Croatia, a land of contrasts and diversity. What applies to the country’s history and culture also applies to Croatian cuisine. It is by no means limited to Balkan classics such as cevapcici, but combines the typical, hearty and aromatic Balkan cuisine with a wide variety of historical and geographical influences. While the coastal regions bring elements of Mediterranean cuisine, sometimes Italian, sometimes Greek inspired, to the table, some dishes clearly show Ottoman influences and various specialties from the Pannonian Plain are reminiscent of the pastry-heavy cuisine of Austria.
The country’s eventful history and its ideal, sun-drenched and partially protected location between the Orient and the Occident combine in the cuisine to create a unique taste experience that turns every vacation into a culinary dream trip. Every region tastes a little different – depending on the cultural influences it has been exposed to over the centuries.
Istrian cuisine
Specialties from the inland and typical coastal dishes combine with culinary specialties from the peninsula near Italy to create a very special, typical mix in Istrian cuisine. Highlights of the herb-heavy, hearty cuisine with Mediterranean-Italian influences include the excellent mussels and oysters from the Limski Canal, which can be prepared in a thousand and one ways. They taste best eaten pure on site or in the numerous fish restaurants in Istrian tourist hotspots such as nearby Rovinj.
A wonderful addition to the region’s fresh fish cuisine is, for example, the manestra (similar to the Italian minestrone), pasta and risotto dishes reminiscent of Italy such as pljukanci and fuzi and the region’s wonderful olives and olive oils. Visitors interested in culinary delights should not miss the fantastic truffle dishes – the mountainous hinterland of Istria in particular is known for its high-quality truffles. Dishes such as truffle risotto with grilled seafood offer a magnificent blend of all Istrian influences and specialities.
Kvarner cuisine
The Kvarner cuisine is reminiscent of Istrian cuisine, but is not quite as herb-heavy. Here, too, fish and seafood dominate on the one hand, and hearty, heavy stews, game dishes and lamb on the other. Typical dishes from the Kvarner Bay include squid salad and spit-roasted lamb, complemented by sage and lavender, a wide variety of sun-ripened olives, wild fruits and aromatic honey.
In addition to chestnuts and snails, it is mainly air-dried ham and a wide variety of cheeses that make Kvarner cuisine so special. This is no wonder, as the mountainous regions and islands of the Kvarner Bay offer ideal conditions for their production. Numerous goats produce aromatic milk enriched with wild herbs, which, in combination with the salt of the sea, the burning sun and the typical winds, produces wonderful cheeses that harmonize perfectly with the region’s raw ham and the very different local schnapps.
Dalmatian cuisine
Dalmatian cuisine is essentially a classic Mediterranean one, characterized by methods of preparation such as steaming and grilling. The use of the peka is particularly widespread here, an iron bell under which everything from lamb to octopus can be steamed. Whether stuffed vine leaves or vegetables, cabbage rolls or mussels in the Buzara style, sardines and sausages grilled on a skewer or olives marinated in brine – much here is reminiscent of the Greeks and Ottomans who once occupied the country and left behind not only their cultural but also their culinary legacy.
So it’s no surprise that desserts made from dried or candied fruit, walnuts, figs and almonds, refined with honey and oriental spices, are served here. Sweet dishes such as the caramel dessert Rozata or cakes with names like Mandolato and Arancina will also make your mouth water. Incidentally, the island’s specialties that cannot be found anywhere else are very interesting, such as the famous Pag sheep’s cheese, local sausage specialties or the raw ham dried by the Bura. With the prospect of ever new culinary delights, island hopping in Dalmatia is even more fun!
The Cuisine of Central Croatia
The topography of central Croatia is also reflected in the cuisine of this region. Simple, hearty and meat-heavy dishes, often prepared over an open fire, are typical for the middle of the country and therefore also for the capital Zagreb. Stews, ragouts and stews with lamb, mutton, pork and game are refined with numerous mountain herbs and mushrooms, berries and wild fruits. Typical side dishes include pura (a type of polenta), boiled and baked potatoes, sauerkraut and beans. The fact that potato dishes are so popular here is due to the unique Lika potato, which finds excellent growing conditions in soil that has been untreated for centuries. Turkey with mlinci noodles is rather untypical for the region (but widely available).
The widespread smoked aromas are particularly well complemented by homemade cheese, cream cheese and dairy products, which are widely available here. Whether made from cow’s or goat’s milk, the variety is astonishing: whether creamy, creamy cheese or spicy, firm cheese from the high altitudes of the low mountain ranges, whether quark, basa (cream cheese) or sour cream, the selection is large and astonishing, especially in the Lika region. A little further north-west, the historical influence of Austria becomes noticeable. In addition to dairy products and cheese, numerous pastries dominate here, including, for example, various strudel variants such as the Zagorje strudel or the infamous Kaiserschmarrn. When it comes to desserts, you are not immune to different doughs with cream fillings – the best example of this is the Samobor cream slice.