Regional differences in local cuisine are not as significant as the differences stemming from religion. Bosnia and Herzegovina unites a population of Muslims and Christians, both having different eating habits, different cultural traditions and lifestyles, though  these aspects are mixed in everyday life. Meat is present in both cultures – and in great amount. However, there are differences, with the most visible being that Christians eat pork, whereas Muslims consider the pig a sacred animal and never add this kind of meat to their meals. Instead, they primarily eat lamb and beef. Another difference is the abundance and variety of spices, which are much richer in Muslim cuisine than in Christian cooking. Still, it's often difficult to determine which features belong to which tradition as the Balkans are literally a melting pot of culture, and not only in the field of gastronomy.

There's no doubt, however, that Turkish cuisine has the greatest influence on the national culinary traditions of the country. This fact is easily explained by the predominance of Muslim population and the historical domination of the Ottoman Empire  over the whole region. Some of the national traditional dishes bear testimony to the country's diverse character, for example – baklava (pastry with sweet nuts and honey syrup), lokum (Turkish Delight), halva (crushed sesame seed in honey) and many others. The national speciality is called Cevapcici and is pita bread with special sausages, similar to the popular Serbian grilled meat specialities. Other dishes include Bosanski Lonac, a meat and vegetable stew based on a traditional recipe, and Burek, pastries with various fillings, and many others that are reminiscent of other Balkan countries' cuisines.