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Serbian river-fish čorba with tomato, paprika and vinegar
Riblja čorba is a river-fish soup in which the broth matters as much as the fish. Onion, tomato, paprika and vinegar create a sharp red base, but the liquid remains loose enough to drink by the spoonful. That is the useful distinction from the next recipe in this batch, fiš-paprikaš, which is shorter, denser and designed to cling more tightly to fish and noodles.
The fish itself can vary with region and catch. Mixed freshwater species are common in Serbian river cooking, and a carp-led mixture gives enough fat and gelatin for a satisfying broth. The selected version does not depend on one rare species. What matters more is that the pieces are cleaned well, cut large enough to withstand simmering and handled gently once they enter the pot.
Onion is cooked first because the fish has a relatively short window in the broth. If raw onion and fish went in together, the fish could be done before the onion lost its raw edge. Finely chopping the onion and softening it in water gives the soup body without flour. Paprika is then stirred into the moist onion and immediately followed by liquid so it perfumes the broth without scorching.
Vinegar is not used to make the soup taste sour in the manner of a pickle. In a measured amount it sharpens tomato and onion and balances the richer freshwater fish. The whole dried chilli works the same way: it contributes background heat while remaining removable, so the soup does not become an undifferentiated chilli broth.
Once the fish is in, agitation is the enemy. A spoon dragged through a pot of cooked carp or other river fish breaks flesh away from the bones and clouds the serving pieces. The traditional practical solution is simple: rotate or lift the pot gently instead of stirring through it. A quiet simmer is sufficient; a hard rolling boil does not improve extraction and makes the fish harder to serve cleanly.
Safety and texture are checked separately. The thickest fish piece must reach at least 63 °C, while the culinary cue is opaque flesh that separates readily. Neither cue removes the need to watch for bones. Freshwater fish can carry fine bones even after careful cleaning, so each portion deserves a final visual check and diners should know what they are eating.