introduction

or thousands of years b c the tribal communities centred round to them by the gods: trout, river crabs, frogs, game and fertile Each Croatian Vuèedol used an extremely precise calendar which enabled land. Instead of the usual temporary camp they created a tourist region is them to engage effectively and successfully in agriculture. permanent settlement on the hills along the Cetina River. a source of high quality cuisine, f On the island of Vis there are traces of grape vine which A thousand years ago, top quality chefs, who were equally regardless of have been cultivated from pre-Christian times, right up to expert in Oriental and Western cuisines, were a key element whether the the present day. of the crews aboard the ships of Dubrovnik which sailed offered dish is The oldest coin to be found on the island of Hvar bears the Mediterranean and the oceans. From Istria to Konavle, of polenta made on the reverse side a depiction of a bunch of grapes, and Croats have been safeguarding dozens of centuries-old olive from white maize or a pheasant Croatian on the obverse side the image of Homer – the poet who trees which still bear fruit to this day. Roman emperors pate flavoured extolled their virtues in verse. planted olive groves in Istria because they considered the with fresh Officers of ancient Rome gladly became gourmands once area as being the best for cultivation of superior olives. istrian truffles. Gastronomy they discovered the riches of the Cetina region bequeathed Also, recipes from the Viennese court were being prepared

croatian Gastronomy 3 ISTRIA 6-11 KVARNER 12-15 LIKA - 16-19 DALMATIA – 20-23 DALMATIA – 24-27 introduction KARLOVAC ZADAR ŠIBENIK

DALMATIA – 28-31 DALMATIA – 32-35 SLAVONIA 36-39 CENTRAL 40-43 CITY OF 44-53 SPLIT DUBROVNIK CROATIA ZAGREB by cooks attending to the gastronomic needs of the nobility and other wealthy households in northern Croatia. Napoleon’s cooks introduced many of their culinary secrets to their Croatian counterparts, and they are still with us today – the mustard and bermet, i.e. vermouth, of Samobor being two of the most famous examples. It has to be pointed out, however, that those French cooks did not find any absence of culinary skills, indeed quite the contrary; in most cases the local population simply added a “French touch” to some of their existing recipes. For instance, mustard is mentioned in Gazophylacium, the famous Latin-Croatian dictionary by Ivan Belostenec, completed in 1674. Italians have managed to convince a good part of the invaluable significance; a high percentage of Croats fear that fishing boats are small. This situation, which for decades has world that hundreds of their regional dishes deserve a place Local breeds of sheep are renowned for their Brussels bureaucracy would not look kindly upon the ancient been a serious national problem, is now proving to be a first class at the peak of world gastronomy. However, at the begin- meat with an exquisite taste, resulting from the habits and customs practiced by thousands of small family potential. In Croatia, chickens do indeed peck in courtyards, ning of the last century they themselves claimed that the quality of grazing - aromatic, and medical Mediter- producers, the very ones who enable Croats to enjoy hundreds eating what nature provides; here, sheep do graze aromatic best Italian dishes are prepared in Dalmatia, where a great ranean herbs, and the near vicinity of the sea of superb dishes prepared throughout our country. herbs; tuna fish feed on live pilchards in clear seas, and in forests which imparts a portion of its salt to the land. culinary tradition makes use of first-class ingredients. This combination lends the meat of these animals Preservation and advancement of that wonderful heritage wild strawberries happily grow in the company of mushrooms – In the course of its travels from Persia, via Turkey a very special flavour. of our forefathers is, for Croats and the numerous national until bears discover them and have themselves a feast... to Croatian lands, a journey which took thousands of minorities who have lived here for a long time, a task which Viewed against water resources throughout the world, kilometres and hundreds of years to proved by Maraschino, the famous liqueur of Zadar. carries with it the very significance of survival. From the Croatian waters, fresh and salt, standing and running, sur- Cultivation of certain complete, the recipe for æevap or kebab The varieties of small Mediterranean breeds of sheep holdings of our farmers, from our meadows, forests, streams, face or underground, are all well preserved. The soil is not was being constantly improved until it scattered across the Adriatic islands, throughout the coastal rivers and the sea, in every season of the year there arrives to contaminated with heavy metals, nor is it exhausted by varieties of grape reached absolute perfection. And all that areas and coastal hinterland, are in themselves a source of the Croatian markets a myriad of produce and products: fruit, over-intensive agriculture. The air is considerably cleaner together with many other great dishes ultimate culinary pleasures and an excellent paradigm of the vegetables, wild edible plants, herbs, fungi, fresh and saltwater than in the majority of other European countries, and people on the island of and culinary procedures. peaks of Croatian gastronomy: those breeds are small, some fish, shellfish, crabs, molluscs, snails, frogs, game, fresh meat, are being brought up, and are therefore accustomed to, a Vis dates back to Hungarians who came to settle in of them even the smallest in the Mediterranean, and their sausages, salamis, hams and proscuittos, breads, rolls and traditional cuisine of first-rate nutritious properties, not only Podravina, Meðimurje, Slavonia and milk yield is equally small due to meagre but exquisitely aro- cakes; and they never fail to surprise gourmands and con- in the Mediterranean part of the country but in its vales in pre-Christian times. Baranja are masters of dishes prepared matic grazing. On the other hand, however, their meat, milk noisseurs from all over the world. Not by quantity – Croatia the north and in the mountain area extending between the in small cauldrons, delicacies which rep- and the cheese produced from it are delectable indeed. is, as we have said, a small country – but with their incredible coastal region and the Pannonian plain. resent the essence of the identity of Croatia cannot compete in quantities and yields of fruit, variety. Amidst this wealth of choice one can select foodstuffs To savour a pogaèa (round, unleavened bread) made from Hungarian cuisine. vegetables, fungi, fish, crabs, meat, cheese or honey with and dishes that stand shoulder to shoulder with the finest ancient varieties of grain from Meðimurje, salted by salt har- Today’s Croatia, a small Alpine, the large world producers. But then, it has no need to. in the world, forming the basis of our national gastronomy vested on the Dalmatian islands is in itself a gastronomic expe- Pannonian, Danube-basin and The incredible variety and surprising quality of ingredients, which the world has yet to discover in its full glory, aroma and rience fit to start a culinary feast in Croatia. An experienced Mediterranean country, grows all the food-stuffs, dishes and processed products offered by these flavour. Bearing in mind its real potentials, very little is indeed connoisseur can follow the intricate paths of Croatian cuisine, same types of grape that are grown in climes and tradition are in themselves a world monument known in the world about Croatia's gastronomy. This is why and they will lead him from the rural origins, via folk tradition, the much larger France! Also, in small of culture with which one must become familiar with, nur- we are working on a strategy. to the intelligent concepts of brilliant young cooks in their fine Croatia more varieties of the most highly ture, preserve, respect and above all savour and enjoy. Croatia will not amaze anybody with the quantities of food restaurants. What a challenge for a palate worthy of its name! valued truffles can be found than in that Hence, the Croatian National Tourist Board will make produced here. In the Croatian waters of the Adriatic there With this publication we aim to outline the gastronomic same France, including the white Tuber magnatum (pico), it an ongoing project to systematically research and present are relatively small numbers of fish and other sea creatures. routes through Croatia which are of particular interest, or which is most sought after. For years now micologists have Croatian national gastronomy to the world public in the But it is the story of the Adriatic which is typical of Croatia’s rather those which lead to singular culinary pleasures. been trying to compile a definitive list of edible fungi that deeply held belief that, alongside natural attractions and gastronomy: neither the sea nor the seabed is overcrowded The tourist map of Croatia divides the country into tourist are autochthonous in Croatia, but the task is so extensive cultural heritage, it is the country’s national gastronomy by massive numbers, but the variety of species living here is regions. Each is a source of high quality cuisine, regardless of that they have yet to complete it. The Croatian Adriatic is that represents an outstanding Croatian attraction. It is not quite something. From a culinary standpoint this wealth gains whether the offered dish is a polenta made from white maize, not renowned for its great quantities of fish, crabs, shellfish enough to learn about it only in its summer version – all four another, yet more distinct quality: the frutti di mare of the which takes hours of gentle cooking and stirring in a cauldron and molluscs, but it is renowned for its rich variety of seafood. season offer equally exquisite gastronomic experiences. Adriatic are deemed to be among the most delectable in the over an open fire in the old- fashioned hearth of a household Indeed, it is claimed by many that some of that seafood, such as It can be safely said that Croatia is, so to speak, “on the world. Pilchard, sand smelt, anchovy, tuna, dentex, gilthead, that earns its living through agro-tourism, or a pheasant paté scampi and oysters from particular localities, are the best in boil”; agricultural experts and strategists of food production John Dory, red mullet, scampi, sea spider, lobster, oyster, scal- flavoured with fresh Istrian truffles made for the exclusive the world. Those are subjective assessments; objective scien- are undertaking a comprehensive inventory, and preparing lops, calamari, squid... In the right hands all of them can be festival of high gastronomy called The Golden Truffle. First rate tific findings have quite definitely shown that the concentra- a national strategy for the country’s road to the European transformed into a feast fondly remembered with pleasure foodstuffs and ways of preparing them can be found throughout tion of elements in the Marasca black/sour cherry, grown in Union. All edible treasures must be listed, described and pro- even by those who have enjoyed feasts all over the world. the land, and the charm of getting to know them, from one the surroundings of Zadar, make it superior to any other type tected as much as possible so as to ensure their survival within Croatia neither can nor should compete with the large food cluster to another, lies in the rich and colourful varieties found of black/sour cherry in the world - which is more than amply the strictly applied European rules. This is a massive task of producers. Here, the holdings are fragmented; fields, barns and regionally and locally.

4 croatian Gastronomy croatian Gastronomy 5 01

The gastronomy of Is tria presen ts itself as one of complete harmony, characterized first and foremost by traditional folk and urban cuisine offered in numerous pubs, inns and cellars. As a gastronomic entity Istria is a phenomenon of world ranking. Its folk cuisine is a centuries-old response, on the one hand to economic deprivation, and on the other to the abundant generosity of nature and the great culinary models of the nearby Italian provinces.

stria is the first Croatian region which has long been visited by special type of guest: those who regard gastronomy either as the most important, or as one of the very important, reasons for travelling. The consequence iof a process in which guests visiting the Istrian coast began to "discover" its interior, completely removed from large tourist complexes and similar urban interventions. Istria’s interior was, in that respect, a virgin land and is, in fact, described in monographs written today as Terra incognita, as the ancient cartographers used to describe an unknown, unexplored land. The coast and the interior of Istria were, indeed are, complementary not only in the magnificent landscapes and a dramatic change of atmosphere, but they also formed and form a unique gastronomic entity combining the sea food provided by the Mediterranean with its hinterland. Frutti di mare of exquisite quality were rounded off by produce from gardens, orchards, vineyards and forests in the peninsula’s interior. As a whole, the gastronomy of Istria presents itself as one of com- plete harmony, characterized first and foremost by traditional folk and urban cuisine offered in numerous pubs, inns and cellars. Istria was also the area in which the first truly luxurious restaurants in Croatia opened their doors. Tourist guides published by the Tourist Board of the County of Istria were the first to start a systematic and reliable exploration and follow-up, as well as offering encouragement for Tourist Board of the County the development of quality catering establish- of Istria ments. Concurrently, the well organized Istrian Pionirska 1, 52440 Poreč wine growers began to set up clear criteria for Tel.: +385 52 452 797 wine roads, and soon the whole of Istria was criss- Fax: +385 52 452 796 crossed with such roads. E-mail: [email protected] As a gastronomic entity Istria is a phenomenon www.istra.hr of world ranking. Its folk cuisine is a centuries-old response, on the one hand to economic depriva- tion, and on the other to the abundant generosity of nature and the great culinary models of the nearby Italian provinces. Simple popular dishes again seem very modern: omelettes (locally known

croatian Gastronomy 7 istria 01 istria

Wild asparagus grows all over the Pasta sprinkled with grated truffles, Risottos of every imaginable kind - from northen part of Istria in the spring- white or black, form a part of the the red one made with radiccio, to the time. menu of almost every restaurant. black one with squid ink - are another Istrian specialty not to be missed. Agrotourism is the key gastronomic feature of the interior of this peninsula. It is based on rural holdings offering quality, home- cooked food served in a homely and intimate atmosphere.

Ombolo- a boned pico, a kilo of which can fetch more than 3000 euro, come The woods around pork loin first to the market in the autumn. The truffle season lasts up to the ancient and briefly smoked the end of the year. enchanting, tiny towns of Motovun and then grilled The main site of this undoubtedly most expensive food- over hot coals. and Grožnjan, are stuff is the famous Motovun forest, located alongside the replete with all Mirna River, at the foot of the mount upon which rises kinds of mush- the magnificent little town of Motovun. World experts rooms which lend have still not decided how themselves readily to a variety of as fritaja), practically a trade mark of Istrian cuisine, are a Owing to their natural beauty and archaeologi- the famous truffle from delicious dishes. clear demonstration of this. Based first and foremost on cal localities, the Brijuni archipelago, just off Alba came to have a good free-range eggs, cooked to perfection, or if you will a the town of Pula, enjoys the status of a nation- The mainstay of Istrian catering, and the guarantee of a twin of equal quality in al park. point, to use the gastronomic patois. Added to the omelettes good atmosphere, is the range of simple house wines - and Motovun and several is one, or at most two ingredients, whose taste is a domi- briefly smoke dried boned pork loin, and game both large wine has for centuries been the medium of socializing. In other smaller habitats nant one in the dish, and the selection of and small. Istrian pubs people still enjoy the Istrian supa, served in a through Istria. But Oysters from the which is dictated by the season, as is the The interest that everyday Istrian cuisine began to bukaleta (a ceramic jug): gently warmed red wine, most case in particular with wild asparagus. In a generate in recent decades, not only among guests from often teran or borgogna, is poured into a bukaleta, a slice Lim channel are nutshell, Istrian fritaja with wild asparagus other parts of Croatia but also among those beyond our of freshly toasted bread is added, together with few drops is a popular dish which meets all the crite- borders, gave rise to the development of agrotourism, a of olive oil, a spoon of sugar and a pinch of freshly ground a renowned ria of modern-day high cuisine. catering industry in rural homesteads based on produce pepper. The jug is passed around the table with wine being specialty of the Maneštra, or as some would say min- from the homestead itself. Today, agrotourism is the drunk, actually sipped, through the bread, which makes it estrone, is also a part of Istrian culinary key gastronomic feature of the interior of Istria with a extremely drinkable. Northern Adriatic. tradition. Boiled potatoes and beans, range of dishes no longer restricted to a dozen or so of Istrian supa is a custom typical of small village and town with the addition of seasonal vegeta- the most typical. Alongside the standard range on offer oštarije, or if you will, pubs. Atmosphere in those establish- bles which give this particular dish its many households are now expanding their production ments is created first and foremost by an open fireplace name: maneštra with sweet corn, bar- of high quality home grown foods, and we now have, for which, although frequently set into a corner, is the social ley, chick-peas, fennel; when combined instance, small family game breeding farms. Most usual hub of the place; food is cooked on it, meat sizzles on its with sauerkraut and turnip it is called is the feathered variety, but in Istria it is not surprising metal grids; people really love to gather around, particularly yota. Specific characteristics of Istrian to find a wild boar being kept in a pen, as is the case in in winter time. maneštra is pešt – finely chopped bacon, Pladnjaki. In such cases village tourism can offer such Ombolo is the king of a menu prepared in such fireplaces. parsley and garlic. Thus prepared, paste delicacies as ombolo, prosciutto and sausages produced Slightly smoked pork loin is sliced and grilled over the is added at the commencement of cook- from such game. charcoal. It is often served with sauerkraut, and in combi- ing in order to ensure that the bacon is nation with Istrian sausage. thoroughly cooked. Cheese made Folk, urban and fine cuisines catering from goat milk T r u f f l e s in Istria overlap and intertwine, which is especially It is quite usual that mystery stories are spun about truf- is no wonder since they are all based on gastronomic delicious when fles before they are accepted as a part of local cuisine. flavoured with icons such as indigenous forms of pasta made from top truffle. Istria was no different. It was only at the beginning of quality flour; then there are oysters, sea spiders, the the last century that Istrians realized what a gastronomic best of deep sea fish, white and black truffles and other jewel they had at their disposal. Several excellent types mushrooms, wild asparagus, Istrian prosciutto, pancetta, of truffles grow in Istria almost the year round, while the a specially cured bacon, sausages and ombolo, spiced and most treasured one, the white truffle or Tuber magnatum

8 croatian Gastronomy croatian Gastronomy 9 01 istria

Istria is one of the best places for A wide range of truffle varieties Fritaja, i.e., an omelette with aspara- the international gatherings of experts and thematic gas- olive growing and for the produc- grows in Istria all year round. gus, is a delicacy enjoyed in Istrian tronomic presentations entitled Golden truffle held in the tion of top quality olive oil. homes Marino restaurant in Kremelje, near Momjan, arrived at a clear conclusion: the white truffle of Istria is in no way inferior to those from Alba! Indeed, an American jour- The largest truffle ever, weighing nalist discovered that many “truffles from Alba” actually originate in Istria. At the special presentation of haute almost 1.5 kg, was found in Until very recently cuisine held in the Valsabbion restau- the white truffle of rant not far from Pula, Bruno Clement, Istria's Motovun woods. the renowned French culinary wizard, Istria was unknown also known as the King of Truffles, by the elite gastro- publicly confirmed that conclusion in I s t r i a n p a s t a a n d are a number of small producers who have earned a fine the autumn of 2003. The largest white i t s p i c t u r e s q u e reputation among connoisseurs of good pasta. nomy of the world. truffle ever found, weighing almost a g a r n i s h i n g s kilogram-and-a-half, was found in the In the course of its journey from Italy towards Istria both M aneštra od b o b i ć i Motovun forest. Even the Roman emperors who build the amphi- names and forms of pasta changed, eventually being trans- (minestrone with sweet corn) Until recently the Istrian white truf- theatre in Pula considered that the area of formed into authentic features of Istrian cuisine. Lovers of The best known of the thick stews in Istria is the famous fle was unknown on the world stage of istria was best for the cultivation of superior Italian pasta could probably become confused by the Istrian maneštra od bobiæi, yet another example of how a great olives. luxury gastronomy. It was reaching fine dish can be born out of privation. After all, its main restaurants of the world through smug- majestic gastronomic presence. Right at table, right Supa, or Istrian ingredient is a prosciutto bone, and tradition has it that soup, served in a gling, and was served either without its before the guest, a small amount of truffle is grated bukaleta: red wine it was used more than once, even borrowed from house origin being given, or was being falsely over freshly cooked pasta, Istrian fui (somewhat with a slice of to house. Young sweet corn, potatoes, red beans, garlic, presented as Italian. Today, Istrians no similar in shape to Italian garganeli) or toasted bread, a celery leaf, pepper and panceta (specially cured meaty Buzet, a small, longer wish to smuggle, or even export gnocchi, and there you have it! pinch of salt and bacon) or at least its rind – these are the ingredients that old town situated pepper, and a few their truffles. But neither do they want Omelette, or fritaja with go to make this stew, in addition to the prosciutto bone, inland, celebrates drops of olive the beginning to save them for themselves. It’s not truffles is served in a oil, is drunk from of course. Maneštra of bobiæi, cooked slowly over a gentle of the truffle that they don’t like them, they want even more to be similar way. ceramic jugs. heat, is now once again as popular as it was so long ago season with a able to offer them to those true connoisseurs of this when some anonymous genius created it. gigantic omelette. magical fungus who come to visit the small corner of the world from which this delicacy originates. lasagna. They are not in fact rectangular sheets of pasta laid Traditional Istrian dishes prepared with one on top of another with sauce in between, but simply wide truffles are very simple, particularly strip noodles, a shape which makes them suitable for different when the best, the white truf- dishes, including making tasty nests for white truffles. fle is being used. Nothing The best known Istrian pasta is fui, small squares of pasta should be allowed diagonally rolled into tubes. Flour, salt and water are mixed to impair its into smooth dough which is rolled into a thin sheet, cut into 4x4cm squares, the opposite corners of which are folded towards the middle and pressed so as to stick together. Suitable for a variety of dishes, fui are most often found as a welcoming starter to gvacet – delectable Istrian goulash, i.e. pieces of meat in a thick gravy - chicken version is very popular and widespread, as well as all kinds of larger game. The favourite pasta in Sveti Vinæent and its surroundings are pljukanci, small, spindle-shaped pieces of dough, most appreciat- ed when served with pieces of prosciutto and wild asparagus, or with gravy made with sausage or of mushroom, locally known as martinèica or, if you will, Clitocybe geotropa. But it is also quite suf- ficient to sprinkle this excellent pasta with good grated cheese – particularly if it comes from the nearby village of Šikuti. There, one can chance on a very strong cheese, made of a mixture of sheep and goat milk, but which is not easy to find. Home-made pasta is highly appreciated in Istria, but there

croatian Gastronomy 11 02

to the curious gastronome K varner is a site of most varied opportunities. From the mountain of Učka in the direction of Dalmatia, it is a continuation of Istria. The largest Croatian islands (Cres and Krk) form a part of this cluster, as do the mountain massifs in the regions of Gorski kotar. First class fish, crabs and other frutti di mare are readily available in the markets, side by side with “frutti di forest”: mushrooms, wild fruit, game, and to round if all off here one can savour some of the best cheeses in this country, made from cow, sheep and goat milk from the livestock grazing on mountain, coastal and island meadows.

nd these are only some of the attractions, to which we must add snails, frogs,

ner honey, and for many the highest ace of Croatian gastronomy, lamb in all its delectable variations, from Pag, Cres, Krk, Rab and other areas... This is aalso the area where the best scampi in the Adriatic are caught and prepared. Among the many compliments given to them is that which claims no other scampi in the world can compare to them! It is therefore logical that with such ingredients it was here in the Kvarner cluster that modern Croatian cuisine was being created in the second half of the 20th century. Today, some of the leading restaurants in our country, given a prominent place in the leading world guides, can be found here. M a r u n i Growing in the foothills of Uèka, is the famous chestnut tree known as Lovranski marun, that is, the marron of Lovran, whose fruit is most com- monly eaten roasted. Come their season sometime in October Lovran holds its traditional festivity, Marunada, when gastronomy is devoted to the sweet chestnut. In the streets they are eaten roasted, but in restaurants a range of dishes both sweet and savoury, including chestnut soup, are prepared.

Tourist Board of the County F r o g s of Primorje - Gorski Kotar Although frogs of excellent quality are found in N. Tesle 2, p.p. 52, 51410 Opatija several locations throughout Croatia, the inhab- Tel.: +385 51 272 988 itants of Lokve in Gorski kotar are renowned for Fax: +385 51 272 909 their particular fondness for frogs. These are best E-mail: [email protected] towards the end of April, during the abarska www.kvarner.hr noæ (Night of Frogs) when the finest frog is For a detailed list of County Tourist “elected” and when some very specific dishes Boards, please refer to page 54. can be savoured, particularly “frogs a la Lokve”: frog legs stewed with snails and local wild mush- rooms, served with boiled potatoes or polenta.

D o r m o u s e Few people outside the Kvarner area know that

croatian Gastronomy 13 kvar 02 kvarner

A delicacy made of thin pastry and Freshly picked blueberries, rasber- A sea-bass fillet in a sauce of Lambs reared fruit. ries, blackberries, wild strawber- rosemary and white wine on the islands ries, currants… of the Northern Adriatic, and from the hinter- land of Velebit, are spit-roasted First class fish, crabs and other frutti di mare are in many restau- rants found readily available in the markets, side by side with alongside the road. “frutti di forest”: mushrooms, wild fruit, game...

The hugely appreciated cakes and other deserts made of the maroni, or rather sweet chestnut of Lovran

the dormouse is the gastro-specialty of this region. Today, This large cylinder cheese does not come in any uniform the uninitiated tend to look at them askance, but recipes shape since it is shaped by hand, without pressing. It can for their preparation can be found as weigh up to 20 kg. This is a distinctly salty cheese, which is long ago as Apicius’ collection of recipes. why in Rijeka they call it just that: salty cheese. Frutti di Nowadays, their flesh is mostly fried or mare and spit-roasted. The most delectable of all C h ee s e s o f t h e is a young dormouse cooked over char- K v a r n e r i s l a n d s fish are a of them, and sometimes, although more rarely, it is smoked. bacon) and finally, young shoots of koromaè, (fennel) to coal, sometimes coated with corn flour. Grazing on the north Adriatic islands is very distinct, and On the island of Rab cheeses are made still larger. imbue the dish with its wonderful, aromatic fragrance. dominant Older ones are prepared in goulash and it yields a readily identifiable aromatic sheep milk. On the These cheeses can weigh over two kg, and are consider- served with polenta. Dormouse is served island of Krk, people produce a small cheese weighing less ably harder than the cheese produced on the more north- feature in in Kastav, Liganj, Lovranska Draga... than half a kilo, locally known as formajela. Around Vrbnik erly islands of Kvarner. Š u r l i c e restaurants On Whit Sunday (one week after St. it is usually spherical, while above Baška it is square. If not The inhabitants of the island of Krk take great pride in Brodetto Michael’s Day, September 29th) when sold in its fresh form it is kept in olive oil for up to a year. their indigenous type of pasta, šurlice. It is not unlike the prepared along the the hunting season opens the dormouse On the islands of Cres and Lošinj, cheese is larger and usu- Istrian fui, but more elongated and thinner, and is most with angler, M i n e š t r a o f k o r o m a č a is a specialty becomes a gastronomic delicacy of the ally with a higher fat content. Sometimes it is coated with the Thick vegetable soups were, to a great degree, born out of often served with thick meat gravies or frutti di mare sauces. shores. made from first order. residue of olives which remains after the oil has been pressed out poverty, but that is precisely the reason why they are such When a dish is prepared with lamb, as in Baška or, for fish, onions, excellent examples of folk culinary genius, particularly in the special occasions, with game, a palatable everyday meal tomatoes, U d i č It is in this area that the best scampi of the areas along the coast and on the islands. The old recipe used becomes a memorable gastronomic experience. The cus- carrots and Salted leg of an older lamb or a sheep is Adriatic are caught and prepared. on Lošinj is one such example of a dish which once was a tom of preparing šurlice in catering establishments has also wine, and is a very popular hung to dry in the bora (north wind), and pauper’s meal but is today being sought after by knowledge- been preserved in Dobrinj, a charming small town in the dish up and sometimes allowed to smoke for a brief able connoisseurs. Potato and soaked beans are cooked until interior of the island of Krk. down the coast. period. On Cres, leg of lamb thus pre- the soup reaches the desired thickness; carrots, parsley and pared is called udiè and is one of the garlic are added, followed by finely chopped panceta (meaty lesser known pearls of Croatian rural gastronomy. The same method is also The maroni, or practised around Dubrovnik, particularly rather, sweet in Konavle. chestnuts, are best eaten roasted. Grobnički sir Grobnièki sir, or cheese from the Grobnik range, is produced from milk of sheep which graze on the mountain meadows of Gorski kotar, in the villages above the Grobnik range.

14 croatian Gastronomy croatian Gastronomy 15 03

The construction of new, modern roads in Croatia has brought to the forth the mountainous region of Lika which has been neglected for many years. And while the new roads opened up new and impressive vistas, the old ones – the traffic loads and traffic jams now out of their way – were presented with the opportuni- ty to provide services in tune with their unpolluted natural surroundings.

ountaineering, recreational tourism linked to mountain streams, rivers and lakes (notably, rafting, canoeing and canyoning), mountain cycling, numerous paths through the protected environments of national parks mand nature parks – which include the world renown Plitvice Lakes – have made Lika a delightfull discovery even for Croatian tourists. The centuries of neglect are now proving themselves to have been the guardians of an exceptional comparative advantage that the wide expanse of pristine nature has to offer. Among other things, the appreciation for the local gastronomy is growing at a pace. The selection of rustic tradi- tion is presenting itself in the new light, indeed, it is being seen in the new light. Aimed at a true connoisseur – its recipes not being the result of the chef’s tricks of the trade but of the top quality food-stuffs that meet the highest of ecological standards – this

karlovac gastronomy is based on indigenous, wild growing plants, particularly mushrooms and fruit of the forest. Up to now the vast majority of mush- rooms – boletus of Lika and chanterelle – were exported, for instance to Italy, and sold there as the best Italian mushrooms. New collection sta- tions and drying facilities have enabled the forest mushrooms of Lika to become an appreciated brand among the connoisseurs. Milk and dairy products, made primarily from — Tourist Board of the cow and sheep milk, bring all the qualities of the County of Karlovac first class grazing, at times superior even to graz- Karlovac, A. Vraniczanya 6, ing offered by the Alpine meadows. The same 47000 Karlovac can safely be said about the fish and crabs, be Tel.: +385 47 615 320 they from streams or lakes. The fishing grounds Fax: +385 47 601 415, for trout and some other fresh water fish are E-mail: [email protected]; www.tzkz.hr regarded as one of the most favoured destina- For a detailed list of County Tourist tions at the global level, and within that context Boards, please refer to page 54. Gacka is a trully mythical name. Roe obtained from the Lika trout has been recognized as the new delicacy which attracts both gourmands and gourmets with its appearance and its golden cop- pery colour, not to say anything about its flavour. Dried and briefly smoke-cured fillets of the Lika

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Bread: Bread baked under a peka – a Basa, fresh cheese - made from cow Mushrooms from Gorski kotar and heavy metal or ceramic lid – on an or sheep milk - is a specialty of Lika. Lika are a source of great pleasure Fritters: very open hearth. for connoisseurs and experts alike. simple and tasty, traditional delicacy of Lika The selection of rustic tradition is presenting itself in the new light.

trout are now being vacuum-packed and are becoming available at the wider market. The very water in which these fish and crabs find their soured sheep milk or semi-hard cheese locally known as habitat is itself a first rate gastronomic attraction. Almost škripavac (squeaky). all water flowing through Lika are not only potable, but Škripavac, or as some would say, “squeaky” cheese made of cow milk, salted and dried. are also rated among mineral and spring waters of superb T h e L i k a f r e s h - w a t e r quality. More and more of it is now being bottled and soil and under the local climate conditions, and of course, fish soup offered at local and foreign markets. And more and more cooked in the waters of Lika. An excellent example of a new and modern dish that chefs are now using water of such fine quality to prepare The return to the roots of gastronomy in Lika sends a blends well with the local culinary tradition is the cream all stews and soupy dishes, such as the famous Lièki lonac special message: quench your thirst with fresh spring water, fresh-water fish soup. The Lika trout is filleted, and meat is (or rather the Lika Stew) which will, it has to be said, be stay your hunger with a flat-bread made from wheat freshly taken from the tails of river crabs. Heads, bones, shells and at its best when prepared with meat from cattle grazed ground in a water-mill, fortify yourself with plum-brandy pincers, with the addition of onion and a whole potato, Gacka river on the local meadows, with vegetables grown in the local „baked“ and nurtured from home-grown plums. And all are covered with water and allowed to boil to a stock. The soup is then strained and puréed with the potato. The trout fillets and crab meat are placed into the soup and boiled briefly, a dash of butter and a sprig or two of fresh wild- Lamb and potato baked under a peka – a heavy growing herb like wild chives or bear’s garlic are added. Sauerkraut and metal or ceramic lid – known specialty of Lika. smoke-dried The soup can also be made with meat, a tradi- those are experiences of fundamental quality not easily trout only. tional dish in forgotten by a gastronome worthy of the name. Lika, prepared mostly in the The Lika Potato winter months. The protection of the geographic origin of the Lika potato is a good example of the validation of culinary skills. The optimum quality of unpolluted soil, the altitude, the climatic conditions and the variety selection, result in a readily identifiable, superb qual- ity potato which has now, finally, been branded in an appropriate manner. This has been a salvation from oblivion for some of the simple dishes of the region, such as the Lièke pole, or as some would say “potato halves”. Potatoes of larger and medi- um size are washed and sliced in half, unpeeled. Each half is hollowed out, a cube of bacon is placed into the potato, and pota- toes are then baked – best results are achieved if they are baked in a bread oven or under a peka (a domed, cast iron lid that is placed over food and covered with live coal). They go particularly well with

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Northern Dalmatia lies in the c en t re of the Croatian part of the Adriatic. Islands, coastal areas and the hinterland provide everything that goes to make Mediterranean cuisine one of the most popular in the world. It is just as highly regarded by doctors who research healthy diets, and among the most reputable gastro-critics in search of strong, perfectly balanced flavours.

he two opposites of the Mediterranean clime are found in the Zadar region: bare rocky countryside where only the most sturdy of medicinal plants of the Kornati islands will grow and on which only the hardiest livestock, t sheep, goats, donkeys, game and even bees can live, and the rich, fertile land of Ravni kotari, from where the most sought after fruit and vegetables arrive to the markets of Croatia. And it is in this unique area that the best black sour cherry, the famous maraska, grows. A natural environment of such generosity was bound to inspire gastronomic geniuses to create top quality recipes, ranked among which is undoubtedly the world renowned Maraschino liqueur. It has many surrogates, but only in Zadar is the liqueur produced from the indigenous Maraska black/sour cherry, in strict observance of an original process devised three centuries ago. S a r d i n e s The largest fishing village on the Croatian Adriatic is Kali, on the island of Ugljan. Kali fishermen catch all types of fish but the basis of both their trade and of fishing in general on the Croatian Adriatic is the sardine. It ranks among the most inexpensive of fish, but often also among the most highly rated. For most fishermen, and other connoisseurs, there is no better fish dish than the modest sardine, but only if the sardine meets a crucial criterion: that it is Tourist Board of the prepared and eaten for elevenses in the morn- County of Zadar ing after the night it is caught. Due to its cyclic Sv. Leopolda B. Mandića 1 movement, the sardine is most difficult to catch 23000 Zadar; during summer months, but according to experts Tel.: +385 23 315 107 it is in that very same period that this little fish is Fax: +385 23 315 316 at its most delicious. E-mail: [email protected] In addition to being grilled fresh there are www.zadar.hr two other ways most frequently used to prepare sardines: salt-pickled or marinated. Of late, however, young Croatian chefs have demon- strated that sardines can be a part of a meal served to the most fastidious customers. Usually,

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The Adriatic Sea abounds in many Soup prepared with lentils, chick-peas Fish roasted over hot coals is a Swiss chard, the spine is removed from types of shellfish: mussels, ark and fresh vegetables is a nourishing and gastronomic delicacy par excellence. together with a fresh sardine, which is shell, oysters... tasty introduction to any midday meal mišanca - a mixtu- then dipped into a variety re of wild-grown green plants - is of breaded mixtures with the best side dish aromatic herbs, briefly For most fishermen and the true for fish. fried and served with freshly-made light veg- etable sauces. connoisseur, there is no better fish than

T h e c h ee s e the popular pilchard. o f P a g The most highly acclaimed cheese in Croatia is Paški sir, result, i.e. its flavour. Ljutika, a partic- the cheese from the island of In order to improve the flavour still further, many cooks ular type of Pag. Sheep bred on this island like to add an occasional crab, or at least some shellfish. onion, mild and rich in flavour, are among the smallest in the In the past the island of Zlarin was famous for its lobster brudet; in Skradin it is made from eels. Undoubtedly, is often pickled whole of the Mediterranean and there- in red wine fore their milk yield is low, but it is the result of though, the most curious is the brudet known as falši, which vinegar. the meagre grazing abounding with medicinal contains no fish, no crabs and no shellfish – only vegetables herbs. The fierce bora swoops down from Velebit, and spices, and a stone taken from the sea! whipping up the salty waters of the sea and blowing them across these meadows, which at times become cial reveal their hidden, unexpected L j u t i k a white with salt, as if snow covered. Consequently, the qualities when combined with others Among connoisseurs, ljutika, a particular type of onion, is milk that these sheep give is naturally salty and needs no in a finely balanced blend. highly prized for its rich, full flavoured taste, while at the additional salt. Cheese produced on this island, particularly The criterion of a fisherman’s brudet is the most practi- same time being less heavy on one’s stomach than other in the cheese dairy in Kolan, has in recent cal one: it is made from the fish caught on the day, or types of onion. In some areas of the Zadar, Šibenik and Marachino liqueur years won the highest awards at presti- night. It is difficult, indeed practically impossible, to list all Split clusters, as well as in some other parts of the coastal they last longer, but peeled when they need to be pickled gious exhibitions in the Mediterranean. the variations of this dish. The basis of the recipe is onion region, ljutika is pickled in wine vinegar, the onion being faster. In these parts of Croatia ljutika is of exceptional qual- is prepared from the It is in such demand that it is sold after a fried in olive oil, to which small fish are added whole, while unpeeled because it retains its true flavour much better and ity and really comes into its own in a brudet. finest variety of black maturing period of only a few months. On larger ones are cut into pieces, followed by vegetables, rare occasions is it allowed to mature for spices, herbs, wine, prosecco, wine vinegar, and even sea Srdela, or cherry - the famous a year or more and it is undoubtedly one water. The key condition for a good brudet is that it is made of the finest sheep cheeses in the world. pilchards, Maraska of Zadar. of several types of fish. The sequence in which individual the cheap- The quality of sheep milk from Pag is such types of fish are added is also important; indeed, bearing in est of fish, is that its curd is also regarded as a first mind the texture of their meat it can be crucial to the final frequently class specialty. The whey remaining after most appreci- curdled fresh cheese has been removed is Brudet, brujet, brodet or as some would say, ated - and when prepared by heated and gently cooked, bringing to the brodetto, is the most popular fish dish on the Croatian Adriatic, and is particularly appreciated experts it is surface a product resembling fresh clotted in Dalmatia. The number of its variations are many. a top range cheese, locally known as puina. It is delicacy. excellent when served with home-cooked polenta or pasta, and makes a delicious dessert when mixed with Pag honey, and when used as filling for pancakes. B r u d e t Brudet, brujet, brodet or, if you will, brodetto, is the most common dish on the Croatian Adriatic, but it is especially loved throughout Dalmatia. In the Zadar, Šibenik and Split clusters culinary skills are measured against one’s ability to excel in the preparation of brudet. The magic of a good brudet is that it makes the types of fish normally regarded as nothing spe-

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The landscape of the Šib enik region is described as a unique monument of nature within which man has created superb monuments of culture that are ranked among the top of the list of world heritage: like Šibenik Cathedral, a work by the master builder Juraj Dalmatinac (Georgius Dalmaticus).

xtending from the canyon, waterfalls and the mouth of the River Krka to the Kornati archipelago are areas which constitute the most beautiful and most lovingly preserved national parks of Croatia. If one were to be epressed to sum up the description and experience of the magic of the Croatian landscape in one single place, then Skradin is a good choice. Skradin is a town nestling beneath the Krka waterfalls, where the river meets the sea. Mystics come here to meditate on the power of nature, while some of the world’s wealthiest people come here seeking hidden berths for their yachts, as Bill Gates has been doing for years. The art of the gastronomy of these parts is just as obsessive and links some of the oldest traditions not only of this area but of food prepara- tion in general, with dishes that are found on the most popular menus of luxury restaurants in the world. Here, one can still find mišni sir, whose preparation dates back to the very beginnings of cooking: milk which has curdled naturally in a sheepskin. Or wild oysters enjoyed by man today in the same way as his predecessors, of long, long ago. Pick them from the sea, open them and swallow them with a sigh of unadulterated pleasure. Grilled fish, prepared simply but with great care, are offered in the same restaurants where one can savour the unique Skradin risotto which, almost like an alchemist’s ritual, takes Tourist Board of the 12 hours to prepare, and in which meat fibres County of Šibenik - Knin are gently transformed into quite new gastro- Fra N.Ružića bb; 22000 Šibenik nomic substances. Tel.: +385 22 219 072 Fax: +385 22 212 346 Sir iz mišine / E-mail: [email protected] m i š n i s i r www.sibenikregion.com In the mountainous hinterland of the Zadar, Šibenik, Split and Dubrovnik clusters, cheese made from sheep milk is produced following the ancient method: it is allowed to age in a sheep- skin. It is not shaped into any particular form, but comes in small grainy lumps and is delivered to markets in the sheepskins in which it has

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In Dalmatia almonds are used not Fresh tuna fish caught in the seas The local population enjoys their only for cakes but also for savoury around the Kornati archipelago is shellfish just as much as did their dishes. ideal for grilling or for carpaccio. forefathers down the centuries. In the hinterland of Šibenik sir iz mišine, produced in the traditional way - allowing sheep milk to cure in sheep skin sacks - is still a treasured specialty.

Harmony of tradition and the modern way of life: sandwi- ches with home- cured prosciut- to, cheese and tomatoes.

Ž i Ž u l a crop is consumed fresh, thus giving diligent housewives no iula, Zizyphus jujube, or jujube, growing wild and requir- opportunity to turn them into a more permanent preserve, ing no special care, is greatly appreciated by people living such as jam. in the Zadar and Šibenik areas. It would probably be just as In Istria the fruit are immersed in rakia, with the addition popular among tourists, except for the fact that it arrives on of a small amount of sugar, and left for two weeks in the sun, a Grilled fish will matured, which lends it a strong, distinct and memorable restaurants of Šibenik and its surroundings to save this the markets after the summer season, and almost the entire process which transforms the rakia into a delicious liqueur. Figs - a fruit release its full flavour. It is best when enjoyed as a part of a simple meal: excellent dish from oblivion. of southern flavour only if we with flatbread or bread baked under peka (an earthen- climes, Another specialty is food - such as meat or fish, delicious both BASTE it using a ware or metal lid, covered with live coals) accompanied twig of rosemary or even bread - prepared under a peka - a special fresh and dipped in olive oil. by strong, red Dalmatian wine. lid made either of cast iron or clay and covered dried. with live coals, which is also found in Dalmatia. Kumbasice Kumbasice are what the folk in Skradin call their sausages. Coarsely minced pork meat is combined with minced beef; the mixture is seasoned with nutmeg and specially prepared garlic: white Dalmatian wine is spiced with garlic and added to the mince. The sausages are gently smoked and then hung out to dry in the bora. They are an essential part of many dishes, but can also be grilled while being basted with olive oil. S o p a r n j a k This is a popular folk dish which hails from northern parts of the Šibenik and Split regions. Thin strudel pastry is stuffed with a mixture of Swiss chard, olives, figs and olive oil, rolled and baked (most often in a baker’s oven) and normally eaten cold. A campaign is now under way by the

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The people of Split have a very simple but very convincing argument when claiming superiority for the beauties of their city and its surroundings: Emperor Diocletian had the whole of the Roman Empire from which to choose a place for his magnificent palace. The location he chose is today’s Split, its very heart, and the source of its urban character, the Palace, remains to this day.

ising behind Split are the mountain massifs of Mosor and Biokovo, their peaks often snow-swept, which nevertheless blunt the most fierce onslaughts of the bora. Lying in front of it are the islands of Braè, Šolta, rÈiovo and, in the distance, Hvar and Vis, the sunniest of all the islands. A wise man was the Emperor. Nature presents itself here in all its splendour and generosity. Before him, the Greeks cultivated the grapevine and olives on the Dalmatian islands, while those who did not wish to work the land turned to hunting, gathering and fishing: fresh and sea water crabs and fish, frogs and shellfish, mushrooms, blackberries and a variety of other berries, wild-growing edible plants... The continuity of Dalmatian gastronomy is impressive even by the criteria of the demanding Mediterranean cuisine. And what Emperor Diocletian enjoyed in his time has been preserved for us to enjoy, except that this bounty has been still further enhanced by the best ideas of generations of chefs. Principles of what is known as Dalmatian minimalism are being strictly observed: top quality ingredients, first and foremost the best types of fish, are prepared in the shortest and the simplest of ways – boiled, grilled or fried – so as not to impair in any way the perfection of the natural flavours of dory, dentex, gilthead or red mullet. At the same time recipes were created, and endlessly modified and perfected, which required a slow Tourist Board of the process of preparation over several days, with County of Split - Dalmatia complex mixtures of spices, such as, for instance, Prilaz braće Kaliterna 10/I, pašticada. p.p. 430, 21000 Split Tel.: +385 21 490 032; 490 033 P a š t i c a d a Fax: +385 21 490 032; 490 033 In the hand-written cookery books of individual E-mail: [email protected] families in Split, which are handed down and www.dalmatia.hr added to from generation to generation, there can be found as many as 20 or so different recipes for one dish: pašticada. This is a meat dish the prepa- ration of which takes, in accordance with old recipes, days of patient preparation even before it comes close to the stove. In the first phase, meat is marinated in wine vinegar flavoured with

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Hvarska gregada, a sort of brudet a Octopus ink lends not only an Just as in the olden days: shellfish Viška pogača (flat bread from Vis) is a traditional speciality of the island of Hvar. unusual colour to a risotto, but grilled over pine needles. delicacy from the island of Vis: bread stuffed also a very special taste. with tomatoes and onion, and sometimes with pickled pilchards. ing islets, reefs and rocks in search of seagull eggs. An omelette made from seagull eggs is a quite unique dish; it is The continuity of Dalmatian gastronomy is actually regarded as a fish meal, although no fish is added to it. The bird practically lives on a diet of small fish, which lends a specific flavour to its eggs. The omelette matches quite something, even when compared to the perfectly with capers. demanding Mediterranean cuisine. L u g a n i ge Luganige are the famous sausages from the Sinj area, but also known in Split and Šibenik, where they are an obligatory part Gastronomy of th e Prosciutto, parti- of Christmas holiday festive feasts. Luganige are made from a c E t i n a cularly that mixture of pork and lamb stuffed into lamb or sheep intestines, The business people of the world have discovered the beauty cured in Istria and Dalmatia, stands but what makes them special are the spicings: lemon juice and of the canyons of the Cetina. They come to enjoy, through shoulder to grated rind, pepper, coriander, cinnamon and garlic juice. The them and around them, rafting, canoeing, riding, running, shoulder with its traditional way in which these sausages are served in Sinj is cycling, even parachuting. All those together combined Italian equivalent. somewhat curious: fried with rice cooked in chicken stock. In make for a perfect team spirit-building exercise involving Šibenik they are cooked in beef stock, and the mouth-watering extreme effort. The base for this unique exercise of body and aroma of luganige being prepared heralds a festive lunch. soul is Trilj, and its catering establishments are more than Dalmatian cuisine prepared to restore exhausted businessmen with a range of is inconceivable S m u t i c a first class culinary attractions. The sparklingly clear waters without brodetto, Reaching us from ancient times, possibly even from the of the Cetina River are a perfect habitat for fresh crayfish, a soupy kind of pre-Slavic era, is the method of souring milk with wine and trout and frogs. Trout, larger crabs and frog legs are grilled; dish prepared with fish, carrots, wine vinegar still practiced on some Dalmatian islands, Braè smaller varieties usually being set aside for buzara or brudet. tomatoes and different herbs. Pašticada is prepared from and Hvar in particular, which has developed into a very But there are also special recipes, such as fried frog legs wine, and most Vis is the island beef or yearling beef, mostly the muscle specific drink. A sheep and a nanny goat are milked directly wrapped in slices of prosciutto, flavoured with rosemary and frequently served locally known as orah (walnut), although into a glass half-filled with red wine, the result being a foamy then slightly cooked with the addition of red wine. with polenta. of capers - they horse meat and large game are also beverage locally known as smutica, bikla or ðonkata. This is a Similar natural and gastronomic attrac- seem to grow used with equal success. In the second favourite elixir of life which restores strength and good mood tions are provided by the River phase, the meat is well browned on all to the tired and the weary. Zrmanja. on almost every sides, and in the third phase it is gently stewed in gravy containing dried fruit, inhabitants of Vis pickle Motar (crythmum mariti- stone by the sea. mum L., family of fennel), or rock samphire, a predominantly prunes, and a number of Mediterranean plant with succulent leaves, in spices such as cloves, nutmeg, laurel leaf, wine vinegar, just as they do with capers. pepper, with the addition of a little wine and prosecco being added from time to time. Old recipes insist that the dish not be eaten immediately after it is cooked, however long and over however gentle a heat it had been cooked. Pašticada, the old masters will tell us, must be allowed to cool slowly, be cut into chunks, browned again and only then served in its own strained juices. Gnocchi, normally served with pašticada, must be cooked just prior to being served. Although traditional pašticadas have a very strong, full bodied flavour, it is not uncommon to grate some hard sheep cheese over the gnocchi. Seagull eggs Come springtime, the people of Lastovo visit the surround-

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Survey polls and experien c e have shown that there are large numbers of people in the world who have not heard of Croatia, but have heard of Dubrovnik. When people catch their first sight of the city, be it from a plane, car or ship, the view etches itself into their memory.

he incredible feeling for urban harmony, the power of creation which enabled man to complete its construction, begun by the fierce geomor- phology of the Mediterranean, possesses the same power to amaze as tit did centuries ago, combined with the miracle of survival that has survived wars, earthquakes, fires and epidemics. The genius of the people of Dubrovnik has manifested itself in all fields of human endeavour, including gastronomy. The mighty, redoubtable walls of Dubrovnik and the Republic had their counterpoint in the high mobility, investigative, mercantile and adventurous spirit of the mariners of Dubrovnik and their fascinating fleet of elegant sailing ships, at times unrivalled anywhere in the world. Notwithstanding all the benefits of the clime and the soil around Dubrovnik, on the Pelješac peninsula and the nearby islands, the Republic’s mariners never returned from their voyages without seeds, plants, spices and, yes, culinary ideas, from distant exotic lands. It can therefore come as no surprise to learn that culinary multiculturalism has been practiced in Dubrovnik for centuries. In the contemporary catering of this particular area, this wonderful tradition is reflected in a wide range, from the popular cuisine prepared over an open fire or on a grill, found in the villages of Konavle, to the most luxurious dishes served in the finest restaurants where meals are enhanced by the Tourist Board of the County view of the city walls. of Dubrovnik - Neretva Cvijete Zuzorić 1/I, p.p. 259, Cheese of Dubrovnik 20000 Dubrovnik In the surroundings of Dubrovnik there is a tradi- Tel.: +385 20 324 999 tion of producing hard sheep milk cheese formed Fax: +385 20 324 224 into small, flat cakes. During the maturing period E-mail: [email protected] it is regularly doused with olive oil. Indeed, many www.visitdubrovnik.hr Dubrovnik restaurants keep on their shelves large glass containers in which these little cheeses are stored in olive oil. The Neretva Estuary The wild, striking features of the Neretva River are so

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Raisin, dried grape – a taste of... The Neretva River region is a true Frutti di mare risotto is a must on the RoŽata, other- amazing that the visitor, cruising through the labyrinth heaven for any connoisseur of fine menus of restaurants and taverns. wise known as of its backwaters, would undoubtedly be prepared food. creme caramel, to settle for a modest sandwich just to be able is a traditional to concentrate on the constant changes dessert of Dubrovnik, of landscape around him. But it has The ingenious folk of Dubrovnik have made from eggs to be made quite clear that the and caramel. estuary of this river is just as much a paradise on Earth for demonstrated their abilities in many fields, gastronomes, for its land and its subterranean region, its including gastronomy. waters and its air are replete with species simply made for an incredible culinary Every kind of because its consumption, even in small quantities, boosts pleasure. fish, prepared life’s energies and vitality, and it is therefore attributed The first attraction by an expert, provides a taste with powerful aphrodisiac properties. At the beginning undoubtedly is the eel, the to remember. of August, mullet from the Neretva estuary start out on enjoyment of which dates as far their course for the Pelješac peninsula, always on the back as the times of the Roman same day and always along the same route. On Pelješac, emperors, Vespasian in particular, as the buterga is savoured in one way only: thinly sliced, and archaeological finds in the accompanied by bread and wine. Buterga slices resemble village of Vid tell us. Its flavour is ducats, and that is how they are valued too! Alongside the Paradižet, a guaranteed first and foremost by the waters criteria that set the oysters of Ston apart from the competition oysters of Ston, butarga is the most outstanding specialty Dubrovnik variation in which it lives; visitors are not a little and make them distinct. The sea currents in its environment of Pelješac and the Bay of Ston. Butarga slowly melts in surprised to see a fisherman reaching down carry large quantities of minerals, the traces of which impart a B u t a r g a the mouth, releasing waves of of "floating islands" to drink the water on which he is sailing and very elegant and unique flavour. On the other, northern, end of Butarga is a fish extract, a powerful concentrate of proteins powerful flavour and provid- - that famous dessert fishing. Eels being snakelike, swift, slippery the Croatian Adriatic the oysters of the Lim canal have made a and hormones prepared by drying the roe of the grey ing a unique experience not The old market and crafty, qualities they amply prove by name for themselves. Connoisseurs, for their part, do their best mullet. It is highly valued not only because it is scarce, but readily forgotten. in the centre of of Viennese cuisine. the fact of their incredible survival, from to, along with the cultivated ones, acquire wild oysters. Especially town. their spawning grounds in the Sargasso attractive are the oysters from the mouth of the Krka River where Sea to their habitat in the Neretva estuary, it flows into the Adriatic Sea. In Croatia, along with the treat catching them takes a great deal of skill of eating raw oysters, the younger generation of chefs is serving and experience. The largest examples are them batter-fried, grilled, in soups and as an oyster risotto. always the females, males usually being half their size. Throughout the autumn eels are In the surroundings of Dubrovnik sheep milk has been bigger and fatter, and for most connoisseurs used for the production of cheese for centuries. those caught in spring are more appreci- ated. However, it is the very fat of the eel that guarantees the juicy texture of meat when prepared by a master. Probably the best way of preparing eels is on a small spit with 5-10 cm-long pieces skewered onto it. The fat melts slowly, soaking into muscles, and the surplus drains off. Eels can also be grilled, or prepared in a brodetto. In this red-coloured dish eels are often accompa- nied by frogs, which are another great gastronomic attraction of the estuary. Wild ducks and coots round off this list.

t h E o y s t E r s o f s t o n Debates on which are the best oysters in the world are endless – it is difficult to establish a final set of criteria. Among the candidates are certainly the oysters of Ston. And while the final appraisal is subjective, there are, nevertheless, some objective

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Throughout history the role of Slavonia has always been to feed Croatia. The fertile Pannonian plain, with its unparalleled agricultural potentials, has attracted civilizations since prehistory. Generous land yielded riches, riches gave rise to the development of culture, and an environment of high culture was an ideal place for gastronomy to flourish, as it has done for thousands of years. Powerful influences from the East and the West were resolved through confrontations on the battlefield, but also through cohabitation in the kitchen.

combination of Austro-Hungarian, Oriental and indigenous Croatian gastronomic ideas amid strongly based agriculture has resulted in a readily recognizable Slavonian cuisine based on top quality ingredients. aIn addition to all the previously mentioned influences, which can be accurately determined from the historical aspect, significant traces were also left by the manner in which food was prepared back in nomadic times and during the great migrations. Cooking in the open is still the most popular form of Slavonian gastronomy, and it engenders a great deal of passion, emotion and nostalgia. Sitting around a fire over which a cauldron gently bubbles away, around barbecues and spits, with horses and carriages not far away, on the banks of the Rivers Drava and Danube, in the wetlands of Baranja, to the strains of violins and tambouritzas: now that spells an atmosphere of some considerable power! All of the brightest amongst the stars of Slavonian gastronomy are the masters of dishes prepared in a cauldron, a variety of fish and meat paprikash, but they are just as good at preparing dishes cooked on the spit, from the small, forked spit used to cook a carp over hot coals, to the more majestic, where oxen are slowly turned and roasted throughout the night. Slavonia is indeed a cornucopia, which is equally generous in its Tourist Board of the County hospitality and where dishes are rarely cooked of Osijek - Baranja for less than ten or more diners. The Slavonians Kapucinska 40, 31000 Osijek are a jolly lot; they enjoy company and their Tel.: +385 31 214 852 gastronomy is simply tailored to that end. Fax: +385 31 214 853 E-mail: [email protected] K u l e n a n d www.tzosbarzup.hr kulenova seka For a detailed list of County Tourist Kulen, or kulin, is the most prestigious, most Boards, please refer to page 54. appreciated and yes, the most expensive sausage- type product, not only in Slavonia but across Croatia. The recipe to which it is made seems very simple: the best parts of pork cleaned of all fatty and connective tissue, ground paprika, garlic and salt are the ingredients used to fill a meticulously cleaned intestine. But as they say,

croatian Gastronomy 37 slavonia 08 slavonia

Good fish-paprikash must contain as Freshly ground red paprika as an Intense, hot flavours are a synonym it is not what but how something is made; every nuance being a thin one, special care is required when filling the many types of fish as possible. addition to fresh cottage cheese - a of Slavonian gastronomy. is important in the making of kulen and can be a crucial casing; this has to proceed slowly and carefully, since a simply irresistible combination. factor at the Kuleniada – a national competition of the single small air bubble can prove disastrous during the grand masters of the makers of kulen. curing period. Once the filling is completed the casing is The pig must not be too young, but additionally salted in brine for up to five days; then, the rather large, weighing over 180 kg. The casing is rinsed well and tied in order to retain the tradi- Cooking in the open is just as popular in Slavonia In Croatia the penny breeds most sought after are Mangulica tional shape even after a curing period of several moths. bun has always been and the black Slavonian pig. Its diet is If the winter is cold and dry kulen is smoked every third as it has always been, involving a great deal of the most treasured the key to the quality of meat, the best day, if it is warm and damp, smoking is carried out every being from pigs allowed to freely roam the day. The smoking period takes a month, or longer, until it passion, emotions and even nostalgia. among mushrooms, forests and copses of Slavonia and feeding acquires a dark brown colour. The optimum curing period on, among other things, acorn of the in cold, airy premises, primarily attics, is about half a year, and the local popula- famous Slavonian oak. It is believed, and but it is a longstanding tradition in Slavonia that kulen is Slavonia is tion is skilled in for quite a few it is the normal practice, eaten at Easter. When the curing is completed, the kulen also known S a l e n j a c i that the best results are achieved if meat is stored, and the best way of storing it is in cereal grain for its many recognizing it. types of Today, cakes made with pork fat seem like some distant is chopped by hand rather than minced, or in bran. Discussions and squabbles extend from the grape. example of gastro-archaeology, but when those who today are but there is also a school of compromise: optimal methods of preparation, making, curing, storage old were young, salenjaci were one of the most common desserts the best parts of meat are chopped by to serving; they are vigorous and never ending. While in many parts of the Slavonian and Zagreb clusters. Flaky pastry hand for taste, while the rest is minced most connoisseurs claim that kulen should be cut into was made with minced fat, and stuffed with apricot or plum in order to achieve the consistency that finger-thick slices, there are those who believe this to be jam, or with walnut filling, prior to baking. kulen should possess. Garlic is usually sacrilege and that this, the best of Croatian sausages, strained into the mixture. Of particu- can be fully savoured only if cut thinly and served on a Poderane gać e lar importance is the right choice wooden platter. (ripped pants) of top quality ground paprika, available on Croatian markets, since they are bred in a Quite apart from their taste of traditional popular cakes, and the ratio of sweet and hot V i n e y a r d g a s t r o n o m y number of fish farms. However, there are those who know poderane gaæe owe their survival in no small measure to their paprika used, since it is this In recent years the famous wine producers of Slavo- that the range of fish on offer is far more varied: catfish highly memorable name. Rectangular-shaped cakes, the main spice which ultimately gives the nia have won world acclaim, which has resulted in an and horned pout (liked for practical reasons because it ingredients of which are flour, sugar and eggs, with a touch of product a sharpness that is mild, noble and increased number of visits by gastronomes. Organized has no small bones, just the spine) can often be found in rum for a fulsome aroma, are nicked in two or three places in no way aggressive. The quantity of salt requires a preci- groups arriving for wine tasting are also offered a continental fishmongers. Somewhat rarer is the very tasty before being fried in hot oil, the finished article resembling a sion that allows for not the minutest mistake. corresponding culinary array. This growing interest has pike perch and pike. Rarely, one can chance upon tench, ripped piece of cloth. The prepared mixture is stuffed into different natural prompted the wine makers of Slavonia to launch their a rather fatty but exquisitely flavoursome fish. Lately, in Kulen or kulin - casings, but the best for kulen is a meticulously cleaned and own catering establishments. Zagreb’s Dolac market it has been possible to obtain, at treated blind gut of a pig. The secondary choices are the the most highly more than reasonable prices, smoked common bream, valued salami-type bladder and the small intestine of a pig, or a large bovine’s F r e s h w a t e r f i s h a n d an extremely tasty fish but best appreciated by the more product of intestine. When the kulen mixture is stuffed into smaller fish paprikash patient connoisseur, as it is full of tiny bones. Eels cannot Slavonia. intestines it is known as kulenova Carp and trout are the most be bred in captivity but they do appear in fishmongers’ seka (kulen’s sister). common freshwater fish shops. Among other types of fish found in clear and cold Kulen being a thick rivers, which are of interest to gastronomes, is the grayling, sausage, and kulenova but one has to go out and catch it as it almost never seka also never appears on the markets. There is a fish dish known as paprikash, logically named fish paprikash, regarded as one of the most outstand- All Croatian ing Slavonian specialties, but which can also be found flour in Zagreb, particularly on Fridays. A good fish paprikas originates demands as many types of fish as possible. It is prepared from Slavonia. in a small (or sometimes not so small) cauldron and cooked over an open fire. Its main spice is paprika, hot and sweet. Hungarians in Croatia are renowned producers of top quality paprika, both ground and crushed. In the vicinity of Vukovar, especially in the village of Èakovci (not to be confused with the town of Èakovec), hot and sweet paprika of the highest world quality is grown, dried, crushed and ground.

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Central Croatia borders wi th H ungary in the north, Slovenia to the west, with Bosnia and Herzegovina in the east, and in the south it approaches fairly close to the Adriatic Sea. Geographical maps reflect an intricate combination of ethnic influences out of which issued the culinary patterns of small regions: Zagorje, Prigorje, Međimurje, Banovina and at the southern edge of Lika and Gorski kotar.

roatian language dialects spoken in these areas sometimes differ one from another to such an extent that a foreigner is often led to believe that they are in fact different languages. The same applies to the recipes which include call the wealth of middle class, popular and rural cuisines. In the livestock breeding areas to the south of the cluster cuisine is based on simple dishes such as polenta (localy known as pura) cooked slowly in the hearth for hours and, when done, soured milk, fresh cottage cheese or butter is poured over it. Until recently regarded as pauper’s fare, these dishes are today highly regarded as rustic examples of the culinary arts. Moving northwards, this pastoral atmosphere at the south of this cluster undergoes a complete change, as for instance in Varadin. This Baroque town Tourist Board of the still preserves and maintains its tradition County of Krapina - Zagorje of following the recipes of upper middle Zagrebačka 6, 49217 Krapinske Toplice class cuisine of the age of Baroque, clearly Tel.: +385 49 233 653; Fax: +385 49 233 653 evidenced in the way that game is prepared E-mail: [email protected] and served with meticulously prepared www.tz-zagorje.hr sauces. Castles and shepherd’s huts are the dividing line, both the opposites and the Tourist Board of the unity of cultural heritage, but also places County of Sisak-moslavina where today, picturesque restaurants have S. i A. Radića 28/II; 44000 Sisak; opened their doors. Tel.: +385 44 540 163 Fax: +385 44 540 164 P r g a E-mail: [email protected] The traditional cheese of Podravina, www.turizam-smz.hr which has recently been rescued from obliv- For a detailed list of County Tourist ion and is now ever more frequently found Boards, please refer to page 54. in town markets, is called prga, or prgica. Several variations of its production are known, the most common method being as follows: strained fresh cottage cheese is mixed with cream; salt and ground red paprika are added, and sometimes garlic.

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Central Croatia is renowned as an Here, the penny bun is most often A loaf of oven-baked bread, made The mixture is shaped into small cones which are left to air area for its wide range and wealth eaten in combination with eggs, a bit from home-grown corn meal, can dry, but it can also be smoked. of vegetables. of bacon and onion. weigh up to 10 kg.

Ground red papri- Sir i vrhnje (or as some would say, cottage cheese A good fish paprikash demands as many types ka, hot or sweet, and smetana) Fresh cottage cheese and smetana are so is the main condi- popular among Croats that this edible of fish as possible and it is cooked in ment of these parts, syntagm has even appeared on jumbo posters used in political election campaigns! a small cauldron over an open fire. one which Croats He who cherishes sir i vrhnje most can usually adopted from the be assured of a great empathy among voters. The cheese in question is freshly curdled, on offer is far more varied: catfish and horned pout (liked for Fish-paprikash Hungarians. gently strained cow milk cheese, formed practical reasons because it has no small bones, just the spine) cooked in a into round cakes of ½ kg or so, the quality Warm hearted and hospitable, the wine producers of can often be found in continental fishmongers. Somewhat rarer cauldron over an of which greatly depends on the quality Slavonia are always happy to invite visitors to their is the very tasty pike perch and pike. Rarely, one can chance open fire, made cellars to taste their wines. exclusively from of grazing, which in this particular case is upon tench, somewhat fatty but with an exquisite flavour. freshwater fish. excellent. Although the Zagreb cluster is the suited. Gutted and salted it is affixed to a forked branch which At Zagreb’s Dolac Market, it has recently been possible to centre of the sir i vrhnje tradition, this type of cheese is produced is then stuck into the ground close to live coals, thus allowing purchase, at a more than reasonable price, smoked common in many locations of this cluster, as well as in certain parts of the fish to slowly “melt”. Larger specimens, cut into slightly bream – very tasty but best appreciated by the very patient Slavonia. It is sold exclusively in the markets. thicker slices, are fried in pork fat. Carp from a fish farm can connoisseur, as it is full of tiny bones. Eels cannot be bred in Cottage cheese and smetana are eaten primar- also be top of the range fish if both water and food are of good captivity but they do appear in fishmongers’ shops. Among ily completely fresh, and serving is simplicity itself: quality – as is the case at the fish farm in Crna Mlaka. other types of fish found in clear and cold rivers and which are smetana is poured over cheese – one measure (a of interest to gastronomes, is the grayling, but one has to catch measure being an old one, amounting to c 1.5 dcl) of cheese to T r o u t it oneself, since it almost never appears in the markets. one or two measures of smetana, with a little salt and red paprika Californian trout have spread throughout the fresh waters A dish known as paprikash made from fish and therefore sprinkled over it. It is also traditional that the bread which is of Europe, Croatia included. But in certain locations the logically known as fish paprikash, is regarded as one of the most served with this simple dish is made from maize, with unleav- indigenous Croatian brown trout (Salmo trutta morpha fario) outstanding specialties of Slavonia, which can also be found in ened dough, and baked to produce a thick, crunchy has survived, and it is indeed a specialty of the first order. It is Zagreb, particularly on Fridays. A good fish paprikas demands crust. The bread is baked in large, round forms, identifiable by its red spots, its meat being significantly more as many types of fish as possible and it is cooked in a small (or sometimes weighing as much as 10 kg. The most reddish, juicer and flavoursome than Californian trout. The sometimes not so small) cauldron over an open fire. Its main usual side dishes for cottage cheese and smetana brown trout is preserved in the Gacka River – a cult fishing spice is paprika, both hot and sweet. are radishes and spring onions. The mixture is also used ground for trout lovers from all over the world, and it can to make a variety of spreads, the taste depending on the ingre- also be found in the Rivers Slunjèica and Èabranka. The Trout coated in dients: chopped spring onion and ground red paprika, locally preferred method of preparing it is to douse it in corn bread flour and sometimes garlic - especially when young, chives meal and to fry it (the miller’s way). There is a company grilled are a specialty of this – particularly the wild-growing variety, dill, crab called “Leko” which produces excellent smoked trout, area. grass, thyme or marjoram. Well mixed fresh cheese which can be found on Zagreb’s Dolac Market. and smetana make a delicious topping for broad, home- made noodles, often accompanied by a sprinkling of small F r e s h w a t e r f i s h a n d pieces of fried bacon, and, according to taste, with garlic. In fish paprikash some parts of continental Croatia, in particular the Slavonian Carp and trout are the most common fresh water fish found on region, pasta prepared in this way is placed in a very hot oven Croatian markets, since they are bred in a number of fish farms. in order to obtain a nice golden, crisp crust. Those in the know, however, are aware that the range of fish

This region is C a r p known for its The large number of fish farms worldwide has made white varieties carp an inexpensive if undervalued fish. Sadly, it is of grape. often bred in poor quality water and fed a poor quality diet. In complete contrast are the carp bred in Vransko jezero (Vrana lake) near Biograd, regarded as among the best in Europe. Although locally it is grilled, some methods used in Slavonia seem much better

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Above everything else, Zagre b is the converging point as well as being the intersection of all the regional gastronomies of Croatia, and more often than not offers a selection of the best from each of them. This is clearly visible on the city markets – 13 larger and 10 smaller ones, but most of all at the central market known as Dolac, ideally located only meters from the central square, on an elevation at the same level as the Cathedral. In every respect this is the most prestigious market in Croatia.

ts activities precede its very existence, since back in the 19th century lively, often acrimonious discussions raged over the location of Zagreb’s central marketplace, what it should look like, who should build it, maintain it and, of course, who should use it. For centuries, Zagreb has been trading in the iopen and in accordance with strict rules. Records dating from 1425 tell us that trading in fresh fish was defined with far more precision than it is today: should they happen upon fresh fish that had been on display for too long, the unforgiving market inspectors of the day would cut off the tails of such fish, thus reducing them to second class goods. The history of Dolac, from the first initiative for its construction to its opening day, provides excellent material for a chronicle of scandals, one which did nevertheless have a happy ending. Today, this is a market with an open-air section and a covered area on two levels, logically organized, well laid out and free flowing. The supply primarily reflects seasonal food production by regions. The most interesting in this wide selection of produce are products by small, family agricultural holdings. Although economic logic dictates that small producers should work together in order to survive the onslaught of cheap goods from the world markets, the logic of gastronomy shows us that small producers provide a fantastic impetus to quality produce and, in particular, to a high standard of gastronomy. Goods are sometimes more expensive on Dolac than on other Croatian markets, but that TOURIST BOARD OF is logical: regional markets are mostly supplied by THE CITY OF ZAGREB local producers; to Zagreb markets they bring the Kaptol 5; 10000 Zagreb; best that they can offer. Tel.: +385 1 4898 555 Dolac is therefore a daily meeting place for the Fax: +385 1 4814 340 culinary stars of Zagreb, known and unknown. In E-mail: [email protected] their own words, this is where they start cooking. www.zagreb-touristinfo.hr According to Ana Ugasrkoviæ, the rising star of the Zagreb gastronomic stage, good cuisine consists of 90% of good buys. The ability to select the best ingredients at the optimal time in the season is the basic art of a good gastronome, one upon which top quality cuisine is based all over the world. city of

croatian Gastronomy 45 zagreb 10 city of zagreb capital of croatian gastronomic delights

Pumpkins from the vegetable gardens Plums untreated with pesticide make Quality vegetables and fruit from On Dolac, of Zagorje are eaten oven-roasted or superb home-made jam. small producers provide excellent central market as an addition to bio-cakes. encouragement for quality gastronomy. place of Zagreb, small producers of all croatian regions bring The Dolac central market is a daily meeting place for the best they can offer the culinary stars of Zagreb, known and unknown. In their own words, this is where they start cooking.

Potato is served to soak up the juices. When the abundance while today its basis is various types of wild and semi-wild of ingredients becomes too much, the true connoisseurs onion, certain grasses, edible flowers, and herbs. The method return to the puritan Samobor version of preparing a mišanca is from a combination of popular culinary concepts and skills. At the start of the season, in Paprenjaci(or pepper biscuits) early spring, mišanca can be eaten fresh, as a salad, dressed The pepper biscuit is an old recipe that could be found from the with wine vinegar and olive oil. It is quite eastern borders of Slavonian cluster to the southern border of the Split delicious with the addition of salt-pickled region. Its main ingredients are flour, eggs and pepper, and its variations anchovies, olives, capers and hard boiled Mišanca is a mixture several. And since they symbolize the old, popular cuisine, the national eggs. Mišanca can also be briefly cooked of wild-grown, mostly From Dolac, chefs return to their respective restaurants placed on specially designed stoves – usually cleverly adapted airline company serves them on its flights as small, sweet refreshment. in boiling water and again served with a in which they offer their guests regional specialties, first and metal barrels. In Zagorje, Prigorje, Zagreb, but above all in Today, it is produced, packaged and distributed by a pastry shop on number of additions, but which now extend Mediterranean plants foremost those from Dalmatia, but also from Istria, Slavonia, Samobor, these kitchen contraptions, which go by the name the island of Hvar, and from one in Zagreb – which has resulted in to boiled potatoes, chick-peas, broad beans, - sometimes as many Prigorje, Zagorje, the best dishes from Lika and Gorski kotar, of kotlovina, as does the dish prepared in them, are the symbol the biscuit becoming a Zagreb souvenir. beans, lentils. Fish laid on a bed of mišanca but also from some Croatian communities outside Croatia – in of merrymaking, good times and good food. Every gathering of and baked in the oven in an earthenware as 20 different kinds particular Herzegovinian and Bosnian specialties. Fish is often people in the open is an excellent opportunity for a kotlovina. Paprenjak, a dish, ranked at the peak of gastronomy, is - used fresh as salad equally fresh in the restaurants of Zagreb as it is on the coast; The basic recipe is simple and very rustic. Pigs’ legs are fried, pepper biscu- becoming ever more inviting to the young it made from the season of lamb from the islands begins in Zagreb; the first or rather melted, in the pan, invariably with chopped onion. flour, honey, stars of the culinary arts in Croatia. The dressed with olive oil white truffles are just as impatiently awaited in Zagreb as they They are doused first with water and then with wine. Once eggs and a good richness of genuine Mediterranean aromas and wine vinegar or, are in Istria; selections of top of the range kulens regularly this basic stock is prepared, pieces of meat are added, usually pinch of pepper, offered by mišanca, the power of essen- arrive to chosen locations in Zagreb; a special gastronomic pork cutlets. The secret of a good flavour lies in gentle, slow is a symbol of tial oils contained in wild-grown plants, briefly cooked, as a week is dedicated to oysters from the Bay of Ston and the cooking, as opposed to the fast grilling technique. Recipes for the old popular opens up new avenues into delightful culi- cuisine and an side dish to fish and Lim channel in spring, on the feast day of St. Joseph, when kotlovina are varied and, in contrast to the recipe for the basic official Zagreb nary interpretations: mišanca in fritajas, or they are in their seasonal peak. But Zagreb also nurtures its stock, can be very complex. The meat used can come in the souvenir. rather omelettes and pancakes, made into meat, but also to own, authentic dishes known as “burghers’ cuisine”. This form of sausages; but it can be chicken, veal, yearling beef, a sauce and served over home-made pasta, cuisine is the historical sediment of Austro-Hungarian cultural even game. All root vegetables, tomatoes, peppers, auber- cooked together with lamb or kid over a other vegetables. heritage. Some names and expressions are of German origin, gines, even young beans and mushrooms find their way into gentle heat, cooked with dried mutton or some are Austrian and Hungarian, and they are still in use a kotlovina in order to make the flavour as rich as possible. proscuitto bone and potatoes, combined today. Grenadir marš (Grenadier March – pasta with onion with olives and mixed into flat cakes... and potato), kajzeršmarn (Kaiserschmarn, a dessert made from This wonderful mixture should be sought pancake batter) appear from time to time on the menus out, albeit under its different names, in all of Zagreb’s restaurants which delight in sailing the M i š a n c a the regions of the Croatian Adriatic, but nostalgic waves of the purger cuisine. Picking, gathering or catching only what nature herself also on the markets of Zagreb. The wider provides us, without any effort by the growers and breeders, the variety of plants included, the more S a m o b o r s k a would be enough to experience endless culinary delights. appreciated mišanca is, and the touch for k o t l o v i n a Frequently, such dishes are underappreciated since the deciding on the correct ratio of individual plants, as per the Large pans with wide rims, some- ingredients grow in abundance across meadows, clearings recipe, is a sign of a chef extraordinaire. times as much as 2 m in diameter, are and woods, and as a consequence do not fetch particularly good prices. And ideal example of this kind is mišanca, that M ushrooms in C r o a t i a Kotlovina - the secret of a is, a “mixture” of wild or semi-wild plants gathered in spring Some twenty years ago Ivan Focht, philosopher, aesthetic of good flavour lies in gentle, slow cooking, as opposed to the or early summer, particularly in the Mediterranean regions music, biologist and a passionate mushroom expert, wrote to fast griling. of Croatia. Formerly, it consisted of some 20 or more plants, his friend: “music and mushrooms came to us from the heav-

46 croatian Gastronomy croatian Gastronomy 47 10 city of zagreb capital of croatian gastronomic delights

In recent years the number of Vrganj, or the Ancient tradition has it that should you ever chance upon a penny bun, restaurants in is the most lone cep, you should ask it quietly, “where is your brother?”, Croatia keeping valued mushro- since they invariably grow in pairs. There are several methods pace with great om in these used in their preparation. In Zagorje they are best served with achievements parts, and is of haute cuisine eggs: a spot of pork fat, some sliced onion, sliced cep added has been most common- and gently cooked. Eggs are then blended into it and the ly prepared constantly sliced, sauteed mixture fried to a soft texture. Another highly popular, deli- growing. with onion, with cious recipe is Penny Bun soup, always with the addition of eggs added smetana and vinegar. Mushrooms of all types are often grilled at the end of over live coals, but it is the Penny Bun which is by far the best the cooking process. when cooked in this way: simply dipped into melted butter and placed on a grill. When done they are sprinkled with salt and a few drops of a fine alcoholic beverage and served with carpet. The Swiss call it “poor man’s truffle”, to the English it is rye bread and a slice or two of prosciutto or ham gently fried “Horn of plenty”, while Germans see it as a “deadly trumpet”. over the fire. It may be widespread, and indeed common, but Regardless of its name, however mythical or bizarre it may be, the Penny Bun still remains one of the best and most highly it still smells divinely and is perfect when pickled, eaten cold regarded of mushrooms. In the region of Gorski kotar there is as salad, and is at its best when dried and ground into a pow- a place called Ravna Gora, where a “Day of mushrooms” is der. This magic powder is then used as a spice, as that secret organized on an annual basis: mushroom hunters spend a day ingredient that every mushroom expert and mushroom lover together looking for Penny Buns which, needless to say, are simply must have in his or her kitchen. consumed with great relish at the end of the day. Morel (or smrčak) C h a n t e r e l l e No mushroom hunting adventure is more exciting than the Should you chance to meet a peasant on the edge of a forest hunt for morels, and he who hunts the morel, this magnifi- ens.” Back then this was a romantic confession of a scientist and were to ask him if there are any mushrooms there, you cent mushroom, is a very special person. In order to be suc- at the end of the road; today, it sounds more like a touristic will make a mistake. Not because the man is secretive about cessful he is prepared to do what other mushroom gatherers slogan. In the forests of Gorski kotar and Slavonia, alongside his find, but because for him the word “mushroom” carries Smrčak, or morel - tradition has it that in the do not do. This is a strange mushroom which likes those rivers, in the meadows of Lika, on islands, in Istria, in short, a different meaning. Only an edible mushroom with which villages where folk eat a lot of this blessed places that other members of its family do not like, and is everywhere, there exists the mysterious world of mushrooms he is familiar is a real mushroom, and this is limited to about mushroom, bachelors are few and far between gathered with great passion and with a certain inexplicable and women are always jolly. which is an inexhaustible source of dis- ten varieties that form a part of traditional popular cuisine. feeling verging on sensuality. Every gatherer has his own cussion and pleasures to both mushroom Those mushrooms that rural folk do not know, or which are secret hunting grounds which he guards jealously. Spring is Over the last decade experts and gastronomes. At a time when not edible, are simply not regarded as mushrooms. the season which makes the hunter feel restless, and as soon the Zagreb region mushrooms in Europe are being threatened as he feels the time has come, off he goes, for if he is only by the destruction of their habitat, and a G a r i c a few days too late there will be nothing to find. It is a true has nurtured and when some species have long disappeared, A common and tasty mushroom, curious for the fact that it is pleasure to join the mushroom gatherers of Meðimurje or Croatia seems more like a botanical garden, eaten on the islands. Islanders have always been oriented to Gorski kotar, who organize traditional events and compete developed free-range a protected oasis which everybody can the sea and meagre soil, putting their faith in their boats and for the “Golden morel”, i.e. the largest and most beautiful strawberries, due to enjoy. Everybody, from tourists and mush- their hoes. Mushrooms, however, seem to have escaped their specimen. Last year, the first prize was won by a 43cm-high, room experts to scientists and ecologists. attention, rujnica, or agaric, being an exception. (Indeed, on the beneficial climatic And long my this remain so. the island of Korèula the agaric is in fact called a “mush- New olive room”, since members of that family which are not eaten are groves are conditions of the area springing up Cep(Penny Bun) not regarded as mushrooms!). They are eaten on the islands along the When one makes mention of the mush- of Lastovo, Korèula and Mljet. This is a firm-fleshed mush- coastline every rooms in Croatia, most people will auto- room and is therefore suitable for a longer period of cooking. year, and olive matically think “Penny Bun.” The cep is The traditional dish on Korèula is mushrooms in sauce: oils produced by young olive a mushroom that comes to everybody’s onion, tomato concentrate, potato, red wine, sugar and olive growers are mind with its shape, divine fragrance, oil, cloves, salt and pepper; and there you have a delicious winning interna- majestic cap and charming plumpness. It sauce. Fish is and was prepared in a similar way. tional recogni- has always been a most cherished mush- tion. room in Croatia, one that anybody can Horn of plenty (crna trubača) recognize despite the fact that there are The Horn of plenty is a mushroom which practically cannot be some 30 similar varieties in the same family, mistaken for any other. Difficult to find, but when it is found some of which are listed as protected plants. you realize you are surrounded by them, as if on a large, black

48 croatian Gastronomy croatian Gastronomy 49 10 city of zagreb capital of croatian gastronomic delights

GARLIC, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOUNG, IS A Barbecue - there is practically no THERE ARE MANY VARIATIONS OF THIS Young culinary MUCH FAVOURED FLAVOURING. food that Croats would not prepare SIMPLE, FINE CAKE, BAKED IN OIL, KNOWN stars of Croatia on a grill. AS USTIPCI IN THE NORTH AND FRITULE IN are promoting THE SOUTH. the use of local foodstuffs of superb quality in the light of Small producers provide a fantastic impetus contemporary world gastrono- to quality produce and, in particular, to mic trends. a high standard gastronomy

SMALL PRODU- and fresh bread which is usually dunked, and when food is CERS OFFER especially tasty the plate is finally cleaned off with a piece THEIR CHEESES IN of bread. Popular restaurants and inns frequently have EACH OF THE 23 special menus for marenda and gablec, and these dishes are MARKETS IN THE CROATIAN CAPITAL only cooked and served in late morning hours: bean soup with pieces of bacon, off-cuts of prosciutto left on the bone, sausages (somewhat less common is dried mutton). This is a classic dish which comes in countless variations and is just as popular as gablec as it is as marenda. The second on the 600g morel found in the area around Delnice. One of the Mediterranean olive growing industry. And it has been proved list of popularity is tripice, or fileki, or as some would call it, ways of conserving mushrooms is drying. that the best olives oils in Croatia come from relatively small olive tripe. Lamb tripe, which spread to continental parts from groves, where literally every tree receives special attention and important and much cherished Croatian custom. In the the coastal areas, is more infrequently met but more highly O l i v e s a n d o l i v e o i l care. Certain customs and practices, like washing the olives in the Zagreb region and in some parts of the central region this regarded than tripe from yearling cattle. Kid tripe is a real Among the most successful revivals of ancient agricultures is the sea, make Croatian olive oils even more special. The most com- meal is called gablec, along the Adriatic coast – from the rarity and a cult dish. Paprikash and goulash occupy the third regeneration of olive production. There are olive groves extend- mon and widespread varieties in Croatia are indigenous: bua and Istrian peninsula to the Dubrovnik region – this vital social place in popularity. Although cod is not dried in Croatia it ing from the westernmost areas of Istria, down the length of oblica. Although the practice of mixing different varieties is com- institution is known as marenda. And since this mid-morning also enjoys a cult status among Croats, literally a must for the coastline, including islands large and small, down to eastern mon, domestic olive growers recently began supplying a variety of meal is a widespread custom, the dishes served are also the meals on Christmas Eve. As far as marenda is concerned, borders of the Dubrovnik region, with new groves being planted oils, and this is where the indigenous varieties come into their own. most popular and mostly cheaper ones, eaten with a spoon it is served mostly on Fridays, usually as a thick soup with a Croatian lunch every year. Young experts are winning prestigious acclaims both The best oils are often on offer in prestigious wine boutiques. is inconceivable at home and abroad, for their oils, like that produced by multiple Among purist connoisseurs an increasingly favoured hors Spit-roasting, an without a soup, prize-winner, Sandi Chiavalone d’oeuvre is fine olive oil, freshly baked top quality bread and ancient way of like this one made cooking food, with pheasant. from Vodnjan, being at salt, nowadays becoming ever more popular even in exclusive arrived in this very peak of the restaurants. Possible additions to this magnificent simplicity country from the could be capers and highly appreciated fillets of salt-pickled East. fish in olive oil, with few drops of good wine vinegar and a few slices of onion. Marinades made with raw fish in top quality olive oil, in particular anchovies, sprinkled with the juice of home grown lemons, are especially popular in the Split and Zadar clusters. Baking is the old, traditional way of releasing the bitter elements from olives. The baked olives are then kept in olive oil and aromatized with Mediterranean herbs, primarily rosemary, which is also the best way of enjoying them. Another old custom is being revived, this time among bakers: pieces of olive are mixed into bread dough, the result being deliciously piquant bread. Green and black olives are used to produce a spread, usually for bread, but smart chefs use it as a condiment for filleted fish and a variety of meat escalopes. G a b l e c a n d m a r e n d a (mid-morning snack) The meal taken between breakfast and lunch is a very

croatian Gastronomy 51 50 croatian Gastronomy 10 city of zagreb capital of croatian gastronomic delights

Zagorski štrukli, thinly rolled Fish is often equally fresh on the beans, chickpeas and lentils form Fancy combina- masters collect veritable boutiques of different dry woods, which pastry filled with a mixture of fresh markets of Zagreb as it is on the coast. the basis of many ordinary dishes. tion of potato are then further enhanced through the addition of aromatic cottage and smetana - savoury as an and cheese hors-d'oeuvre, sweet as a dessert. makes this plants, such as rosemary sprigs. Generally speaking, grilling is best ordinary meal when done over plenty of live coals which produce a gentle heat, fully delicious. whereas grilling over a fire is regarded as barbaric, or at least dem- onstrating a certain lack of good taste and manners. All root vegetables, tomatoes, peppers, even

RaŽanj (spit roasting) young beans find their way into a kotlovina Although somewhat less varied than grilling, the spit also allows for the preparation of many dishes: from small ones for poultry in order to make the flavour as rich as possible. to massive ones for oxen. Spit roasting is common all over the country and is the main feature of catering establishments along the arterial roads, where spits function as a form of live advertis- ciative of the earthenware peka. Food cooked under a peka, trditional fancy ing. Most commonly spit roasted are suckling pigs, lambs and, be it in a fireproof pot or directly on a stone slab, comprises bread sprinkled less frequently, kids. This is a very ancient method of preparing meat with vegetables, usually veal, lamb and yearling beef, wth salt. food, being imported to these parts from the East. But in the covered with potatoes and other vegetables. Larger poultry is good old days it was not young animals that were spit roasted, also prepared in this way, and in the mountainous part of the because the scarcity of meat dictated that an animal should reach Kvarner region. Even if catering establishments provide only its full adult size before being slaughtered. Traces of this ancient bread baked in this way, their ratings are usually elevated. tradition are still seen in Croatia in the custom of spit roasting oxen, particularly for popular festivities. Central parts of the Blitva (Swiss chard) Slavonian region are renowned for their masters of spit roasting The entire Adriatic area is peopled by folk who find it hard an ox. However, folks from certain large villages in Slavonia, to imagine life without Swiss chard, so much so, in fact, that such as Gundinci, prefer a heifer since they know from much some have suggested (not entirely tongue in cheek) that this enjoyed experience that its meat is considerably juicier. Gentle plant is of such importance for Croats, particularly those liv- heat and good meat are the keys to every successful spit roast. ing by the sea, that it should form part of the new Croatian potatoes, spiced with garlic, a la white or a la red – the dif- Bearing in mind that there are practically no spices involved, the coat of arms. Blitva is best when young, when its leaves are have here is a deep understanding of the genesis of local ference being the addition of tomato. Marenda is normally genuine quality of meat is necessarily a major factor. Spit roast- thin and soft, of a bright green colour, and only some 10 cm gastronomy: it has always been a place of fruitful meetings accompanied with bevanda – wine diluted with water so as to ing is always a slow process, its rotation being slow and steady. long. Preparation of this much revered plant is simplicity itself: between different cultural patterns. It has to be underlined, be able to continue one’s labours to the end of the working It takes an experienced cook to salt an animal for the spit, while immersed in boiling water and allowed to cook for a brief spell, however, that this new generation of Croatian chefs is fac- day. Inland, white table wines with a higher content of acid- during roasting it is basted only with oil, or melted pork fat, and carefully drained and sprinkled with olive oil. It is often served ing a task greater than any of its predecessors: their aim to ity are diluted with mineral water and known as gemišt, and sometimes with stock, wine or beer. with boiled potatoes, and sometimes they are cooked together, demonstrate to the world that one of the greatest national if soda water is added then it is called a špricer. particularly when chard is no longer quite so young and tender. assets of Croatia is her gastronomy. Peka (Baking lid) Thus prepared, it is most commonly eaten with fish. New gen- R oštilj and g r a d e l e The majority of gourmands regard food prepared under a peka erations of Croatian gastronomes are using chard in new, more C roatian mar ke t s (grill roasting) as the ultimate in grilled dishes. This simple accessory – a imaginative ways, often inspired by old and almost forgotten Every town of any size in Croatia has at least one marketplace There is practically no good food which Croats would not prepare simple domed lid – can be made of metal, thinner or thicker, recipes. Savoury strudels and pies prepared with Swiss chard to which the rural homesteads from the surrounding areas on a grill (roštilj) in the continental part of the country, or rather often of cast iron, but true connoisseurs are particularly appre- and fresh cheese; sauces for pasta made from boiled chard and bring their fresh produce. As recently as the end of last century on a gradele - its counterpart along the coast. And preparation is basil; minced meat rolled into large leaves of chard and cooked it seemed that cheap food of dubious quality, arriving from the equally varied everywhere. All the better parts of meat are grilled, gently in an oven; larger fish stuffed with chard and herbs... world markets, would spell curtains for the small producers the meat coming from practically all kinds of animals: poultry, pig, of quality products. Instead, it has become apparent that the yearling beef, beef, lamb, kid, game small and large, snails, frogs, F r a m e w o r k : n E w number of people willing to pay more for fresh local products is fish, crabs, shellfish, molluscs, and even vegetables and cheese. ge n e r a t i o n s o f steadily growing. Alongside enduring treasures, like fresh cot- Bread itself is improved on the grill to keep hunger at bay until C r o a t i a n c h e f s tage cheese and cream, free-range eggs, or grincajg (from the the main attractions are ready. Traditionally, the grill is tended Today, however, there is in Croatia a veritable pleiad of German Grünzeug) - bunches of root vegetables and greens by men who like to boast of their skills in this department, new culinary stars from the younger and middle genera- for traditionally prepared soup, ever increasing numbers of everyone having some special nuance or personal method tions. Their number is directly related to the very dynamic customers are seeking indigenous types of fruit and vegetables, which sometimes goes into meticulous detail, like the selec- national gastronomic stage which permits them a wide scope wild edible plants, forest mushrooms and many other food- tion of the right kind of wood and, of course, the heat of the of research and experimentation. It also prompts them to stuffs, the high quality of which can be ensured only by small live coals. Highly sought after is dry grape vine, while some grill reassess the culinary heritage of these parts, to seek new ways breeders and grower-gatherers. One of the permanent tasks of of revitalizing traditions and to test methods of utilizing top the nationwide care for our gastronomy is the need to preserve For many foods, being prepared under a peka is quality local ingredients in the contemporary gastronomic such markets, to safeguard small grower-gatherers and breed- the pinnacle of gastronomic excellence. trends prevailing in the world. In other words, what we ers, as well as the country’s traditional dishes.

52 croatian Gastronomy croatian Gastronomy 53 TRANSLATED BY: VOLGA MILAN BABIĆ, damil kalogje- impressum VUKELJA-DAWE ra, Jasminka Jug, Miljenko PUBLISHER: cROATIAN Klepac, Stipe Surać, Dag NATIONAL TOURIST BOARD LANGUAGE EDITING: Oršić, Marko Ercegović, ANTHONY J. DAWE, ZAGREB TOURIST BOARD ARCHI- FOR THE PUBLISHER: VOLGA VUKELJA-DAWE VE, TZ LIKA-SENJ, TZ KASTAV, TZ Niko Bulić, M.Sc. RAVNA GORA, TZ LOVRAN general information DESIGN: Media koncept *The publisher cannot guarantee the EDITORS: Slavija Jačan printed by: ROTOOFFSET - complete accuracy of the information Obratov, Rene Bakalović, contained herein, nor be held responsible PHOTOGRAPHY: IVO PERVAN, TISKARA MEIĆ for any errors as may be contained in future Mirjana Brabec DAMIR FABIJANIĆ, SAŠA amendments or changes to such information. TEXT: Rene Bakalović PJANIĆ, ROMEO IBRIŠEVIĆ, Zagreb, 2009

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