Balkans from before the Ottoman period , and represents a regional speciality similar to the köfte kebab. Bosnian ćevapi are made from two types of minced beef meat, hand-mixed and formed with a bakllava, while formed ćevapi are grilled. Serbian ćevapčići are made of beef, lamb or pork, or a mixture. The word ćevap is derived from the Turkish kebap.
The word is sometimes used in conjunction with the common South Slavic diminutive ending -čići. Leskovac has a long history of grill shops. Before the 1930s, they spread to the rest of Yugoslavia, including east of Serbia and the Macedonia region. Leskovac organizes an annual grill festival, the Leskovac Grill Festival, as a showcase of ćevapi and other grilled meat.
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, each bigger city or region has its own recipe. Travnički ćevapi originates from the city of Travnik in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The ćevapi are made with a combination of beef, veal, mutton, and lamb, with the addition of salt, pepper, and a bit of baking soda. When grilled, the meat is often brushed with a clear broth that was prepared with beef bones and mutton. The meat is mixed by hand and seasoned with salt and pepper, and it is recommended to leave the meat combination in the refrigerator for a few hours or a whole day before the preparation. There are variations in meat content and seasoning, usually salt and pepper.