countries....
: кафана (kafana), pl.PluralIn linguistics, plurality or [a] plural is a concept of quantity representing a value of more-than-one. Typically applied to nouns, a plural word or marker is used to distinguish a value other than the default quantity of a noun, which is typically one...
кафане (kafane) - MacedonianMacedonian languageMacedonian is a South Slavic language spoken as a first language by approximately 2–3 million people principally in the region of Macedonia but also in the Macedonian diaspora...
: кафеана (kafeana), pl. кафеани (kafeani) - CroatianCroatian languageCroatian is the collective name for the standard language and dialects spoken by Croats, principally in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Serbian province of Vojvodina and other neighbouring countries...
: kavana, pl. kavane - BosnianBosnian languageBosnian is a South Slavic language, spoken by Bosniaks. As a standardized form of the Shtokavian dialect, it is one of the three official languages of Bosnia and Herzegovina....
: kafana/kahvana pl. kafane/kahvane
The word itself, irrespective of regional differences, is derived from the Turkish
Turkish language
Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...
kahvehane ("coffeehouse
Coffeehouse
A coffeehouse or coffee shop is an establishment which primarily serves prepared coffee or other hot beverages. It shares some of the characteristics of a bar, and some of the characteristics of a restaurant, but it is different from a cafeteria. As the name suggests, coffeehouses focus on...
") which is in turn derived from the Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
term qahveh-khaneh (a compound of the Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
qahve [coffee] and Persian khane [house]).
In the Republic of Macedonia
Republic of Macedonia
Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
, kafeana is sometimes confused with the more traditional meana
Meyhane
A meyhane is a traditional restaurant or bar in historical Iran, Turkey and Balkans region. The word of meyhane comes from persian and the meaning is the place where people drink wine. "Meyhane" is composed of two Persian words: mey and hane .- History :History of meyhane starts from Byzantine...
, while the variant kafana (adopted from commercial Serbian folk-songs and popularized by domestic artists) may be used for the establishment described in this article; however, both terms are used interchangeably by some. Nowadays in Serbia, the term kafana is similarly used describe any informal eatery serving traditional cuisine, as well as some other classical kafana dishes like Wiener schnitzel
Wiener schnitzel
Schnitzel is a traditional Austrian dish made with boneless meat thinned with a mallet , coated in bread crumbs and fried. It is a popular part of Viennese, Austrian cuisine and German Cuisine...
.
History
In the days of 18th and early 19th century, running a kafana (then usually called mehana) was a family business, a craft, passed on from generation to generation.As the Balkan cities grew in size and became more urbanized, kafana also shifted its focus a bit. Some started serving food and offering other enticements to potential customers since owners now had to compete with other similar establishments around the city. Most bigger towns and cities in this period had a Gradska kafana (City kafana) located in or around main square where the most affluent and important individuals of that city would come to see and be seen. Prices in this particular kafana would usually be higher compared to others around the city that didn't enjoy the privilege of such an exclusive location.
The concept of live music was introduced in the early 20th century by kafana owners looking to offer different kinds of entertainment to their guests. Naturally, in the absence of mass media
Mass media
Mass media refers collectively to all media technologies which are intended to reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit their information electronically and comprise of television, film and radio, movies, CDs, DVDs and some other gadgets like cameras or video consoles...
these bands strictly had a local character and would only play folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
that was popular within a particular region where the city lies.
As the 20th century rolled on, Balkan cities saw waves upon waves of rural population coming in, especially after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and kafane diversified accordingly. Some continued to uphold a higher standard of service, while others began to cater to newly arrived rural population that mostly found employment in factories and on construction sites.
This is when the term kafana slowly began to be associated with something undesirable and suitable only for lower classes of society. By the 1980s, term kafana became almost an insult and most owners would steer clear of calling their places by that name, preferring westernized terms like restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
, cafe
Café
A café , also spelled cafe, in most countries refers to an establishment which focuses on serving coffee, like an American coffeehouse. In the United States, it may refer to an informal restaurant, offering a range of hot meals and made-to-order sandwiches...
, bistro, coffee bar, and so on, instead. On the other hand, terms birtija, bircuz and krčma are also used to denote, usually rural or suburban, filthy kafane.
The stereotype
It is not quite clear when the term kafana became instantly synonymous with decay, sloth, pain, backwardness, sorrow, etc. all across former Yugoslavia, but it is safe to say it happened in the 1970s or 1980s. Pop culture played a significant part in this transformation. Massively popular folk singers began to emerge, spurred on by the expansion of radio and television, often using kafana themes in their songs. Since the connection between commercial folk and rural regressiveness was already well established, kafana, too, got a dodgy rap by extension.Since 1960s, Yugoslav movies, (especially the "Black wave" movement) started depicting individuals from the margins of society. Run-down kafane would feature prominently in such stories. Socially relevant films like I Even Met Happy Gypsies, When Father Was Away on Business, Život je lep, Do You Remember Dolly Bell?
Do You Remember Dolly Bell?
Do You Remember Dolly Bell? , filmed 1981, is the first feature film directed by Emir Kusturica. Showing early signs of the stylistic flair that Kusturica was to effectively deploy in later works, it is a coming of age story.- Plot :...
, Specijalno vaspitanje, Kuduz
Kuduz
Kuduz is a 1989 film, set in SR Bosnia and Herzegovina written by Abdullah Sidran and Ademir Kenović, who also directed the film. It was nominated for three European Film Awards in 1989: Best Young Film, Best Actress , and Best Composer...
, etc. all had memorable, dramatic scenes that take place in dilapidated rural or suburban kafana. Soon, a distinct cinematic stereotype appeared.
Social stereotype
Kafana is a place where sad lovers cure their sorrows in alcohol and music, gamblers squander entire fortunes, husbands run away from mean wives while shady businessmen, corrupt local politicians and petty criminals do business. As in many other societies, kafana is mainly a male activity, and "honest" women dare only visit finer ones (usually in men's company).As mentioned, it is a very frequent motif of late-20th century commercial folk songs, perhaps the most famous being "I tebe sam sit kafano" (I'm Sick of You, Kafana) by Haris Džinović
Haris Džinovic
Haris Džinović is a popular Bosnian folk singer. He is also a composer, a musician and songwriter for his songs.-Career:He began his music career in 1975 in his hometown Sarajevo, as a singer and composer of folk music when pop and evergreen music were more dominant in the Balkans area, so he...
, "Kafana je moja sudbina" (Kafana is My Destiny) by Toma Zdravković
Toma Zdravkovic
Toma Zdravković was a famous Yugoslav folk singer from Serbia.Toma Zdravković was an outstanding figure on Serbian folk scene; a bohemian and a poet, he lived up to his sad songs. The songs, although having the form of Serbian folk music, had spirit of chansons...
, and the ubiquitous "Čaše lomim" (Breaking Glasses), originally by Nezir Eminovski.
Bosnia
Probably the purest form of kafana can be found in BosniaBosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
where no food is served (that's done in ćevabdžinica, aščinica and buregdžinica), staying true to the original Turkish coffee
Turkish coffee
Turkish coffee is a method of preparing coffee where finely powdered roast coffee beans are boiled in a pot , with sugar according to taste, before being served into a cup where the dregs settle...
& alcohol concept.
In Bosnian cities with large Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
populations, one can still find certain old kafane that probably didn't look much different back when the Ottomans ruled Bosnia. They are now mostly frequented by local elders as well as the occasional tourist, and their numbers are dwindling.
Most of the old centerpiece Gradske Kafane have been visually modernized and had their names changed in the process to something snappy and western-sounding. Most other establishments that offer similar fare target a younger crowd and prefer not to use the term kafana. However, stereotypical kafanas hold some popularity amongst high-schoolers and students, as well as working class men, who frequent them as places to binge drink due to their affordable prices.
Serbia
Historically, Belgrade establishments that originated in the 19th and early 20th century like the famous ? (Question Mark), Lipov lad (The Linden Tree's Shade, founded in 1928), and Tri lista duvana (Three Tobacco Leaves), as well as SkadarlijaSkadarlija
Skadarlija is a vintage street, an urban neighborhood and former municipality of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia...
bohemian
Bohemianism
Bohemianism is the practice of an unconventional lifestyle, often in the company of like-minded people, with few permanent ties, involving musical, artistic or literary pursuits...
spots Tri šešira (Three Hats), Kod dva bela goluba (The Two White Pigeons'), Šešir moj (This Hat of Mine), Zlatni bokal (Golden Jug), and Ima dana (There's Time), were all equipped with extensive kitchens serving elaborate menu
Menu
In a restaurant, a menu is a presentation of food and beverage offerings. A menu may be a la carte – which guests use to choose from a list of options – or table d'hôte, in which case a pre-established sequence of courses is served....
s and are officially called restaurants yet most patrons refer to them as kafane. The concept of eating in Serbian kafane was introduced in 19th century when the menu consisted mostly of simply snacks, such as ćevapčići
Cevapcici
Ćevapi or ćevapčići is a grilled dish of minced meat, a type of kebab, found traditionally in the countries of southeastern Europe. They are considered a national dish in Bosnia and Herzegovina and in Serbia...
. It's the same with places that became popular in mid-20th century like Šumatovac, Pod lipom (Under the Lime Tree), and Grmeč in Makedonska Street (the so-called 'Bermuda triangle'), Manjež, as well as later establishments like Madera, Kod Ive (Ivo's), and Klub književnika (the Literary Club). Even the traditionally upscale joints like Ruski car (Russian Tsar) and Grčka kraljica (Greek Queen) weren't above being referred to as kafana.
Things have changed, however, with establishments that appeared over the last 20-30 years, and especially as of late. Most of the younger Serbian crowd associate the word kafana with something archaic and passe so the owners of places that cater to them avoid it altogether. With gentrification
Gentrification
Gentrification and urban gentrification refer to the changes that result when wealthier people acquire or rent property in low income and working class communities. Urban gentrification is associated with movement. Consequent to gentrification, the average income increases and average family size...
taking root in many parts of central Belgrade, these new establishments mostly stay away from traditionalism. Good examples of this would be the numerous watering holes that have sprung up over the last 15 years in Strahinjića Bana Street, such as Veprov dah, Ipanema, Kandahar, and Dorian Gray, or various new restaurants in downtown Belgrade - none of these places are referred to as kafane, either by their owners or by their patrons.
Croatia
In CroatiaCroatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
, the term for kafana is kavana (as coffee is spelled kava in Croatian
Croatian language
Croatian is the collective name for the standard language and dialects spoken by Croats, principally in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Serbian province of Vojvodina and other neighbouring countries...
) and they differ widely between continental Croatia and the Dalmatian coast.
Macedonia
Currently, there are 5,206 kafeani in the country. According to the State Statistical Office, there are 989 kafeani (19% of the total number) in the capital SkopjeSkopje
Skopje is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Macedonia with about a third of the total population. It is the country's political, cultural, economic, and academic centre...
, 413 in Tetovo
Tetovo
Tetovo is a city in the northwestern part of Macedonia, built on the foothills of Šar Mountain and divided by the Pena River.The city covers an area of at above sea level, with a population of 86,580 citizens in the municipality. Tetovo is home to the State University of Tetovo and South East...
, 257 in Bitola
Bitola
Bitola is a city in the southwestern part of the Republic of Macedonia. The city is an administrative, cultural, industrial, commercial, and educational centre. It is located in the southern part of the Pelagonia valley, surrounded by the Baba and Nidže mountains, 14 km north of the...
, 244 in Gostivar
Gostivar
Gostivar , is a city in the Republic of Macedonia, located in the upper Polog valley region. It is one of the largest municipalities in the country with a population of 81,042, and the town also covers . Gostivar has good road and railway connections with the other cities in the region, such as...
, 206 in Kumanovo
Kumanovo
Kumanovo is a city in the Republic of Macedonia and is the seat of Kumanovo Municipality which is the largest municipality in the country. Municipal institutions include a city council, mayor and other administrative bodies.-Name:...
, 205 in Struga
Struga
Struga is a town and popular tourist destination situated in the south-western region of the Republic of Macedonia, lying on the shore of Lake Ohrid. The town of Struga is the seat of Struga Municipality.-Etymology:...
, 188 in Ohrid
Ohrid
Ohrid is a city on the eastern shore of Lake Ohrid in the Republic of Macedonia. It has about 42,000 inhabitants, making it the seventh largest city in the country. The city is the seat of Ohrid Municipality. Ohrid is notable for having once had 365 churches, one for each day of the year and has...
and 161 in Strumica
Strumica
Strumica is the largest city in eastern Macedonia, near the Novo Selo-Petrich border crossing with Bulgaria. About 100,000 people live in the region surrounding the city. The city is named after the Strumica River which runs through it...
.
External links
- MojaKafana, sajt o kafanama u Srbiji
- Kafana Republic
- Inns Were the Soul of the City
- Kafane pred izumiranjem, Press, February 23, 2008
- Kafane pišu istoriju, B92, June 25, 2009
- Baš lična istorija beogradskih kafana: „Grgeč”; Blic blog, 5 February 2010
- Baš lična istorija beogradskih kafana: „Bermudski trougao“, Blic blog, 12 February 2010