Croats are enthusiastic about meals. They’ll spend hours discussing the standard of the lamb or the first-grade fish and why it overshadows all meals elsewhere.
With such a tasty mix of cuisines – Italian, Slavic, Austrian, Turkish and Hungarian – foodie tradition is on the rise right here. Impressed additionally by the Sluggish Meals motion, there’s an emphasis on contemporary, native and seasonal substances and the enjoyment of slow-paced eating.
Wine and olive-oil manufacturing are prize-winning industries, and there’s a community of signposted routes across the nation celebrating these valuable commodities. Right here’s what to eat and drink in Croatia.
Chow down on ćevapčići
These rissoles manufactured from floor meat – often a mixture of beef, pork or lamb – flavored with garlic and paprika are a staple of Croatian eating places and takeaways. Strive them with a fluffy flatbread known as lepinja, served with chopped onions and ajvar (pink pepper relish).
The place to attempt it: You’re not often removed from someplace that serves ćevapčići, from the country roadside tables at Zlata Dragove on Dugi Otok to the luxury model on supply at Craft Beer Bar & Grill in Stari Grad, Hvar.
Choose up a burek
A staple avenue meals all through the Balkans, burek is a tasty filo pastry pie stuffed with cheese, spinach or meat. Bakeries promote them in coils or in enormous rounds reduce into pizza-shaped tranches.
The place to attempt it: It’s onerous to discover a bakery (pekara or pekarnica) that doesn’t promote burek. When you’re in Dubrovnik, cease by Babić Bakery simply outdoors Ploče Gate.
Whet your urge for food with pršut
The infamous bura wind that often howls down Croatia’s coast makes this prosciutto-like air-dried ham so distinctive. In Istria and Krk, it’s simply dried by salty air, however in Dalmatia, you’ll often discover it smoked.
The place to attempt it: You’ll discover pršut throughout Croatia, however when you’re in Restaurant Knez in Omiš, it’s important to order their home made Dalmatian model.
Tuck right into a meat feast of pečeno meso
Juicy spit-roasted and baked meat – pečeno meso – showcases janjetina (lamb), svinjetina (pork) and patka (duck), typically accompanied by pečeni krumpir (roast potatoes).
The place to attempt it: The island of Cres is famend for its lamb, which you’ll be able to feast on at Konoba Bukaleta.
Discover certainly one of Croatia’s wine routes
The standard of Croatian wine is great, with greater than 300 wine areas and not less than 130 grape varieties discovered nowhere else on the earth. The selection is big: teran and malvazija in Istria, graševina in Slavonia, žlahtina in Krk, plus so many in Dalmatia – plavac mali, grk, pošip, dingač, babić, only for starters.
The place to attempt it: Zure winery in Korčula makes exceptionally good white grk to go along with excellent plavac mali.
Sink into štrukli
This tacky, creamy dish is a selected favourite of the Zagorje area, nevertheless it’s lengthy been adopted and adored by the entire nation. Cheese-filled pastry is smothered in cream and baked, creating fabulous consolation meals.
The place to attempt it: Le Bistro on the Esplanade Zagreb Lodge has perfected the artwork of štrukli making since 1951.
Dive right into a bowl of brudet
Also called brodetto, brodet and brujet, this seafood stew is historically what fishermen would make to make use of up their leftover fish. At the least three forms of firm-fleshed fish – often scorpion fish, pink mullet, rockfish or eel – are cooked in white wine, garlic, onions, tomatoes and herbs, plus some shellfish so as to add much more depth. It’s served with polenta to absorb all these flavors.
The place to attempt it: You’ll have views of Zaton Bay north of Dubrovnik to go along with a wealthy bowl of brudet at Gverorić-Orsan.
Order a peka
Take a cast-iron bell-shaped pot known as a peka, fill it with chunks of meat or, nearer to the coast, octopus, together with potatoes, greens and garlic. Cowl the peka with embers and let it prepare dinner for hours on an open hearth. The result’s essentially the most succulent meat you will get. When you see a restaurant providing dishes cooked “ispod peke,” get in.
The place to attempt it: When you’re in Mljet, order one prematurely – as you’ll have to do at most locations – at Kod Ante in Saplunara Bay.
Spice it up with fiš paprikas
The neighboring river-rich areas of Baranja and Slavonia have been as soon as a part of Hungary, so it’s not shocking to seek out paprika taking heart stage on this staple dish. Freshwater fish – often carp, pike or catfish – is simmered in wine, onions, tomatoes and, in fact, fiery paprika to make fiš paprikas. It’s often served with home made noodles.
The place to attempt it: Simply throughout the Drava River in Osijek is Čarda kod Baranjca, which has a number of variations of fiš paprikaš to select from. All are scrumptious.
Vegetarians and vegans
A helpful phrase is “Ja ne jedem meso” (“I don’t eat meat”), however even then, you is likely to be served soup with bits of bacon in it. That’s slowly altering, and vegetarians are making inroads in Croatia, however adjustments are principally occurring within the bigger cities. Osijek, Zagreb, Poreč and Break up have devoted vegetarian eating places, whereas Dubrovnik additionally has vegan ones.
Vegetarians could have a tougher time within the north (Zagorje) and the east (Slavonia), the place meat is the first focus. Specialties that don’t use meat embody maneštra (minestrone-like soup) and juha od krumpira na zagorski način (Zagorje potato soup). Alongside the coast, you’ll discover loads of meat-free pizza, pasta and risotto dishes.
A yr in meals
Whereas native meals and wine festivals go into full swing come autumn, there’s by no means a nasty time to eat nicely in Croatia.
Spring (March-Could)
Asparagus comes into season in Istria and will get its personal pageant. Korčula celebrates its meals and wine in an April pageant, and Istrian winemakers throw open their cellar doorways on the final Sunday in Could.
Summer season (June-August)
Dine on freshly caught seafood by the ocean and beat the warmth with gelato.
Autumn (September-November)
Meals festivals showcase truffles (in Istria), chestnuts (in Kvarner) and home made rakija and wine (nearly all over the place). Don’t miss Dubrovnik’s Good Meals Pageant in October.
Winter (December-February)
Time for Christmas and carnival treats, together with Zagreb’s superlative Creation pageant and Rijeka’s carnival.
