Serbian Sljivovica on the UNESCO list also pleased producers from Kosovo

The fact that UNESCO included the Serbian plum brandy, Sljivovica, on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity made many producers from Kosovo happy.

Producers of plum brandy Ljubisa Lazovic from Kratina near Lesko and Dragisa Miljojkovic from Maljic near Socanica did not hide their joy over this fact. They say that plum wine is an integral part of Serbian tradition, and now they have an additional motive, even an imperative to preserve and improve the quality of their products, as well as the quantity.

Lazovic expressed the hope that he would now be able to protect products more easily because so far he had only managed to protect the plum brandy name, he says.

"I was so happy when I heard about that two days ago that I can't explain it in words. Finally, our national drink entered the UNESCO list of intangible products. Sljivovica is an integral part of the tradition of us Serbs, like whiskey is for the Scots, like vodka is for the Russians, as cognac is for the French. Why should we be ashamed of plum brandy? I repeat, it is our national drink, but let me remind you that you should not exaggerate the amount and consumption. I only protected the name" "Kratinka", all my brandies are under that name. These are fruit brandies made from plum, apricot, pear, quince, grape, and apple. Here in Kosovo, it is very difficult to brand and protect it, very difficult. I hope that the state of Serbia will help us in that," Lazovic told Kosovo Online.

Dragisa Miljojkovic also believes that it was high time that Sljivovica was included in the list of the intangible cultural heritage of UNESCO.

"The fact that the plum brandy, let me emphasize “baked plum” or Serbian sljivovica, is included in the UNESCO list is only a confirmation of something that already existed. Unfortunately, Serbia, that is, our plum brandy, lost its reputation and its importance for a while, because as early as 1904 it won a gold medal for quality at the London Fair, and after that, it lost its importance over time. My opinion is that it lost its importance, not because it was inferior and not of good quality, but because it is an extremely profitable business. From making brandy, those who are serious about it and who have good sales can also make good money. It was on the same level as French cognac and Scotch whiskey, and they probably pushed it out of the market in their own way. Regardless, it kept its place in Serbia, where it came from, and the fact that it reached the UNESCO list is a confirmation of our endurance, as a people, to nurture, preserve and perfect something good and beautiful, and it had to be distinguished and win its place in the world and Europe," Miljojkovic said.

Miljojkovic adds that this means a lot for producers of plum brandy, but also adds that we should not forget about preserving quality.

"This will mean a lot economically also. Many have already agreed to export brandy abroad, and when there is an even greater demand for brandy, there will be benefits for all producers, and the price will also increase. Why should our brandy, our baked plum, be cheaper than whiskey or French cognac, when it has the same and maybe even better quality? I would like to warn the producers not to relax when it comes to quality. We should not go after quantity so we would lose the reputation of good quality. We should take care that every brandy is produced the same way and that it has the same quality. That the first liter as well as the hundredth and thousandth, which is sold, be of the same quality, grade, and aging. This is very important to maintain the quality we have," Miljojkovic emphasizes.

Ljubisa Lazovic also reminds us that in order for sljivovica to be of high quality, investments are needed, but he also emphasizes that the most important thing is love for the job.

"For a good plum brandy you first need love, you have to love what you do. Then, a quality plum brandy that has been exposed to the sun, without moldy fruits, clean utensils for baking, clean utensils for aging, especially a quality barrel, which must not smell like anything else, except for oak. Now my goal is to increase the production quantity and improve the quality because I have ordered barrels made of larch oak. Here we prefer charter oak, which has a nice color and does not have the characteristic smell of vanilla. I also hope to improve the quality of plum brandy in the future," said Lazovic.

Lazovic and Miljojkovic have been producing plum brandy and brandy from various fruits for over 30 years. They are participants in numerous competitions and winners of a large number of prizes, medals, charters, plaques, and cups for brandy quality.