Sampling
Croatian cooking is one of
the high points of a visit to Croatia. Although it may be an exaggeration
to say the whole country is made up of gourmets, it's true that Croatians
place a high priority on fresh, correctly prepared food. You may even
want to try a
Croatian recipe yourself
from one of these fine
Croatian cookbooks.!
Dining
in Croatia is a generally relaxed experience mainly
because you can eat remarkably well for the price. Budget
travellers will find themselves eating tasty local specialties
for a fraction of what they'd pay at home.
Like
much of Croatian culture, the cuisine is divided into coastal (Dalmatian and Istrian)
and interior flavors (mostly from Zagorje which
includes Zagreb and northwestern
Croatia) with a sub-category of Slavonian cuisine
from east Croatia.
Following are items you'll
find nearly everywhere in Croatia:
Burek
Throughout former Yugoslavia, this heavy cheese, meat or apple
pastry was the breakfast of choice for farmers and
fishermen. You'll see big trays of the stuff in gracing the windows
of pastry shops and fast food joints.
Cevapcici ( pronounced Chev
ap chee tse)
Croatia's answer to the hamburger, this meatball is made
of spicy beef or pork.
Raznjici (pronounced razh
nyee chee)
Another quick treat, this is a sort of shish
kebab.
Palacinke (pronounced pala
chink eh)
This crepe-like dessert is a pancake often stuffed with
walnuts or chocolate and sometimes served with ice cream.
Blitva
Swiss chard boiled and served with olive oil, potatoes and
garlic is a simple and delicious side dish that's served throughout
Croatia.
Pag Cheese
Made on the island of Pag, this
sharp, sheep's milk cheese is a delicacy throughout Croatia. It's often
served as an appetizer, thinly sliced with olives on the side.
Bakalar
Dried cod is prepared a variety of ways and is traditionally
served on Christmas Eve.
Pizza
Even if it wasn't invented in Croatia, the quality of the
pizza on offer is excellent. The dough is usually homemade and tends
to be thick and bread-like.