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[Scribe]

Original article in Slovenian: http://www.mladina.si/96519/nar--zganjekuha-amir_l_talibecirovic/?utm_source=tednik%2F200346%2Fclanek%2Fnar--zganjekuha-amir_l_talibecirovic%2F&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=oldLink

Inside the cultural circle of Balkan nations many an alcoholic beverage is made; however the most known of all are various spirits. For you see, if one is to order a spirit while being located in one of the former Yugoslav republics, he or she must specify the exact subgroup that is desired. Spirits are mostly produced from various fruits that ferment readily and impart a special aroma and a distinguishing note to the drink. Thus hruškovec is named after pears, višnjevec after sour cherries, jabolčno žganje after apples, smrekovo žganje after spruce tree, travarica after various herbs or grasses and - perhaps the most famous of all - slivovka after plums.

In the shadow of all those spirits remains a brandy that has been present in the Balkans for a very long time, perhaps even longer than all others. It is mostly made in remote Dinaride heights, hence only a few are aware of its existence.

Those first informed of it at first think it is a some kind of pagan joke - for its name does not make for pleasant associations regarding its aroma. It is simply called govnovača, or even simpler govnara. In some parts of Croatia it is also called drekovača. For those uninitiated in the glorious South Slavic languages; govno means shit.

With that out of the way, I believe, any doubts of the drink's name have dissipated. It is worth noting, however, that only animal faeces are used, although rumours have it that here and there a manufacturer of drekovača uses material of his own production.  Claimed to be found across the Balkan peninsula, experts state that drekovača is mostly seen the hills of Montenegro and Bosnia-Herzegovina.

The fact that this delicacy is only produced in such places can probably be attributed to the harsh weather conditions, altitude (whether the lack of oxygen affects the human brain in unknown ways is not known (note of the translator)). Some of these villages lie almost at the very top of rather high and rather steep hills and mountains. Access to such places is consequently limited to  travel by yokes and sometimes only by foot.

In the winter nature shares its abundant supply of snow with unmatched benevolence - a supply that then lasts and lasts and lasts. Trails become impassable with snow carried by ferocious winds. Supplies of conventional spirits necessary for surviving the bleak and long winters run low. Material for producing them is no longer there, too. At that moment comes the time for drekovača. House master prepares faeces of cattle, pigs and horses - material that can be fermented in much the same way as fruit. Fermentation, sugar, distillation, distillery, cauldrons, bottles and hangovers. These terms are associated with drekovača as much as with any other spirit. The only difference is the reason for its production. Life in almost two metres of snow, being cut off from other villages leaves no options when winters are too harsh. Thus production doesn't take place every year, it depends on weather.

On Bjelašnica that is one of the olympic plateaus near Sarajevo there are a few villages producing the praised beverage. The continuation of Bjelašica - Igman is the coldest point of the region with temperatures hovering around -32 degrees Celsius. These villages have not been touched by war in the 90's, tanks couldn't reach them. Then again, why would anyone wish to drive a tank to such places, places for which the people say lie behind god's back. This could, probably, be said for the rest of the world if observed from the perspective of their inhabitants.

Kravjaki (Krawyaki) (cowpats) are usually peeled as the part that matters most is the core, although all parts can be used. Some prefer them fresh, others dried, greasy and moist. The only thing not usable is diarrhoea. 

One of the veterans of such fight against the elements is sixty year old (in 2003) Hilmo Snanović, born on Bjelašica he spent most of his life high above sea level. Apart from raising cattle he also worked as a lumberjack and distiller, using an old, small, hand made copper cauldron. He also used to live on outskirts of Montenegrin Durmitor and can therefore compare all sorts of drekovec. He sees it like this:

"All of them have around 30 to 45%, these drekovci. They say Durmitor one tastes different, but percent wise all of them are around the same. The best method utilizes pig faeces. In muslim villages pigs that didn't go too well, but as far as health is concerned drekovača made of horse or cow shit is just as good. The taste depends on how the animal is fed. When the shit drops to the ground you can see from 5 or 4 meters how strong it's going to be. The more it stinks, the stronger it is and the stronger the schnapps. You peel it and put the core into the cauldron. If any grass remains, we remove it, let it dry on the wire fence till winter. Once dry it's added to the cauldron.   

In winter it tastes just like any other schnapps, to me at least. When wind blows and temperature drops to minus 20, 25 all taste the same. It's not like you smell anything  with that wind. I've been cooking it for many years, other kinds of schnapps too, slivovka most of all. It may have stank to me once, I can't remember. Pig shit can be terrible sometimes as pigs are fed with all sorts of stuff.

(not related but there are stories of people buying pigs during the 90's and finding golden rings and jewellery in pigs' stomachs. Apparently pigs ate the many dead people lying around in villages, forests and towns. You could find such pigs for sale as far north as Slovenia and my grandfather wouldn't buy pigs at that time - he said he remembered from his WW2 days how things went in war. (note of the translator ))

It can stink as bad as human shit, sometimes even worse! You can't use that. With sheep, cows and horses you know what they ate. But pigs - they can eat anything and such is their shit then too. If you can use pig's faeces, you can use human shit too. We also eat everything!

I've also heard that some people use their shit for this, that they mix it with that of goats and horses. But I've not seen such things myself. On Durmitor they have lots of snow and when they become snowbound, what do they do when they have to serve the call of nature? They stand and let out the sausage, it's not like they can squat in all that snow. But they don't use that for schnapps, I've not seen that yet. That's not nice, what can I say, to cook such drekovac. They call those who take a shit while standing "stojser" (stoyser) from stati (to stand) and srati (to shit) - what can they do with all that snow. "

Some spanish diplomat that worked in Sarajevo after the war said (after seeing drekovac on his own eyes);"It's no wonder you had such a war here!" The author of these lines (and also the translator of them) have yet to have the opportunity to try drekovača. The small supplies have been used up and no-one knows how harsh a winter this year will bring. Thus there has been no opportunity for that famous American saying when it comes to disgustingly tasting food or drink;"It tastes like shit!"In the same way it's too early for a hangover statement of; "I feel like shit!"

All that will have to wait in hopes of drekovec remaining nothing more than an alternative to other, proven, spirits.


Translated by Scribe (8. 10. 2015), written by Amir L. Telibečirovć (19. 11. 2003)