A decent-sized fish for one person usually weighs somewhere between a third and half a kilo, although you can always order a big fish and share it between two people. Fish dishes are invariably accompanied by blitva Swiss chard , a spinach-like plant indigenous to Dalmatia , served with boiled potatoes and garlic.
Cheaper still is so-called plava riba oily fish , a category that includes anchovies and mackerel. Another budget choice is girice , tiny fish similar to whitebait, which are deep fried and eaten whole. Brodet also spelled brudet is seafood stewed in red wine and spices.
The more expensive or specialist establishments will have delicacies such as crab, oysters, mussels and lobster. Scampi usually come as whole prawns which you have to crack open with your fingers. Typical Croatian food served as accompaniments with your main course are likely to include a choice of carbohydrate such as boiled potatoes, chips, rice and gnocchi, and a vegetable or salad side. Additional vegetables can be ordered as items from the menu. Other popular side dishes are gherkins krastavci and pickled peppers paprike.
Istrian food is very similar to the cuisine of its geographical neighbours. Particularly apparent, is the Italian influence on its regional specialities, where pasta, truffles, olive oil, cured ham and wild asparagus take the spotlight. The Istrian peninsula is a cornucopia of culinary riches, with the seafood of the coast melding with the hearty meat-based fare of Central Europe.
Istrian meats, such as kobasice succulent, fatty sausages and ombolo smoked pork loin , are often cooked on the kamin or open hearth.
Istrian olive oil, as elsewhere in Croatia, is largely produced by individual farmers or regional cooperatives, ensuring a high degree of quality and recognizably individual flavours. The slightly acidic but eminently drinkable Teran is a characterful indigenous red.
A typical Istrian spirit is biska , the aphrodisiac mistletoe brandy associated with the region around Buzet and Hum. One Istrian concoction you should definitely try at least once is supa , an earthenware jug of red wine mulled with sugar, olive oil and pepper, served with a slice of toast for dipping purposes.
White truffles, harvested in autumn, are traditionally regarded as the most highly flavoured, and are usually used raw; black truffles come into season slightly later in winter and are slightly less pungent. The truffle-hunting season begins in late September and carries on through the autumn, with locals and their specially trained dogs heading off into the Istrian fog to sniff out the fungus.
Food along the Dalmatian coast is very Mediterranean in style, with fish and seafood featuring heavily on the menu. The food in Zagreb takes its influence from its Central European neighbours. Dishes tend to be heavier to eat, usually including meat, potatoes and root vegetables. Hearty stews and meat usually pork dishes cooked in big pots are all the rage in Slavonia.
Paprika is the spice of choice in Slavonia, with smoked meats and pickled vegetables also demonstrating the Austro-Hungarian influence on the regional cuisine. I tried my very best to speak with the chef who spoke no English , and as I understood, you turn them just once, about halfway. They take two hours to cook thoroughly , no more, or they become dry.
The fire must be made using wood to achieve the desirable smokey flavor. He also told me that there is no garlic or oil added. This seemed weird to me, as they are the main two ingredients for fish in Dalmatia , where I live.
Well, I am sure you know what roast turkey is. But I guess that those of you who are not Croatian would not have heard of mlinci, am I right? Mlinci is thin, dry flatbread broken up into pieces and mixed with the roasting juices from a roast turkey. The juices make the mlinci soft and somewhat like noodles. They suck up all those delicious juices and carry a turkey flavor. Typically, a mix of freshwater fish is used, including carp, catfish, and pike, and the staple of Slavonia, paprika.
I love the look of the cauldron because it reminds me of how one may have cooked hundreds of years ago before kitchens.
This hearty and spicy stew is a combination of catfish, bacon, garlic, onions, and paprika. After sitting on the stovetop for a while, allowing the flavors to mix, it is usually served with cheese-and-bacon noodles. These little cabbage rolls are something you can find in many continental European countries, including Poland. All Croatians, however, will tell you that their sarma recipe is the best! Over the years, Mrs. Chasing the Donkey has honed her sarma-making skills and is good at preparing the smelly little rolls — for an Aussie, that is.
Why are they smelly? I hear you ask? If you have never tried these, give them a whirl. There is a long Croatian tradition of making salami and all types of charcuterie. Once packed, the salami is cold-smoked and air-dried for five to nine months, depending on its size.
Other noteworthy Croatian salami is a spicy pork salami from Turoplje, Svargl from Slavonia, and Samobor salami, which even hold an annual Salami Festival. Both Kulen and kulenova Seka from Slavonia are sausage-type products and are only a few indigenous Croatian products that enjoy EU protection. Only the best pork meat—there are age and weight guidelines for the pig—is used to make Kulen. All fat and connective tissues are removed, after which paprika, salt, and garlic are added.
The Kulen-maker, a respected profession that even has grandmasters, then stuffs the mixture into a cleaned blind gut of a pig. Kulenova Seka is a paprika-flavored and dried sausage very similar to Kulen. The only difference is that the Kulen mixture is stuffed into a smaller intestine, thereby creating a slightly smaller sausage. I swear I ate like 2 kg of it that week. The best Kulen products are made using the black Slavonian pig.
These pigs were raised by crossbreeding several pig breeds starting in the s in the area around Osijek. In the first decades of the 20th century, this breed rapidly expanded throughout eastern Slavonia until World War II.
The breed is a meaty, high-fat pig with a solid structure, black in color, and very resilient. Now, these pigs are getting rarer, though. It is said that only a few hundred pigs remain due to introducing new, more productive crossbreed pigs that are better adapted to industrial-style farming. In Slavonia, you can enjoy deer stew. People at my table said it was a pig, but there was no way, not with such an intense flavor.
It may not sound appealing, but these fried or roasted snacks are like crisps. And, just like crisps, I found them highly addictive! Zagorje soup is a hearty soup with porcini mushrooms , carrots , potatoes , bacon , onions with spices and cream.
It is a specialty of the Zagorje region and claimed to be an excellent hangover cure. They are little crescent-shaped pastries, and as with almost every food in Croatia, there are many different regional versions of this dish. As such, it is known by several different names. These rolls can also be filled with a variety of fillings and seed toppings.
Krvavice is basically a blood sausage. This means pork blood and a filler, usually barley, cornflour, or buckwheat, containing various parts of a pig. I promise! This is sausage is usually eaten during the winter months because it is very hearty and warming and is often served with sauerkraut, potatoes, and onions.
What distinguishes this one from other continental Croatian desserts is the use of pork leaf lard. The highest grade of lard, leaf lard, has a minimum pork flavor, making it perfect for use in baked goods.
It produces amazing flaky, moist pie crusts. Traditionally, salenjaci were made in wintertime in Slavonia, during the slaughter season when an abundance of pork lard was available.
They may also have a dusting of icing sugar on top. We tell you exactly how to make salenjaci at home here. A meaty dish that is certainly very filling and great for the winter months is a veal schnitzel, rolled and filled up with melted cheese and ham.
The outside is crunchy, and it is most commonly served with potatoes in some guise, and a little salad, of course. You might think this looks like something from medieval times. And, well, maybe it once was, but you will see a whole pig or lamb roasted on an open fire known as a spit roast quite a bit as you road trip across Croatia. What makes this traditional Croatian food so special is how tender the meat is once it lands on your plate.
If you are on Pag Island , be sure to try the lamb. The island is famous for its lamb dishes. These are tasty sausages, minus skins, and are usually made of both beef and pork combination, along with seasoning to make them super-delicious.
This is a flaky pastry layered and filled with various fillings, such as meat usually beef mince , cheese, cheese with spinach, and sometimes potato or apple. For those with a sweet tooth, try the apple-filled version with a cup of coffee for breakfast.
Are you hungry now? I hope this list was enough to pique your interest in traditional Croatian food. If you are planning on heading to Croatia , try them all. Okay, try as many as you can. These are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Croatian food. Depending on where you travel to, there will be dozens more traditional Croatian foods for you to sink your teeth into.
Got a suggestion for another traditional Croatian food we should add to the list? Great, let us know below. These tasty treats are a European version of the famous Australian Lamingtons. Simple and tasty. The food is similar to that of continental Croatia, with a few notable additions. Look for janjetina lamb or janjetina baked under a peka a metal, bell-shaped lid. Lika -style sauerkraut is another specialty that consists of marinated cabbage and smoked sausage served with potatoes boiled in their skins.
Kulen spicy paprika sausage , and rezanci broad egg noodles topped with sweetened walnuts or poppy seeds are other regional delights. And the red stuff served with meat is called ajvar, a kind of red-pepper tapenade that can be mild or hot. Here stews prepared using a peka domed metal lid are slow-cooked under hot ash. Dalmatia -- Freshness and simplicity are the watchwords that most aptly characterize Dalmatian cuisine. There are as many recipes and spellings for buzara as there are restaurants, but common ingredients in this sauce are olive oil, garlic, parsley and wine.
Note : This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
Book Hotels. Get Inspired for Your Next Vacation.
0コメント