Croatia is a land of flavors, gastronomy, and unique wine personality with its rich culture deeply rooted in tradition. Embrace this beautiful country’s fantastic specialties while enjoying specially prepared traditional dishes with some gentle rosé wine or bright white, perhaps a more robust red wine.
The beauty of Croatia’s cuisine is unparalleled. From simple and rustic dishes to refined, elegant fare, there are many different flavors for every taste bud.
Splitska Pašticada
Dalmatian specialty aromatic pasticada served with homemade gnocchi, whose taste of this dish will not leave anyone indifferent. The preparation of beef or veal is first marinated in vinegar overnight, then fried and cooked in wine sauce and sweet Dalmatian prosecco for extra flavor. Finally, prunes and fragrant spices such as cloves, nutmeg, bay leaf, and pepper are added.
Peka
The well-known, simple “Peka,” prepared on an open fire with the help of clay or wrought iron baking pan, means putting veal and lamb or octopus with various vegetables and potatoes, which baked in meat juice has an exceptionally delicious aroma. Depending on the amount and type of meat, food preparation under the oven is the range used to keep it under the grill for several hours.
Oysters (kamenice)
Known as an aphrodisiac since Roman times, Adriatic oysters are primarily grown in Ston on the Peljesac peninsula, a famous area for growing mussels and oysters. Juicy and sweet, they are the dream of every gourmet. They are often served raw with just a few lemons and in portions of six or twelve mussels and paired with red and white wines.
Black cuttlefish risotto
Delicious, full of aromas, and fresh from the Adriatic.
Black risotto got its name because of its specific black color, obtained from cuttlefish, the main ingredient of this creamy, delicious dish. The secret to this risotto’s unique and aromatic taste lies in the Dalmatian prosecco added to the rice during cooking.
Fish on the gradele
A traditional way of preparing Fish on the Croatian Adriatic coast is Fish on the gràdele served with chard and potatoes.
The fish is placed on the grill of very hot gràdelȃ, which adds a mild aroma of smoke, and during cooking, it is coated with olive oil. Before grilling, the fish can be marinated in white oil and olive wine with onions, garlic, and rosemary or filled with spices before baking.
When the fish is baked and hot, it overflows with a special mixture of homemade olive oil, vinegar, finely chopped garlic, parsley, salt, and pepper, which create a harmony of flavors and give a special charm to the enjoyment of this dish.
Buzara
Buzara is a technique of preparing seafood by cooking in a mixture of olive oil, wine, garlic, parsley, salt, and pepper, and sometimes breadcrumbs are added.
Buzara can be prepared in white or red. White buzara is made with white wine and all the other listed ingredients, while the red version requires the addition of fresh tomatoes or passata (tomato sauce) and a little red wine instead of white. They are served with crispy bread to soak up the delicious sauce.
The most famous dish on buzara is shrimp. Shellfish, prawns, and other seafood go equally well with this sauce and will delight your palate.
Prosciutto & Pag cheese
Prosciutto is a gastronomic specialty from pork leg meat, created by drying in smoke and bura (cold wind) salted and seasoned. Due to its specific taste, it is considered one of the most original products of Croatian cuisine. Thus, it has become a favorite delicacy on every table!
In Croatia, cheeses are traditionally produced that regularly win international awards.
Pag cheese is one of the most awarded and most appreciated Croatian cheeses with a unique taste.
This hard cheese is made from sheep’s milk, which is naturally salty because Pag sheep feed on pastures that are often full of salt due to the proximity of the sea and the winds that blow it away.
Soparnik
Poljički Soparnik is a top indigenous dish under the protection of UNESCO.
It dates back to the Middle Ages, and its original recipe is a specialty that has been prepared in Dalmatian villages for centuries. A thin pie of dough, water, salt, and a little olive oil, stuffed with chard and onion, is placed on a baking sheet set directly on the grill and sprinkled with ash on top, and before serving it, coated with olive oil.
Viška & Komiška Pogača (Bread)
Because readily available food has been used in humble fishers’ homes for centuries, simple dishes made from just a few ingredients have been created in their kitchens.
Queen of the island of Vis, Pogača, is a dish based on the tradition of salting sardines and anchovies. The preparation of this pogača is not complete without olive oil, which gives it a special aroma. The dough is coated with oil, and the edges are soaked so that it does not burn before the inside of the pogača is baked.
Viška and Komiška pogača differ in the content of their filling and cutting methods.
Viška pogača – Delicious leavened dough combined with chopped anchovies or sardines, stuffing of onions, spices, capers, and slices cut into triangles.
Komiška pogača – Delicious leavened dough combined with red onion, fresh tomatoes or peeled tomatoes, anchovies or sardines, spices, capers, and slices cut on dice.
