Once, the charcoal-making craft was one of the most important occupations in the hilly and mountainous regions of western Serbia. Charcoal, obtained by burning wood in special kilns, rightly bore the name “the black gold of the village,” because without it there was neither heating, nor cooking, nor forging. Today, this craft is almost forgotten, but there are still those who preserve it from disappearing.
“My family was intensively engaged in charcoal production until the 1980s. My grandfather started the business, my father continued it, and I took over the entire production around the year 2000,” Savo Dobrosavljević from the Dragačevo village of Kotraža told RINA.
Today, this household produces and distributes charcoal to the markets of Belgrade, Novi Sad, and Subotica, exclusively from beech wood, which is considered the highest-quality raw material.
In the past, wood was cut in their own forests, while today the raw material is purchased from “Srbija šume” and private forest owners.
“The quality of charcoal requires a lot of work, patience, and experience. There is a great deal of labor involved, but perseverance pays off. Quality has kept me on the market. Good charcoal is recognized on the grill – when the wood is good, the result is good, and the customers are satisfied,” Dobrosavljević explains.
He currently operates four charcoal kilns, in which dry-quenched charcoal made from pure beech is produced. The entire process lasts about ten days. Six days are spent on the slow burning of the wood, during which the oxygen supply is carefully regulated through special openings – so-called vents. When the combustion process is finished, the kilns are cooled for about 36 hours, after which the charcoal is doused with water to stabilize it. After a total of 48 hours, the charcoal is ready for collection.
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Source: RINA; Foto: RINA