Croatian cuisine:
is heterogeneous, and is therefore known as "the cuisine of regions". Its modern
roots date back to Proto-Slavic and ancient periods and the differences in the selection of
foodstuffs and forms of cooking are most notable between those on the mainland and those in
coastal regions. Mainland cuisine is more characterized by the earlier Proto-Slavic and the
more recent contacts with the more famous gastronomic orders of today - Hungarian, Viennese
and Turkish - while the coastal region bears the influences of the Greek, Roman and Illyrian,
as well as of the later Mediterranean cuisine - Italian and French.
A large body of books bears witness to the high level of gastronomic culture in Croatia, which in
European terms dealt with food in the distant past, such as the Gazophylacium by Belostenec, a
Latin-Kajkavian dictionary dating from 1740 that preceded a similar French dictionary. There is
also Beletristic literature by Marulic, Hektorovic, Drzic and other writers, down to the work written
by Ivan Bierling in 1813 containing recipes for the preparation of 554 various dishes (translated from
the German original), and which is considered to be the first Croatian cookery book.
Food and traditional festivities:
Many Croatian traditional festivities are distinctly linked with food independently of whether they are
related to strenuous labour (crop harvesting or threshing, the grape harvest and Christening of wine,
the completion of a house), religion (mostly Catholic - Christmas, Easter, pilgrimages,
local saints days), or to memorable moments in an individual's life (baptism, wedding, birthday,
name-day, funeral wakes, etc.) Some festivities are typically of a public character, such as the
Dionysian St. Martin s Day, celebrated in private farmhouses, wine cellars and restaurants; others
are almost exclusively family reunions (weddings, baptism, Christmas Day, New Year's Day, Easter, etc.)
Every holiday has its typical dish. Pork and potato stew is eaten on pilgrimages and
at fairs; cod
is prepared for Christmas Eve and Good Friday; pork is eaten on New Year s Day;
doughnuts are an
inseparable part of carnival festivities, and in the south they prepare a similar fried sweet dish
known as hrostule. Ham and boiled eggs with green vegetables are served at Easter, while desserts
comprise traditional cakes (e.g. pinca). Kulen (hot-pepper
flavoured sausage) at harvest time, goose
for St. Martin s Day, turkey and other fowl, as well as sarma (meat-stuffed cabbage leaves), are
served on Christmas Day. At weddings, a variety of dishes with dozens of cakes and biscuits are
served, including breskvice, shortbread bear paws, gingerbread biscuits, fritule - plain fritters,
etc.
The favourite meals of very many people on all occasions include spit-roasted lamb and suckling pig,
grilled fish, calamari cooked in various ways, barbecue dishes - raznjici,
cevapcici
and mixed grill - prosciutto and sheep`s cheese, or smoked ham and cottage cheese with sour cream,
fish stew, venison...
Croatian Wines:
Croatia is justifiably proud of its
broad palette of high quality wines (up to 700 wines
with protected geographic origin) and brandies, fruit
juices, beers and mineral water. In the south, people
drink bevanda with their food (heavy,
richly flavoured red wine mixed with plain water),
and in north-western regions, "gemisht"
(dry, flavoured wines mixed with mineral
water).
The excellent Istrian wines include Malmsey of Buje, Cabernet of Porec, Sauvignon and Merlot, as well
as Terrano of Buzet, Zlahtina of Vrbnik, and sparkling wines - Bakarska Vodica, etc.
Dalmatian wines, like olive oil and salted olives, have been highly esteemed since ancient times, which
the present names of some of the indigenous grape sorts reveal (Grk : Greek, from the island of Korcula;
Prc from the island of Hvar). Famous wines include Dingac and Postup from the Peljesac Peninsula; Babic
from Primosten; Vugava and Plancic from the island of Hvar... then there are Posip and Grk from Korcula;
Marastina from the island of Lastovo; Malmsey from Dubrovnik, etc.,
and also Prosecco
(a sweet dessert wine), the very strong grape (loza) and herbal brandies (travarica, grapes with
medicinal herbs) and liqueurs (Maraschino, Vlahov).
MAIN
MENU
