Croatian cuisine



Croatian cuisine is heterogeneous and is known as a cuisine of the regions, since every region of Croatia has its own distinct culinary tradition. Its roots date back to ancient times. The differences in the selection of foodstuffs and forms of cooking are most notable between those in mainland and those in coastal regions. Mainland cuisine is more characterized by the earlier Slavic and the more recent contacts with Hungarian and Turkish cuisine, using lard for cooking, and spices such as black pepper, paprika, and garlic. The coastal region bears the influences of Greek and Roman cuisine, as well as of the later Mediterranean cuisine, in particular Italian (especially Venetian). Coastal cuisines use olive oil, herbs and spices such as rosemary, sage, bay leaf, oregano, marjoram, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and lemon and orange rind. Peasant cooking traditions are based on imaginative variations of several basic ingredients (cereals, dairy products, meat, fish, vegetables, nuts) and cooking procedures (stewing, grilling, roasting, baking), while bourgeois cuisine involves more complicated procedures and use of selected herbs and spices. Charcuterie is part of the Croatian culinary tradition in all regions. Food and recipes from other former Yugoslav countries are also popular in Croatia.

Croatian cuisine can be divided into several distinct cuisines (Dalmatia, Dubrovnik, Gorski Kotar, Istria, Lika, Međimurje, Podravina, Slavonija, Zagorje) each of which has specific cooking traditions, characteristic of the area and not necessarily well known in other parts of Croatia. Most dishes, however, can be found all across the country, with local variants.

Meat and game

 * Specialities from the grill are called s roštilja, those roasted on the spit s ražnja
 * pečeno means roasted
 * prženo means fried
 * pod pekom means that the dish has been put into a stone oven under a metal cover. The cook puts hot coals on the cover so that the meal is cooked slowly in its own juices. Specialties cooked pod pekom include lamb, veal, and octopus.
 * na lešo means boiled in broth or water (lamb, beef, fish)



Croatian meat-based dishes include:


 * Pork
 * Miješano meso or Ražnjići (skewers)
 * Zagrebački odrezak (Veal steaks stuffed with ham and cheese, breaded and fried)
 * Šnicle (schnitzel) – breaded veal, pork or chicken cutlets
 * Meso z tiblice – pork ham from Međimurje County
 * Janjetina – roasted lamb garnished with Mediterranean herbs
 * Pag lamb (Paška janjetina)
 * Dalmatian lamb (Dalmatinska janjetina)
 * Odojak – roasted suckling pig
 * Fresh game from Dalmatia
 * Turkey with mlinci (flat pasta, soaked in roast juices)
 * Buncek – smoked pork hock, used in bean, sauerkraut or kale stews
 * Leg of lamb à la Pašticada
 * Leg of venison the count's way
 * Wild duck with sauce
 * Polpete, ćufte, faširanci – Frikadeller


 * Roasted pheasant
 * Kotlovina from Samobor (kettle with knuckle of pork and other meat and sausages)
 * Boiled fillet of beef haunch with Sauerkraut
 * Escalope à la Baron Trenk (spicy-rolled Schnitzel)
 * Međimurje Goose (stuffed with buckwheat)
 * Turopolje Goose (with corn semolina as a side dish)
 * Purgerica Turkey (Christmas dish from the bordering region to Zagreb, turkey filled with chestnuts, apples, bacon, lemons, etc.)
 * Krvavice, or čurke, blood sausages, made of blood and kaša
 * Hladetina, a particular type of head cheese
 * Edible dormouse

Seafood


Croatian seafood dishes include:


 * Squid – Croatian: lignje, grilled, fried, stuffed or prepared as stew and served with polenta
 * Octopus salad – Croatian: salata od hobotnice; octopus can also be prepared brudet style, with red wine, or baked pod pekom
 * Cuttlefish risotto – Croatian: ''Crni rižot'
 * Tuna
 * Scampi – Croatian: škampi
 * Common mussels – Croatian: dagnje
 * Salted cod is imported, but dishes are very popular for Christmas Eve or on Good Friday. It can be prepared either as bakalar na bijelo (Dubrovnik, Dalmatia and Istria, with olive oil and garlic, with or without potatoes), or as bakalar na crveno, in tomato-based stew, with potatoes.
 * Fish stew – Croatian brodet or brudet (Dubrovnik and Dalmatia), best made with several type of fish (red rascasse, European conger, monkfish, European hake)


 * Clams
 * Sea spider salad
 * Breaded catfish or carp
 * Grilled sardines or other fish (na gradele)
 * Salted anchovies or sardine (slana riba) are served as hors d'oeuvres or as a part of light supper with povrće na lešo, salads etc.
 * Buzara (shellfish sautéed in garlic, olive oil, parsley & white wine)
 * Date shells or prstaci are part of the traditional cuisine, but in the 20th century their extraction was banned as a measure of ecological protection

Stews
Stewed vegetables with a small amount of meat or sausages (varivo or čušpajz) is perceived as a healthy, traditional meal. Sour cream (in Northern Croatia) or olive oil (on the coast) can be added to the plate just before serving. Stewed meat dishes are often prepared by men in open spaces, following hunting and shepherding traditions. In Dalmatian urban cuisine, spices such as cinnamon and clove, Swiss chard (known as "blitva"), dried plums, dried figs, apples and other fruit are sometimes added to meat stews.


 * Slavonian čorbanac (Croatian: Čobanac is a traditional meat stew originating from Slavonia and Baranja, located in the eastern part of Croatia. The dish is traditionally prepared by slowly cooking all of the ingredients for several hours in a large copper pot that is strung over an open fire.Typically, it consists of a few different types of meat, from veal and beef to wild game meat, along with large quantities of onions, and a special blend of sweet and hot ground paprika which gives the stew its characteristical rich and vivid color.)
 * Grah – pork hock bean stew (often done as grah i zelje – with sauerkraut, or grah s kiselom repom – with pickled turnip strings)
 * Gregada - seafood stew
 * Varivo od mahuna – green beans stew
 * Riblji paprikaš – also called fiš-paprikaš (spicy fish stew from Slavonia
 * Slavonska riblja čorba (fish stew from Slavonia)
 * Brudet (or Brodet) – fish stew
 * Chicken stew
 * Rabbit goulash
 * Ričet, also known as jačmik, orzo


 * Istrian stew (Jota)
 * Pašta fažol – bean stew with small pasta
 * Shepherd's Stew
 * Feines Venison goulash with prunes
 * Hunter's stew
 * Wine goulash
 * Sauerkraut stew
 * Zelena menestra – traditional cabbage and meat dish – Dubrovnik and surrounding area
 * Pašticada – Dalmatian beef stew with prunes and dried figs
 * Tripe stew (tripice, fileki)

Pasta


Pasta is one of the most popular food items in Croatian cuisine, especially in the region of Dalmatia. Manistra na pome (pasta with tomato sauce) is a staple. The other popular sauces include creamy mushroom sauce, minced meat sauce and many others. Fresh pasta (rezanci, krpice) is added to soups and stews, or prepared with cottage cheese, cabbage, even with walnuts or poppy seed. Potato dough is popular, not only for making njoki (gnocchi), but also for making plum or cheese dumplings which are boiled, and then quickly fried in breadcrumbs and butter.


 * Žganci – cornmeal dish in Slovenian and Northern Croatian cuisine, also known as polenta (palenta, pura) in Istria and Dalmatia
 * Gnocchi, often served with pašticada or goulash
 * Fuži, a typical pasta from Istria
 * Needle macaroni


 * Štrukli – baked or cooked filled pastry from Zagorje, Zagreb area.
 * Krpice sa zeljem – pasta with stewed cabbage
 * Šporki makaruli – traditional pasta with cinnamon-flavored meat sauce, from Dubrovnik and surrounding area

Soups
Soup is an integral part of a meal in Croatia and no Sunday family meal or any special occasion will go without it. The most popular soups are broth-based, with added pasta or semolina dumplings. They are usually light in order to leave space for the main course and dessert to follow. However, cream or roux-based soups are also popular, and there are many local variations of traditional soups. In Dalmatia, fish soup with fish chunks, carrots and rice is commonly served.


 * Maneštra
 * Veal soup with smoked meat
 * Beef broth with vermicelli pasta
 * Mushroom soup, especially with porcini
 * Dill soup
 * Zagorska juha with porcini mushrooms, bacon, sweet pepper
 * Pretepena juha od graha, beans cream soup
 * Prežgana juha
 * Chicken soup

Side dishes

 * Sataraš (sliced and stewed summer vegetables)
 * Mlinci (typical northwest Croatian roasted flatbread, similar to Caucasian flatbreads)
 * Đuveč (baked summer vegetables, similar to ratatouille)
 * Knedle (are boiled dumplings)

Other



 * Zagrebački odrezak – breaded escalope stuffed with ham and cheese, type of cordon bleu
 * Punjena paprika – peppers filled with minced meat (Turkish: dolma)
 * Sarma – Sauerkraut rolls filed with minced pork meat and rice
 * Arambašići from Sinj – similar to Sarma, but made with finely diced beef and without rice
 * Lepinje – flat bread
 * Wild truffles, served on pasta, risotto, or fried eggs (fritaja)
 * Croatian olive oil (Maslinovo ulje)
 * Paški baškotin – aromatic zwieback (rusk) from the Island of Pag


 * Potatoes from the region of Lika (Lički krumpir) – high-quality, large, red potatoes
 * Sauerkraut from the Varaždin region
 * Cabbage (zelje) from the region of Zagreb
 * Artichokes with peas or broad beans
 * Slanina - cured slabs of pork subcutaneous fat with or without skin and with or without layers of meat
 * Fritaja with asparagus
 * Gorski kotar filling (pieces of ham with eggs and bread)
 * Čvarci - kind of pork cracklings, with fat thermally extracted from the lard

Sausages and ham

 * Kulen (Kulin) – spicy pork sausage from Slavonia
 * Češnjovka – spicy pork sausage with a harmonious garlic taste from Turopolje
 * Kobasica – spicy, air-dried or smoked sausage (Hungarian: kolbász)
 * Salami from Samobor
 * Švargl from Slavonia


 * Istrian and Dalmatian Pršut – dry-cured ham
 * Ćevapčići
 * Panceta from Dalmatia
 * Špek from continental Croatia
 * Kaštradina – smoked mutton or goat meat
 * Ombolo

Cheese (sir)

 * Paški sir – sheep's milk cheese from the island of Pag
 * Farmers' cheese (škripavac) and curd cheese from the regions of Kordun and Lika
 * Cheese from the Cetina region (Cetinski sir)
 * Cheese from the Island of Krk (Krčki sir)
 * Cheese from Međimurje (turoš)
 * Cheese from Podravina (prga)
 * Cottage cheese (eaten with cream, vrhnje) from Zagorje (sir i vrhnje, often seen as quintessential Croatian traditional food)

Savoury pies



 * Viška pogača is a salted sardine-filled focaccia from the island of Vis.
 * Soparnik is a Dalmatian chard-filled pie.
 * Duvanjska pita, made from thin phyllo dough wraps filled with potato and meat.

Pastry



 * Pita
 * Pogača (farmers' bread)
 * Povitica




 * Bučnica (summer squash and cottage cheese pie, can be savory or sweet)
 * Štrukli (made with cottage cheese, sour cream and eggs, can be savory or sweet, boiled or baked)
 * Zlevanka, simple baked cornmeal pastry with various fillings (e.g. cheese, sour cream, cherries, plum jam, walnuts, nettle)
 * Varaždinski klipići

Sweets and desserts

 * Palačinke (crepes) with sweet filling (Hungarian: palacsinta, German: Palatschinken)
 * Piškote/Piškoti — thin, light, sweet delicate, crispy cookie
 * Baklava
 * Kremšnita – vanilla slice or custard slice, is a custard and chantilly cream cream cake dessert
 * Doboš — sponge cake layered with chocolate buttercream and topped with caramel (Hungarian: Dobos torta)
 * Šaumšnita –
 * Zagorski štrukli – sweet pastry from northern Croatia
 * Uštipci
 * Fritule
 * Knedle – also known as gomboce are potato dough dumplings, usually filled with plums and rolled into buttered breadcrumbs
 * Strudel (Croatian: savijača or štrudla) with apple or curd cheese fillings
 * Orahnjača and Makovnjača – sweet breads with walnut or poppy seeds
 * Croatian honey
 * Bear's paw
 * Farmer's cheese (quark) cakes (cream cake)
 * Krafne, pokladnice – a type of doughnut
 * Croatian pancakes (with wine and egg sauce)
 * Šnenokli, paradižot (meringue in custard cream, floating island (dessert))
 * Almond filled ravioli (rafioli)
 * Homemade fruit preserves, jams, compotes
 * Čupavci (lamingtons)
 * Tiramisu

Cakes (kolači)

 * Rožata or Rozata (flan, creme caramel)
 * Easter pastry Pinca
 * Kroštule (crunchy, deep-fried pastry)
 * Fritule (deep-fried dough, festive pastry, particularly for Christmas)
 * Bishop's bread
 * Guglhupf ring cake (Croatian kuglof)
 * Rapska torta (Rab cake)
 * Međimurska gibanica (Međimurje County layer cake with apple, poppyseed, walnut and cottage cheese fillings)
 * Makarana torta
 * Imotska torta
 * Mađarica (Croatian layer cake)

Wines
Croatia has 3 main wine regions: Continental (Kontinetska), Coastal (Primorska) which includes the islands and Slavonia.Croatia’s northeastern-most region.The old wine cellars in Ilok date back to the 15th and 18th centuries. It is interesting that the famous Ilok Traminac was ordered by the English Court for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. Also, one interesting story coming from one of the employees who save a place during the Homeland War, more precisely during the Serbian occupation of Ilok, when he decided to enclose the wall of one part of the Old Cellar and store it as many as 8,000 most valuable archival wines.

Each of the main regions is divided into sub-regions which are divided yet further into smaller vinogorje, (literally "wine hills") and districts. Altogether, there are more than 300 geographically defined wine-producing areas in Croatia.Istria, Konavle and Pelješac were recognised by Vogue as the best ones in Croatia. There are numerous enological events (fairs) throuought the year (for ex. Vinistra ).

In parts of Croatia, wine, either red or white, is sometimes consumed mixed with mineral water or juices. For example, in Hrvatsko zagorje and Međimurje, popular combination is white wine and mineral water (mostly Jamnica), called gemišt (German: gemischt, ”mixed”, "mixture"). On the other hand, in Dalmatia is popular bevanda (Italian: bevanda, "drink"), mix of vine and natural water. Bevanda is common gastronomical motif in cultural representations of Dalmatia and its people in popular culture.

Dessert wines

 * Sweet Malvazija
 * Muškat Ottonel (see: Muscat grape)
 * Prošek
 * Traminac

White wines

 * Rajnski Rizling
 * Žlahtina, Vitis vinifera from Vrbnik (Vrbnik polje) at the Krk island, also known as "Vrbnička žlahtina”
 * Malvazija
 * Graševina

Red wines

 * Babić
 * Plavac Mali
 * Postup
 * Frankovka

Beers (pivo)
Apart from imported beers (Heineken, Tuborg, Gösser, Stella Artois, etc.), there are home-brewed and locally brewed beers in Croatia. A brewery based in Split produces Bavarian Kaltenberg beer by licence of the original brewery in Germany.


 * Karlovačko: brewed in Karlovac
 * Ožujsko: brewed in Zagreb (the name refers to the month of March)
 * Pan
 * Favorit: from Buzet, Istria
 * Vukovarsko: from Vukovar
 * Osječko: from Osijek (oldest brewery in Croatia)
 * Tars pivo: from the seaport city of Rijeka
 * Tomislav: dark beer from Zagreb
 * Velebitsko pivo: brewed near Gospić on the Velebit mountain, the dark beer has been voted best beer by an English beer fan website.

Liqueurs and spirits

 * Maraschino
 * Rakija (Croatian name for spirits), commonly made from: Lozovača / Loza (grapes) (it.: Grappa),Travarica (Loza with herbs), Šljivovica (plums), Kruškovac (pears), Drenovac (cherries)
 * Pelinkovac
 * Orahovac (walnut liqueur)
 * Medovina (honey)
 * Gvirc (as Medovina, only more alcohol).

Coffee
Croatia is a country of coffee drinkers (on average 5kg per person annually), not only because it was formerly part of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire, but also because it bordered the former Ottoman Empire. Traditional coffee houses similar to those in Vienna are located throughout Croatia.

Mineral water
Regarding its water resources, Croatia has a leading position in Europe. Concerning water quality, Croatian water is greatly appreciated all over the world. Due to a lack of established industries there have also been no major incidents of water pollution.
 * Jamnica – Winner of the Paris AquaExpo for best mineral water of 2003
 * Lipički studenac
 * Jana – also belongs to Jamnica, best aromatized mineral water (Eauscar 2004)

Juices and syrups

 * Badel
 * Jamnica
 * Maraska


 * Dona
 * Vindija juices – Vindi sokovi
 * Cedevita
 * Zvečevo

Protected products
There are 46 Croatian agricultural and food products whose name is registered in the European Union as a protected designation of origin or a protected designation of geographical origin (European mark of authenticity by the European Commission).


 * Cheese
 * Bjelovarski Kvargl
 * Lički škripavac (from Lika)
 * Pag cheese (from Pag island)


 * Honey
 * Goranski medun (from Gorski kotar)
 * Slavonski med (Slavonian honey)
 * Zagorski bagremov med (from Hrvatsko zagorje)


 * Meat
 * Baranjski kulen
 * Dalmatinska janjetina (Dalmatian lamb)
 * Dalmatinska panceta
 * Dalmatinska pečenica
 * Dalmatinski pršut
 * Drniški pršut
 * Istarski pršut (Istrski pršut)
 * Lička janjetina (Likan lamb)
 * Krčki pršut
 * Malostonska kamenica
 * Međimursko meso ‘z tiblice
 * Meso istarskog goveda – boškarina (Meso istrskega goveda – boškarina; Meat of Istrian cattle – Boškarin)
 * Paška janjetina (lamb from Pag island)
 * Samoborska češnjovka (Samoborska češnofka; smoked saussage from Samobor)
 * Slavonska crna svinja (Slavonian black pig, hr )
 * Slavonski kulen (Slavonski kulin; Slavonian kulen/kulin)
 * Zagorski puran (turkey meat from Hrvatsko zagorje)


 * Fruits and vegetables
 * Brački varenik
 * Neretvanska mandarina
 * Komiški rogač (Komižan carob)
 * Lički krumpir (Likan potato)
 * Ogulinsko kiselo zelje/Ogulinski kiseli kupus
 * Varaždinsko zelje


 * Olive oils
 * Bračko maslinovo ulje
 * Ekstra djevičansko maslinovo ulje Cres
 * Korčulansko maslinovo ulje
 * Krčko maslinovo ulje
 * Šoltansko maslinovo ulje


 * Other oils
 * Varaždinsko bučino ulje (Varaždin pumpkin seed oil)


 * Pastry
 * Lumblija (aromatic sweet bread)
 * Poljički soparnik (Poljički zeljanik or Poljički uljenjak)
 * Rudarska greblica
 * Varaždinski klipič
 * Zagorski mlinci
 * Zagorski štrukli (Zagorski štruklji)


 * Sea products
 * Novigrad Mussel, Mytilus galloprovincialis cultivated in farms in the Novigrad Sea and Novsko Ždrilo
 * Paška sol (sea salt from Pag island)