Ajvar is a condiment made principally from red bell peppers and oil. It became a popular side dish throughout Yugoslavia and Albania after World War II and is nowadays popular in Southeastern Europe. It probably originated in Macedonia as the country was known for their large scale red pepper agriculture. Ajvar is made of roasted or cooked peppers. Depending on the capsaicin content in bell peppers and the amount of added chili peppers, it can be sweet (traditional), piquant (the most common), or very hot (ljutenica). Ajvar can be consumed as a bread spread or as a side dish. Ajvar has a few variations. One variation containing tomato and eggplant is called pindjur and one made with green bell peppers and oregano is called malidzano. We ordered some of the spread and tried it several ways. I t was ok on a cracker and very good on a sandwich. We added some to a stir fry and it added a nice kick.
