What to eat where in Croatia
Croatia is a country blessed with a bounty of fresh produce from sea and land. Rachel Truman guides us through culinary Croatia…
Simplicity and tradition define the cuisine of Croatia, a country blessed with a bounty of fresh produce from sea and land. There is diversity too; its culinary landscape has been shaped by countless influences and a varied geography.
Dalmatia
The coastal cuisine has distinct Mediterranean influences, most notably from the Venetians, who left a legacy on the food as well as the architecture. Handmade pasta, gnocchi and risotto (often glossy and black from cuttlefish ink) are all part of the Dalmatian repertoire. A typical meal at a coastal konoba (tavern) might also feature sardines, octopus, oysters or a whole grilled bream or bass, accompanied by chopped blitva (chard) and potatoes. Consider pašticada while you’re there – a succulent, braised beef dish cooked in a sweet and sour sauce. Add a platter of pršut (ham) and a glass or two of Plavac Mali wine and this is seaside dining perfection.
Brodet, a delicate seafood stew, is a defining dish in the Adriatic regions too while pašticada (slow-cooked beef) with njoki (gnocchi) is a specialty of Split.
Head into Dalmatia’s rugged hinterland where the food gets heartier to match the landscape. Think pies like the region’s soparnik (a thin chard and onion pastry) and smoked sausages.
Kvarner
Go inland in the region of Kvarner and you’ll find freshwater fish, frogs, snails and game, while Kvarner Bay is best known for its scampi. On Krk, you’ll find these plump pink beauties paired with šurlice (pasta) and its celebrated white wine, vrbnička žlahtina. The seafood is a reason to visit Rab too but it’s the island’s renowned Rapska torta (Rab cake) that you’ll want to take home.
Lika-Karlovac
Tangy sheep’s milk cheeses, handmade in small dairies on Krk, Cres and Lošinj, are other must-tries but it’s Pag in the Lika-Karlovac region that produces the country’s most famous cheese. This sheep’s milk cheese gets its flavour from the island’s salty wind and aromatic pastures. Culinary traditions are deep-rooted on Pag: its wine žutica has been made here since Roman times, as has olive oil — some of the olive trees are thousands of years old.
Istria
Heading north, Istrian pršut prosciutto is greatly revered. Dry cured and unsmoked, it has been made this way since ancient times. Another draw for the gourmet peninsula is the truffles that proliferate in its forests. Autumn marks the start of the white truffle season (black ones are found year-round), with Buzet the place to enjoy the delicacy shaved over pljukanci and fuži (Istrian pasta shapes), njoki and steaks.
Zagreb
No Croatian celebration is complete without štrukli. The cafés in the capital, Zagreb, are a great place to try this pastry speciality from the Zagorje region to the north, along with other favourites such as the Zagreb schnitzel and roast turkey with mlinci (a flatbread).
Slavonia
Rural customs run deep in Central Croatia and Slavonia, with full-flavoured rustic dishes making the most of produce grown on their fertile plains. The influence of Austro-Hungarian cuisine can be seen here with dumplings, krpice sa zeljem (pasta with cabbage) and paprika-spiked stews all typical dishes. Must-eats in Slavonia include fat-speckled kulen (cured sausage), fiš-paprikaš (freshwater fish stew) and savijača (apple and walnut pastries). As this is one of Croatia’s main wine-growing regions, you can be sure of a tasty tipple, too. Živeli!
Feeling inspired?
