As cliché as this may sound, Croatia has been on my bucket list ever since I swiftly Googled the location of the exterior shots of Kings Landing from the series Game of Thrones—I was immediately mesmerized by the scenery.
I am freshly back and ready to share the most memorable meals with you.
Let’s start with the must-have traditional Croatian food.
Burek is a beloved Balkan savory rolled-and-baked phyllo dough pastry traditionally filled with cheese, spinach, or meat. Burek was the first and last food item I had because I love it so much. It can be purchased at bakeries and the omnipresent popular chain Mlinar.
In Split, a must is soparnik, a flat pie stuffed with leafy greens, such as chard. This savory hand-held treat is recognized as a piece of Croatia’s intangible cultural heritage.
While in Zadar, our tour guide Dina from Šušur, took us on a delicious and informative culinary exploration of traditional Croatian staples: crni rižot—“black risotto” made with cuttlefish, locally produced prosciutto, and Paški Sir—a cheese made with milk from sheep that graze on hardy herbs covered in salt particles scattered by dry Bora winds. We wrapped up the tour with cevapcici served with Balkan flatbread lepinja, red pepper relish ajvar, and creamy cheese kajmak. The tastings included a variety of Croatian wine pairings and a locally crafted beer by Brlog brewery in Zadar.
We had a fantastic veal peka at Konoba Toni in Skradin. Peka is a traditional Croatian cooking method where meat or seafood is slow-roasted with vegetables for hours in an outdoor oven. For this technique, the pot’s dome-shaped lid is covered with hot coal, which cooks the food with heat from above and below. This cooking process allows for deeper flavor and tender meats. Our veal pieces were flanked by equally flavorful potatoes, carrots, and red peppers, as well as bread baked in the same outdoor oven.
Through Adriatic Travel, we booked a seven-day boat tour. I was very impressed with our daily three-course lunches made by our onboard chef, Ivan, and his assistant. A fantastic meal was the Pašticada, a traditional Croatian braised beef dish, similar to a pot roast, that is marinated and cooked in red wine and vinegar, along with vegetables, some of which are inserted into the roast. Some also add select fruit for added depth of flavor. The result is a tender roast served with a thick sauce, sliced over gnocchi.
While in Dalmatia, seafood is a must. We had an exquisite meal at Paradise Garden Restaurant in Hvar, both in terms of ambiance and the food itself. There is something special about having the catch of the day from the Adriatic Sea, in particular, when the fish is cooked whole on charcoal and fileted tableside by your server. We chose crispy cucumber salad, fried potatoes, and seasonal grilled vegetables as sides, which were a perfect match with our fresh fish.
Other noteworthy meals included dinner in Dubrovnik at Taj Mahal, a Bosnian restaurant recognized by the Michelin Guide and well known for its cevapcici, which was one of the best I had during my trip. I also enjoyed a great glass of Plavac Mali red wine, which was recommended by our server.
At Skver Konoba in Korčula, a must-have is žrnovski makaruni, a traditional recipe indigenous to the island, which is hand-rolled oblong hollow-shaped pasta served with a braised meat sauce that is not tomato-based.
I had a lot of octopus, but pizza kornati at Pizzeria Maslina in Ždrelac captured my heart. The pizza toppings were olive pesto, mozzarella, thinly sliced octopus, and motar—aromatic pickled leaves from a plant that grows along the Adriatic Sea and is often used in Dalmatian cuisine.
Now, on to drinks. The most popular wines in Dalmatia are made with locally grown grapes pošip (white wine) and plavac mali (red wine). We had a few wine tasting adventures, including a visit to Grgić Vina (the same winemaker as Grgich Hills Estate in Napa Valley) in Trstenik. Another must is rakija, a beloved brandy traditionally made with either grapes or plums, but it can also be flavored with any desired fruit.
There were four popular drinks that I was introduced to, which pleasantly surprised me: bevanda—a Dalmatian mix of wine and still water, gemišt—a popular central Croatian mix of wine and sparkling water, miš-maš red wine mixed with orange-flavored Fanta, and bambus red wine mixed with Coca-Cola.
It was truly a delicious trip! spt
SPT
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