You must have heard about the deliciousness of Croatia’s rich cuisine. Most of it is actually Dalmatian cuisine. In fact, Croatian cuisine is much wider and includes influences from Austria, Central Europe, Turkey, and Italy (but other cuisines as well).  Because three of our four bases are located in the Dalmatian region of Croatia, let’s first explore the most delicious tastes Dalmatian cuisine has to offer. From seafood to wine, Dalmatia will satisfy your palates for sure!

Appetizers

Dalmatian prosciutto and cheese from Pag island

Are you going for some wine with friends in Dalmatia? Or do you simply want to eat something as an appetizer? Then have some Dalmatian pršut and Paški sir, or in English, prosciutto and Pag island cheese. Both are served with homemade bread and possibly some olives. Pršut is a dry ham, you can find varieties of differently smoked versions. Paški sir is made from sheep’s milk on the island of Pag. It is very delicious and goes great with some red wine!

Soparnik

If you are hungry for a healthy and traditional snack, Soparnik is the perfect one. It is essentially two layers of thin dough and a filling of Swiss chard, onions, parsley and garlic. It’s well-oiled with the finest local olive oil, so be careful when eating it in order to avoid greasy stains on your clothes.

Pogaca

Another delicious appetizer from Dalmatian cuisine is pogaca.  Pogaca is commonly made on islands, and they have different names and some variations in the recipe – Viska, Forska and Komiska pogaca. Pogaca is a type of baked bread pie, a bit similar to focaccia filled with anchovies or salty fish, onions and depending on which part of the island, tomatoes.

Viska pogaca is from the town of Vis on the island Vis. It’s served in triangles and has as ingredients chopped anchovies or sardines, sautéed onions, seasoning, and capers to taste. Komiska pogaca, is from the town of Komiza on the island of Vis and it’s almost the same with the small difference of adding tomatoes to the recipe. They wanted to refresh the traditional recipe with more Mediterranean seasonings. Lastly, forska pogaca has all the other ingredients mentioned, as well as tomato sauce, but it comes with sheep’s or goat’s cheese! This is the ingredient that differentiates it from the others. Once you’ve tried them all, let us know which one you like the best. 

Dalmatian Cuisine – Main dishes

Pasticada

One of the most traditional dishes of the Dalmatian cuisine is pasticada. It is only made on special occasions (such as weddings, important family gatherings, and holidays). There are as many recipes as there are cooks who prepare it. Almost every local restaurant, has its own version, as well. Pasticada is the perfect dish for meat lovers as the main ingredient is juneći frikando – something like silverside baby beef. (sidenote: In Croatia, cow meat is classified into 3 age groups – veal (6-12 months), baby beef (12-14 months) and beef (15+ months)).

It takes at least 2 days to prepare pasticada. Usually, it’s served with gnocchi.  Apart from the meat, plenty of vegetables and fruit, lots of love, experience, and patience are essential ingredients for the making of a delicious pasticada.

Grilled fish

Fish is one of the most common and delicious dishes in Dalmatia. The most popular kinds of fish found in many restaurants are sardines, tuna steaks, or mackerel. The best and healthiest way to prepare them is on the grill. The combination we recommend is with Swiss chard and potatoes. A healthy and fulfilling dish right from the Adriatic Sea! Although blue fish is much healthier (it contains much more omega-3s among other things), it tends to be heavier on the stomach, so we recommend it for lunch rather than dinner. At dinner, opt for some white fish such as gilt-head bream, sea bass, common dentex (also called the emperor of the fishes), John Dory, or similar.

Black risotto

You may have seen black food served in a dish and felt bad about it or curious about what it is. Once you taste it, all of your questions will be answered! So, the main ingredient in this risotto is cuttlefish (and/or calamari) and its black ink sack. Once you put some grated cheese on top, it becomes a feast. It’s actually classified as a starter, but you can enjoy it as a light main course as well!

Peka

It takes many hours to finish, but it is very delicious. Octopus with potatoes and other vegetables and herbs such as rosemary and sage and some olive oil is one of the most popular coastal peka dishes. Peka is actually a very heavy metal bell, under which flavors of all ingredients are best preserved! We recommend other peka dishes such as lamb or veal with potatoes on the side. Lamb from the islands of Brac and Pag are particularly famous and valued.

Peka is probably the only truly Croatian dish. The bell is an original invention of the Illyrian tribes – the Delmates that lived in Dalmatia even before the Romans and the Greeks discovered the region. 

Gregada

Let’s introduce you now to gregada. Gregada is a famous dish from the island of Hvar, but almost every Adriatic island has its own version of it. Some sources indicate that this dish is actually one of the oldest ways to prepare fish in Dalmatia. The ancient Greeks brought it with them around 380 BC.  It is actually a fish stew with white fish (mostly conger or grouper). In the modern version of greagada the main side ingredient is potato. Other important components that make a gregada delicious are: garlic, celery and parsley, and even anchovies and capers.

Makaruni

Korcula island has the reputation to have the best homemade makaruni in Croatia. Don’t mistake them for the French dessert macarons, because this is handmade pasta. It all started 400 years ago in Zrnovo village and the art of making macaroni passed on through generations and all over the island. One try of this delicious pasta mixed with a sauce of your choosing (beef, tomatoes, pesto, seafood etc.) in any konoba (tavern), will delight you!

Desserts

Is it time for dessert yet? Of course, when you eat a delicious meal, you need some food for the soul to complete your culinary experience. So we have some Dalmatian cuisine desserts from different parts of the region you have to try. 

Fritule 

Fritule are small bites similar to doughnuts made deep-fried. Traditionally, they are decorated with some sugar, but chocolate or cinnamon also work great. They were a traditional carnival sweet, but now they’re accessible throughout the coast and all year round. Now they come served in a big cup along with the topping you choose and a skewer that helps you get every last one of them!

Rafioli

Rafioli originates from a small town in Dalmatia region, Trogir. You may think that this is a dish like ravioli with cheese, but think again. This sweet pastry is stuffed with almonds, rum, lemon, maraschino, and sugar on top.

Rožata

It originates from the beautiful town of Dubrovnik and is something close to the French crème brûlée, made of fresh eggs, sweet liqueur rosulin, lemon zest and caramel. Rozata got its name after Rosulin, one of the main ingredients that gives it the sweet taste – the rose. Definitely worth a try.

Drinks

When you go to a restaurant, you always want the drink to match your food. In Dalmatia, wine is very popular and there are many wine varieties. Croatian inherited viticulture from the ancient Greeks who brought it to Dalmatia some 2400 years ago, so wine practically flows through their veins. Choosing the right drink/wine and consuming it in moderation completes a well-balanced meal. The selection of white and red wines is vast, so we’ll be writing a separate blog on that alone. Red varieties are much more common in Dalmatia and one of the most widespread sorts is Plavac Mali. Here are our suggestions for other drinks:

Rakija

Rakija is a very strong drink popular among Croatians. It is similar to Brandy, grappa, spirit, or schnapps. It’s an apéritif that prepares the stomach for the meal to come. Locals say that this drink connects people, so you should give it a try!

Maraschino

Maraschino is another very strong alcoholic drink. It originates from the city of Zadar and is a type of sweet and aromatic liqueur made of marasca sour cherries, grown in the region. This drink is from the 16th century and has been consumed by famous historical figures and authors. For instance, Ernest Hemingway, Charlie Chaplin, Alfred Hitchcock.

Beer

Of course, beer is something very common in Croatia. Try some local draft beers like Osjecko, Karlovacko, Ozujsko and Pan to feel like a local or even from some small craft breweries since it has become a very popular hobby/business for many Croatians.

We gave you the best options from starters to drinks to have the best culinary experience. Have you tried any of these delicious products? If not, which one would you try first?


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