Croatian cuisine and specialties – Traditional mixture with modern spices

Croatian cuisine and specialties

One of the main reasons why visitors fell in love with Croatia is its cuisine. Along with all-natural beauties, the kitchen gives a unique flavor and joy for everyone who visits this beautiful country.

Cuisine and geography are mutually intertwined and connected in Croatia. Mediterranean ingredients and the way of preparing the food are appreciated as one of the healthiest and tastiest in the world, while the cuisine of the continental part of Croatia consists of a more caloric and fattier, meat-based food. Numerous Croatian festivities and all significant events are connected with and accompanied by the food.

Regarding the cuisine of Istra and Kvarner, it’s mostly based on fish and seafood, and it’s abundant with herbs and aromatic herbs, as well as high-quality olive oil. The most valuable species that can be found here are the Lim bay shrimps, squids, and clams. Also, we have to mention excellent prosciutto usually served with cheese and olives, fish soup, boiled shrimps, white and black risotto. The special place in Istrian cuisine is reserved for truffles – highly valued and expensive wild mushroom. It also has the appreciation days called „Natura tartufi.“ Lovran (maroon) chestnuts, the best chestnuts in Croatia have their appreciation days as well. These chestnuts are the essence of numerous delicious specialties. A nice drink is required along all that delicious food, so it’s no wonder that this region offers excellent wines. We’ll mention a few. Istrian malmsey is the best to match for the fish menu, while the red meat should be followed with the Teran wine. The Muscat is best served with desserts.

The cuisine in Dalmatia and on the islands is based on light cooking process, mainly on water or grilled. It mostly consists of fish, olive oil, vegetables, and wild herbs. Because of those ingredients, this cuisine is considered super healthy. Dalmatian wines, olive oil, and salty olives are valued since old ages.

The distinctive features of this are fresh sea fish (common dentex, sea bass, mackerel, sardines, etc.), mollusks (squids, cuttlefish, and octopus), crabs and clams, prepared in various ways, grilled, in a soup or as a risotto. When it comes to meat, the prosciutto takes a top place spot on, especially Drnis prosciutto.

It’s mostly served with goat cheese and olives. The lamb is also highly valued here, especially boiled or roasted. Dalmatian stew or pasticada (beef stew) with gnocchi are also must try specialties. From the vegetable dishes, the most famous one is chives with potatoes, roasted vegetables, and tomato sauce. Neretva valley, Triki and Cetina basin are also abundant with river fish, frogs, eels and river crabs. Dalmatian deserts are, and their simplicity is the exact reason why it wins hearts of so many people, and they’re mostly made out of Mediterranean fruits, dried figs, raisins, almonds, and honey.

Mountain region of Croatia (Gorski Kotar) and Lika are characterized by the foods distinctive to the mountain, forest and pasture lifestyles. In most cases, the food is boiled or roasted on an open fire. The everyday dishes mostly contain continental products, such as polenta, boiled or cooked potato, sauerkraut, beans, and extraordinary cheeses and milk. Like lamb, mutton and venison are world famous meats. This area is abundant with mushrooms and wild herbs. Most famous drinks are rakija (brandy-like drink), plum rakija and other rakijas made from fruits or ones mixed with honey. Numerous tasty meals characterize northwestern part of Croatia. It mostly consists of pasta, dairy products, and vegetables. The bread is baked using corn and barley, and cookies are very similar to the bread itself (buhtla, walnut loaf, and donuts…). In Medimurje, you should try polenta with blood sausages, in the Zagorje, you should try turkey with mlinci and in Posdravina and Moslavina – roasted carp.

Some of the images that our guests have sent us ?

Dalmatian Zagora or Dalmatian Inland – Newly Discovered Croatian Beauty

Dalmatian Zagora

Although it has been in the shadows from the coast, Dalmatian Zagora is no doubt an ever growing attraction. It has many natural beauties, cultural heritage, and overwhelming gastronomy.

Unexplored and mysterious at the very beginning. Dalmatian Zagora just started to make a stand in modern Croatian tourism.

The year round offer makes it interesting for tourists. Tourists that are looking for peace and relaxation. Those who want active tourism, clean air, and beautiful nature, Dalmatian Zagora might be the perfect place for their next holiday. This affordable and easily accessible destination offers a rich past that reminds us of cultural events and local manifestations. Also, it is known for its wines and good local food, traditional specialties, and cheerful and friendly hosts.

Nearby is Split airport; beautiful beaches are half an hour drive by car. Plenty of other tourist attractions that depend only on guests taste are also near. Dalmatian Zagora is also close to Bosnia and Herzegovina with Medjugorje and city Mostar.

Check out our holiday homes in Dalmatian Zagora

Villa Estera, Villa Glorija, Villa Katuni 

Lun – Hidden Part of Island Pag

In the northeast part of the island, Pag lies little town called Lun, a unique place in Croatia. But also unique in the world. Untouched nature and millennia-old olive groves surround Lun. Olive groves in Lun have the unique shape of wood intertwined with a stone that makes each tree unique and different from each other.

This unique olive grove is made up of more than 80,000 olive trees that proudly defend from wind “burn“, sun, sea, salt, and water. The most interesting olive grove has over 1500 wild olive trees, “Olea oleaster Lines,” with a flaky olive branch.

Among these natural and self-serving olives, the oldest has over 1,600 years. Since no owner has his olive tries together, for the past decades, they have been marked by different signs and colors.

The olive oil gained in this area is one of the best olive oils in the world – mostly for its quality and unique flavor.

So far only a few roads signs have been placed as well as macadam road where thousands of people have passed. This is the place unique in every segment, and it sends you back in biblical times because all of that, this exclusive area of island Pag was proclaimed as “protected botanical reserve” in 1963.

Villa Old Olive

  • Guests: 8
  • Size: 200m²

Villa Old Olive is surrounded by beautiful and old olive tree gardens that are primary characteristics of this historical village.

Historical town Split

Cathedral of Saint Domnius

Among the European cathedrals the one in Split finds its seat in the oldest building – the Mausoleum of the Roman Emperor Diocletian. Inside the cathedral, at the end of the second millennium, the history reconciles ancient pagan, Christian Medieval and modern heritage. Mausoleum of the Emperor – persecutor of Christians becomes a cathedral in the 7th century where altars with relics of St Domnius and St Anastasius, martyrs executed in the nearby Solin, take an honorary place.

Outer octagon of the mausoleum is enclosed by an aisle (peripter) formed of 24 columns. In its interior it has a circular form with four semicircular and four rectangular niches. In the middle stood the Diocletian’s sarcophagus, later destroyed. Above the niches rise eight red granite Corinthian pillars, and above them another eight smaller ones.
The cornice circling above shows a relief of erots hunting, masks and human heads. Two medallions with bows are specially interesting as the archaeologists and Split’s tradition recognise in them the portraits of Emperor Diocletian and his wife Prisca.
Of particular interest is also the construction of the cupola with its fan-like arrangement of bricks in the lower part and a circular arrangement in its upper third. The cupola gleamed with glittering mosaics just like the one in the Vestibule.

Cathedral today is primarily a place of liturgy, with a millennium long continuity, best reflected in the Sunday mass and the renewed splendour of the procession on the St Domnius’s day – the day of Split’s patron saint. The renowned part of the Cathedral are its gates carved in walnut by Andrija Buvina from Split. The two door posts show fourteen tablets each with scenes from the Gospels, from the Gabriel’s Annunciation to the Resurrection of Christ.

Marjan

Marjan, the hill that overlooks the city has always been the most impressive part of Split imagery. Such a harmony betwwen natural and urban is rarely found; on one side the densely populated city in all of its glory and on the other a peninsula of almost pristine nature.

Holy hill, as it is often called, harbors many monuments of sacred and secular architecture which are combined with this green oasis in such a way that they inspire a sense or awe an admiration even in a passer-by.

The very fact that we climb up to Marjan directly from beautiful and world renowned waterfront of Split („Riva“) gives the visitors from any part of the world a chance to experience the beauty of this park-forest, the freshness of air and stunning view of the city of Split and the nearby islands from several unique lookout points.

Marjan offers to its visitors peace and tranquility, recreation and entertainment with natural pathways and trim-trails.

Marjan is the place from which Split can be seen in all its glory, but you can also experience entirely different side of this densely populated and tourism oriented city.

The Silver Gate

Porta orientalis is their Roman name. These gates were used to enter the palace from the east towards the west, through the main street, decumanus, all the way to the Iron Gate and to Pjaca, the central city square.

The Silver Gate was more modest in its decorations than the Golden one, and it was closed from the Middle Ages till 1952, only to be thoroughly reconstructed during the destruction of the Baroque church Dušica. On each side of the gate the remains of the octagonal towers are visible, hence making it easy to imagine the beauty of the construction and the strength of the control over the entrances from the north, east and west. Entering through those gates the passersby, even today, have the opportunity to walk the original ancient pavement on decumanus, walked also, so many years ago, by the Diocletians subjects.

Silver Gate has recently enriched its history with the greatest event for all the Split Catholics, when in the year 2000 Pope John Paul II passed through them admiring the beauty of St Domniuses Cathedral where he later prayed.

Vestibule

From the outside rectangular, and from the inside circular ground plan of this old imperial court, Vestibule leaves a monumental impression even to this day. And how fascinating was it in its original entirety: semicircular niches with statues; a large cupola with colourful glittery mosaic, witnessed by Marko Marulić in his manuscript from the 16th century; the whiteness of the round wall. Vestibule was used to enter the residential part of the palace. But can you imagine that little over half a century ago it was used for living, and that the residents kept poultry there and cultivated gardens?

Southeast of the Vestibule is the mediaeval part of the city, with the oldest early Romanesque house from the tenth century. It leans on the very Vestibule, and in it today is one of the most beautiful and most awarded Split hotels, conveniently named Vestibule. On the other side of the square, in the former church of St. Andrew built in the seventh century, in the place where the imperial chambers once were, the Ethnographic museum finds its place. Unfortunately, the imperial chambers, have not been preserved, but its Substructures are therefore a faithful replica, making it easy to visualise where were the dining room, kitchen, women’s quarters, spa…

Walking along the remnants of the Cryptoporticus, the imperial walking path takes you to the western chambers dominated by a library, and next to the imperial chambers on the southwest part used to be the Diocletian’s spa, today the interior of the Hotel Slavija.