The belmuž is an everyday and ritual dish made from young sheep cheese and corn flour. It is a piece of the unique heritage of cattle herders’ communities in eastern Serbia. Even under modern circumstances, the main phases of the preparation process have been preserved. It involves melting crushed cheese on a light fire until melted to resemble milk. Corn flour is added to the melted cheese, under constant stirring. This shepherds’ dish is also part of ritual practice, primarily associated with the feast of St George (Đurđevdan). The preparation of belmuž from the milk obtained during the ritual milking of sheep on Đurđevdan, for the first time in the current year, is a mandatory part of the celebration of the feast and this is a mandatory part of the festive table.
The preparation and use of this dish is part of traditional craft knowledge and skills, as well as social customs, rituals and festivities, in eastern and southern Serbia, in the Knjaževac, Svrljig, Sokobanja, Zaječar and Niš regions.
