Croatia

The geographical position

Situated in the southeast of Europe, Croatia shares the border with Italy on the Adriatic Sea, the northern border with Slovenia and Hungary, the eastern border with Serbia and the southeastern one with Bosnia and Herzegovina. The diversity of its territory with the area of 56 610 km² comprises rich plains and fields, picturesque hills and amazing mountains, as well as the beautiful Adriatic Sea and its 1185 islands.

The cuisine of the Croatian coast is Mediterranean, and it is based on fish and seafood, grapes and wine, olive oil, wild growing herbs and spices.

The climate in the inlands' of Croatia is moderate continental (hot summers and cold winters), in the mountain Croatia it is alpine, in the coastal area it is Mediterranean (with dry and warm summers and wet and mild winters), and in the hinterland it is sub Mediterranean (with somewhat colder winters and warmer summers). Croatia has a population of about 4,5 million, and it's capital is Zagreb.

Historical influence on the cuisine

As Croatia has been the intersection of different cultures for centuries, in gastronomy one can still feel the influence of that culinary heritage that derives from all over the world. As opposed to a light Mediterranean cuisine in the south of Croatia, on which the greatest influence had the Italian cuisine, the traditional cuisine of continental Croatia was under the influence of Hungarian and Central European cuisine from the west, as well as Turkish and Arabian cuisine from the east.

The characteristics of cuisine

Continental Croatia

In the cuisine of the continental Croatia, in contrast to the coastal and Dalmatian one, the influence of seasons is more noticeable, food preparation is more complex, and there are also concurrent traditions, from simple folk cuisine, through middle-class one, to rich aristocratic cuisine.
They all have in common the tendency towards creating "substantial" dishes including a variety of ingredients such as meat (pork, poultry, beef, fresh-water fish, game), different kinds of vegetables (potato, beans, green beans, onion, paprika, tomato, beet), fruits (plums, apricot, apple, pear), cereals (wheat, barley, rye, buckwheat), dairy products (from cow ‘s milk) and eggs.

Starting with the soups, the traditional are the clear soups, especially chicken and beef soups that are slowly cooked together with root vegetables and served with home-made noodles, liver or semolina dumplings, and seasoned with pepper and parsley. In winter thicker soups are cooked from potatoes, beans or cabbage, and during the summer lighter stewed vegetables are cooked, as those made of cucumbers and cream, seasoned with red pepper and garlic, cabbage, green beans or pumpkin.

Even today meat dominates the plates in form of roast meat, steaks, smoked and cured meats that are done according to the old proven recipes. Thus in Medjimurje you will be offered meat from tiblica (smoked pork kept in lard), cracklings and beef przolica (steaks roasted over high heat, then braised with bacon and the seasonings and finally browned in an oven with vegetables). In Zagorje tenderloin "Stubica" (pork fillets stuffed with prunes in a sauce made of cream and plum brandy), Zagorje's turkey with the famous mlinci, roasted pheasant, or venison paprikas made from the game that is traditionally bred there. Podravina will offer you hladetina (headcheese), buncek (leg of pork) and roasted chicken. Turopolje and Posavina will offer you geese and ducks, and Slavonija will offer you ham, kulen (paprika flavored salami) and kulenova seka, roasted pork, cobanac and paprikas (stewed meat seasoned with paprika). The Slavonians are especially proud of their thick fish soups and fish stews made from carp. Gorski Kotar Region will offer dishes made from game (bear, wild boar and deer), and one cannot imagine Lika Region without the lamb roast and the smoked and cured meats such as mutton ham or prosciutto ham. With few differences in all parts of continental Croatia one can find smoked and cured meats such as ham, bacon, sausages, blood sausages and garlic sausages.
Served with meat, side dishes are obligatory, such as: potatoes (mashed, hashed brown, fried, braised), rice (risi-bisi), hard boiled corn mush with milk or as a side dish to venison, pasta (mlinci with the roast meat), the gravy and mushroom and cream sauces.

The traditional cuisine of continental Croatia was under the influence of Hungarian and Central European cuisine from the west, as well as Turkish and Arabian cuisine from the east.

Fresh salads are the lighter part of a meal and they are made from green or red cabbage, mixed tomatoes, peppers and onions and different kinds of lettuce (iceberg, butter lettuce, radicchio), all seasoned with salt, vinegar and oil. A distinct flavour of beans and potato salads comes from pumpkinseed oil. Winter food stores are also prepared from fruit and vegetables, and the most popular ones are made from cucumbers, cabbage, paprika stuffed with cabbage, mixed vegetables, beets, aivar, marmalade and jam (plums, apricots, peaches, strawberries).

The dairy specialties are home-made cottage cheese and sour cream, buttermilk and the smoked cottage cheese (podravske prge or medjimurski turos), licki skripavac and basa. The best-known specialties from cottage cheese are cooked or oven-baked zagorski strukli and Croatian pancakes, filled with sweet stuffing made from cottage cheese, covered with sour cream and browned.

The tradition of making cakes is very long. Orehnjace (walnut rolls), makovnjace (poppy seed rolls), strudels with fruit stuffing, bucnica (squash pie), kukuruzna zlevka (Indian corn pudding), presnac, doughnuts, ustipci, kuglof (form cake), medenjaci (honey cookies), salenjaci and sape ("bear paw" cookies) are only some of the suggestions for a nice end to your meal. As far as drinks are concerned one should definitely taste the home-brewed sljivovica (plum brandy), medovina (alcoholic honey drink) and some of the top-quality wines.

Coastal and island cuisine

The cuisine of the Croatian coast and the islands is typical Mediterranean, and it is based on natural resources of the sea and the land - fish and seafood, grapes and wine, olives and olive oil, sheep and goats, figs, self-grown herbs and spices.

Fishes (bream, sea bass, groper, mackerel, gilthead and pilchard), which are the main source of proteins, are prepared in every possible way: soups, brodettos (fish stews), in risottos; fish is cooked, grilled, roasted, marinated and salted. We should also mention seafood, fresh Lim oysters with squeezed lemon, octopuse baked under the lid, braised or stuffed squids, mussels and vongolas dipped in fragrant buzaras, unavoidable scampi and crabs.

As far as meat is concerned, the first thing that comes to mind is prosciutto- the Istrian or Dalmatian smoked pork ham air dried in strong northeastern wind. Lamb is also highly esteemed, as well as yearling beef, especially if we remember pasticada for which almost every family in Dalmatia has its own recipe, which is passed down from generation to generation.

Various vegetables are side dishes to fish and meat dishes such as chard tops, potatoes, tomatoes, artichokes, cabbage. In Istria it is asparagus. Although fried eggs are known all over the world, the Istrian fritaja with asparagus is special because it has its own story to tell, and it also has fragrant supplements such as prosciutto ham, meat bacon or truffles. In winter days there are special thick soups - manestras, a combination of pulses and cereals, beans, corn, fennel, collards supplemented with smoked meat or bacon-and-garlic roux. The pasta shows the influence of Italian cuisine (spaghetti, gnocchi), but we also have autochthonous Istrian and coastal pasta such as fuzi, pasutice, surlice, makaruni na iglu, pljukanci.

One should not overdo the seasonings. The exceptions to this rule are olive oil and fresh or dried spices and wild growing herbs that grow plentifully in the coastal areas. Bay leaf is unavoidable, as well as rosemary, basil and sage in meat dishes, while parsley and garlic go well with fish. Green and black olives, pickled shallots and capers can be served with every meal.

Desserts are very simple here: there are no rich and garnished cakes with thick cremes based on butter. Fresh or dried fruit (raisins, dried figs) are used for traditional Dalmatian cakes instead. Honey, which is much healthier, is used instead of sugar, and crunchy chunks of almond and walnut are used instead of smooth creme. We will mention fritulas, krostulas, desserts from Losinj's chestnuts, rafiole, cukarins, pince, mandulat, smokvenjak, rozata.

The islanders are likely to boast about the diversity of their cuisine, so we can rightly distinguish Brac's cuisine (the specialty is vitalac: a sausage made of grilled lamb offal), Hvar's cuisine (the goat cheese in olive oil, ginger bread), Korcula's cuisine (potusene lignje na sporko- fried squids), Komiza and Vis's cuisine (pilchards grilled on a stick; Komiza's or Vis's pogaca with sardines), Pag's cuisine (Pag's cheese and Pag's lamb).

Everybody knows that fish has to swim three times: in the sea, in oil and in wine. That is why a glass of wine is welcomed at every meal, and it is often an integral part of meals. The Istrians will offer you malmsey, merlot or terrano, and the island of Krk offers Vrbnicka zlahtina and Troiscina. Plavac from Hvar goes well with roast meat and sheep cheese. Primosten produces excellent rose wine Babic that, served at a room temperature, can be sipped over grilled meat and fish as well as piquant cheeses. From Peljesac we have Postup, Dingac, Knezevo and Carsko vino. On the island of Korcula Grk is being produced. Dry red Merlot goes well with most of the dishes, and with desserts the best choice is sweet Prosek from Sibenik.

Travel tips (must do)

• See and experience some of the natural attractions of Croatia- The Plitvice Lakes, Brijuni, Kornati, Mljet, Krka Falls, Paklenica, Kopacki rit, Risnjak, Lake Vransko on Cres or Modra spilja on Bisevo.
• See the sights in Zagreb, the capital, as well as those in other bigger cities - Osijek, Varazdin, Pula, Rijeka, Zadar, Split, Trogir and Dubrovnik.
• If you are by any chance in Istria at the end of July, don't miss watching some of the films at Motovun Film Festival, a tennis match at ATP tournament in Umag or visiting the smallest town in the world Hum.
• Lovers of history and culture should definitely see the mediaeval castles in Zagorje - Trakoscan, Miljanu, Tabor, ...
• While you are in Zagorje, don't miss to visit Krapina and the hill Husnjakovo where the richest Paleolithic site of Neanderthal man in Croatia was found.
• For those eager for activity holidays we suggest islands Hvar and Brac, rafting on the rivers Dobra and Cetina, and for the true Crusoe in you we offer accommodation in the lighthouses on the islands of St.Ivan, Dugi otok, Prisnjak, ...
• Which souvenir to bring from Croatia? A tie, a gingerbread heart, the umbrella of Sestina, Slavoljub Penkalo's pencil or fountain pen, the dove of Vucedol, the lace from Pag, the stone replicas of Bascanska ploca...