Cuisine of the regions
Croatian cuisine can, roughly summarized, be divided into some few regions which all have their specific cooking traditions, characteristic for the area and not necessarily well-known in other parts of Croatia. Meanwhile, however, most dishes can be found all across the country. This is also why the varied cuisine of Croatia is called "cuisine of the regions".
Slavonia: spicy cuisine with many Hungarian influences, many meat and game dishes
Hrvatsko Zagorje and Međimurje: famous sweets and dumplings
Middle Croatia or Croatian heartland: home-made cheese, heavy roast dishes, Osman influences
Istria: light food with many herbs, truffle dishes and Italian influences
Dalmatia: Mediterranean cuisine with many Italian influences, paradise for lovers of fresh fish
Typical food delicacies
Meat and game
Image:Spicy red pepper.jpg
Spicy red pepper
Some expressions from typical Croatian menus:
Specialities from the grill are called s roštilja or 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 being cooked slowly.
Ražnjići (skewers)
Meso s tiblice pork ham from Međimurje county
Janjetina - roast lamb garnished with Mediterranean herbs
Odojak - roast pork
Fresh Dalmatian game
Visovačka begavica
Veal steaks stuffed with ham and cheese and grilled with breadcrumbs
Turkey with mlinci (flat, sour dumplings)
Kaninchenbraten
Leg of lamb à la Pašticada (rolled pieces of Pršut in white wine sauce)
Leg of venison the count's way
Wild duck with sauce
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)
Goose Međimurje (filled with buckwheat)
Goose Turopolje (corn semolina as a side dish)
Purgerica Turkey (Christmas dish from the bordering region to Zagreb, turkey filled with chestnuts, apples, bacon, lemons, etc.)
Ćevapćići grilled little sausage-like meat served with onions, pita bread and possibly mustard, potatoes etc.
Sea food
For Christmas, Croats traditionally eat bakalar (cod)
(also see: sea food)
Squid - Croatian: lignje, Italian: calamari
Octopus salad - Croatian: salata od hobotnice
Cuttlefish risotto - Croatian: Crni rižot, Italian: Risotto nero
Tuna
Shrimps - Croatian: škampi, Italian: scampi
Common mussels - Croatian: dagnje
Bakalar (Dalmatian speciality served at Christmas time) - fish sort
Fish stew
Clam Buzara
Sea spider salad
Breaded catfish or carp
Stews
Goulash (Croatian: gulaš, see also Hungarian gulyás)
Grah - beans
Mahune
Riblji paprikaš - also called fiš-paprikaš (spicy fish stew from Slavonia, see also Hungarian halászlé)
Slavonska riblja čorba (fish stew from Slavonia)
Brudet (or Brodet) - fish stew
Chicken stew
Rabbit goulash
Istrian Stew (Jota)
Game Čobanac (Shepherd's Stew)
Feines Venison goulash with prunes
Hunter's Stew
Wine goulash
Sauerkraut Stew
Pasta
Pašticada with Gnocchi (beef pot roast)
Istrian Fuži
Needle macaroni
strukli
Soups
maneštra
Veal soup with smoked meat
Vegeta seasoned broth
Side dishes
Sataraš (minced and roasted vegetables)
Mlinci (typical Croatian, roasted pasta)
Đuveđ (cooked vegetables, similar to Ratatouille)
Other
Zagrebački odrezak - escalope stuffed with ham and cheese
Punjena paprika - paprika/peppers filled with minced meat (Hungarian: töltött paprika)
Sarma - Sauerkraut rolls filed with minced pork meat and rice
Arambašići from Sinj - similar to Sarma, but with grinded beef and with no rice
Mlinci - flat, sour dumplings
Lepinje-flat bread
Wild truffles with pasta
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 potatos
Cabbage (kraut) from the region of Zagreb (zelje)
Artichokes with peas
Fritaja with asparagus
Gorski kotar filling (pieces of ham with eggs and bread)
Žganci (with milk, Polenta)
Čvarci
Sausages and ham
Kulen - spicy pork sausage from Slavonia
Češnovka - spicy pork sausage with a harmonious garlic taste from Turopolje
Kobasica - spicy, air-dried sausage (Hungarian: kolbász)
Istrian and Dalmatian Pršut - double-smoked ham (similar to Italian prosciutto)
Home-made, Slavonian Kulen (spicy ham from Slavonia)
Salami from Samobor
Švargl from Slavonia
Špek from continental Croatia
Panceta from Dalmatia
Suđuk from inland Dalmatia
Kaštradina
Cheese (sir)
Paški sir - famous sheep's milk cheese and goat's cheese from 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
Cottage cheese (eaten with vrhnje) from Zagorje
Pastry
Pita
Pogača (farmers' bread)
Husiljevača
Povitica
Bucnica (pumpkin cake)
Sweets and desserts
Palačinke with sweet filling (Hungarian: palacsinta)
Zagorski štrukli - sweet pastry from northern Croatia
Uštipci
Strudel (Croatian: savijača or štrudla) with apple or curd cheese fillings
Orehnjača - sweet bread with walnuts
Makovnjača - sweet bread with poppy seeds
Croatian honey
Bear's paw
Farmer's cheese (quark) cakes (cream cake)
Krafne, pokladnice - a type of Donut
Croatian pancakes (with cream with wine sauce)
ušljivac, deran, badavdžija (long plaited bun)
Wines (vino, Pl. vina)
Croatian wines are not very well known. It is a matter of the growing Croatian economy to make those wines more popular in the world and it is up to Croatian winemakers to start production for international markets.
White wines:
Graševina
Malvazija
Kutjevački rizling (Riesling from Kutjevo)
Žilavka
Vrbnička žlahtina from the Island of Krk
Traminac
White Burgundy
Rhine Riesling
Riesling from Đakovo
Plešivička kraljevina
Štrigovanec
Varaždinec
Debit
Promina
Benkovački Rosé
Kujundžuša
Bijeli Pinot (white Pinot) (from Poreč)
Moslavac
Škrlet
White Klikun
White Kaštelet
Cetinka
Vugava from the island of Vis
Pošip
Rukatac (Maraština) from the island of Korčula
Croatian cuisine can, roughly summarized, be divided into some few regions which all have their specific cooking traditions, characteristic for the area and not necessarily well-known in other parts of Croatia. Meanwhile, however, most dishes can be found all across the country. This is also why the varied cuisine of Croatia is called "cuisine of the regions".
Slavonia: spicy cuisine with many Hungarian influences, many meat and game dishes
Hrvatsko Zagorje and Međimurje: famous sweets and dumplings
Middle Croatia or Croatian heartland: home-made cheese, heavy roast dishes, Osman influences
Istria: light food with many herbs, truffle dishes and Italian influences
Dalmatia: Mediterranean cuisine with many Italian influences, paradise for lovers of fresh fish
Typical food delicacies
Meat and game
Image:Spicy red pepper.jpg
Spicy red pepper
Some expressions from typical Croatian menus:
Specialities from the grill are called s roštilja or 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 being cooked slowly.
Ražnjići (skewers)
Meso s tiblice pork ham from Međimurje county
Janjetina - roast lamb garnished with Mediterranean herbs
Odojak - roast pork
Fresh Dalmatian game
Visovačka begavica
Veal steaks stuffed with ham and cheese and grilled with breadcrumbs
Turkey with mlinci (flat, sour dumplings)
Kaninchenbraten
Leg of lamb à la Pašticada (rolled pieces of Pršut in white wine sauce)
Leg of venison the count's way
Wild duck with sauce
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)
Goose Međimurje (filled with buckwheat)
Goose Turopolje (corn semolina as a side dish)
Purgerica Turkey (Christmas dish from the bordering region to Zagreb, turkey filled with chestnuts, apples, bacon, lemons, etc.)
Ćevapćići grilled little sausage-like meat served with onions, pita bread and possibly mustard, potatoes etc.
Sea food
For Christmas, Croats traditionally eat bakalar (cod)
(also see: sea food)
Squid - Croatian: lignje, Italian: calamari
Octopus salad - Croatian: salata od hobotnice
Cuttlefish risotto - Croatian: Crni rižot, Italian: Risotto nero
Tuna
Shrimps - Croatian: škampi, Italian: scampi
Common mussels - Croatian: dagnje
Bakalar (Dalmatian speciality served at Christmas time) - fish sort
Fish stew
Clam Buzara
Sea spider salad
Breaded catfish or carp
Stews
Goulash (Croatian: gulaš, see also Hungarian gulyás)
Grah - beans
Mahune
Riblji paprikaš - also called fiš-paprikaš (spicy fish stew from Slavonia, see also Hungarian halászlé)
Slavonska riblja čorba (fish stew from Slavonia)
Brudet (or Brodet) - fish stew
Chicken stew
Rabbit goulash
Istrian Stew (Jota)
Game Čobanac (Shepherd's Stew)
Feines Venison goulash with prunes
Hunter's Stew
Wine goulash
Sauerkraut Stew
Pasta
Pašticada with Gnocchi (beef pot roast)
Istrian Fuži
Needle macaroni
strukli
Soups
maneštra
Veal soup with smoked meat
Vegeta seasoned broth
Side dishes
Sataraš (minced and roasted vegetables)
Mlinci (typical Croatian, roasted pasta)
Đuveđ (cooked vegetables, similar to Ratatouille)
Other
Zagrebački odrezak - escalope stuffed with ham and cheese
Punjena paprika - paprika/peppers filled with minced meat (Hungarian: töltött paprika)
Sarma - Sauerkraut rolls filed with minced pork meat and rice
Arambašići from Sinj - similar to Sarma, but with grinded beef and with no rice
Mlinci - flat, sour dumplings
Lepinje-flat bread
Wild truffles with pasta
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 potatos
Cabbage (kraut) from the region of Zagreb (zelje)
Artichokes with peas
Fritaja with asparagus
Gorski kotar filling (pieces of ham with eggs and bread)
Žganci (with milk, Polenta)
Čvarci
Sausages and ham
Kulen - spicy pork sausage from Slavonia
Češnovka - spicy pork sausage with a harmonious garlic taste from Turopolje
Kobasica - spicy, air-dried sausage (Hungarian: kolbász)
Istrian and Dalmatian Pršut - double-smoked ham (similar to Italian prosciutto)
Home-made, Slavonian Kulen (spicy ham from Slavonia)
Salami from Samobor
Švargl from Slavonia
Špek from continental Croatia
Panceta from Dalmatia
Suđuk from inland Dalmatia
Kaštradina
Cheese (sir)
Paški sir - famous sheep's milk cheese and goat's cheese from 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
Cottage cheese (eaten with vrhnje) from Zagorje
Pastry
Pita
Pogača (farmers' bread)
Husiljevača
Povitica
Bucnica (pumpkin cake)
Sweets and desserts
Palačinke with sweet filling (Hungarian: palacsinta)
Zagorski štrukli - sweet pastry from northern Croatia
Uštipci
Strudel (Croatian: savijača or štrudla) with apple or curd cheese fillings
Orehnjača - sweet bread with walnuts
Makovnjača - sweet bread with poppy seeds
Croatian honey
Bear's paw
Farmer's cheese (quark) cakes (cream cake)
Krafne, pokladnice - a type of Donut
Croatian pancakes (with cream with wine sauce)
ušljivac, deran, badavdžija (long plaited bun)
Wines (vino, Pl. vina)
Croatian wines are not very well known. It is a matter of the growing Croatian economy to make those wines more popular in the world and it is up to Croatian winemakers to start production for international markets.
White wines:
Graševina
Malvazija
Kutjevački rizling (Riesling from Kutjevo)
Žilavka
Vrbnička žlahtina from the Island of Krk
Traminac
White Burgundy
Rhine Riesling
Riesling from Đakovo
Plešivička kraljevina
Štrigovanec
Varaždinec
Debit
Promina
Benkovački Rosé
Kujundžuša
Bijeli Pinot (white Pinot) (from Poreč)
Moslavac
Škrlet
White Klikun
White Kaštelet
Cetinka
Vugava from the island of Vis
Pošip
Rukatac (Maraština) from the island of Korčula
Red wines:
Postup
Plavac mali
Dingač
Red Kaštelet
Babić (Area around Primošten)
Cabernet Sauvignon (from Poreč)
Faros (from the Island of Hvar)
Moslavačka Frankovka
Red Frankovka from Ilok
Šiler
Hrvatica
Barrique from Poreč
Grk
Red Muškat (Poreč)
Teran from Motovun
Grenche from Zadar
Red Burgundy from Kutjevo
Maestoso
Red Merlot
Crljenak Kaštelanski - after recent DNA studies widely known as Zinfandel
Beers (pivo)
Apart from the great abundance of imported international beers (Heineken, Tuborg, Gösser, Stella Artois, etc.), you will find some tasty home-brewn beers in Croatia. (Real fans need to know that the brewery in Split produces Bavarian Kaltenberg beer by licence of the original brewery in Germany.)
Karlovačko: brewed in Karlovac [1]
Ožujsko: brewed in Zagreb (the name refers to the month of march) [2]
Pan
Osječko: from Osijek
Staro Češko: Czech beer from Daruvar (a Czech minority is living there), brewed in Croatia
Riječko pivo: from the large seaport city of Rijeka on the northern Adriatic coast
Velebitsko pivo: brewed near Gospić on the Velebit mountain, small but high-quality brewery, the dark beer has been voted best beer by an English beer fan website.
Liqueurs and spirits
Maraschino [3]
Rakija (Croatian name for schnapps):
Travarica - with herbs
Šljivovica - plum
Lozovača - grapes
Kruškovac - pears
Drenovac - cherries
Pelinkovac
Orahovac (walnut liqueur)
Glembaj
Medovina (with honey)
Gvirc (as Medovina, only more alcohol)
Coffee
Croatia is, of course, a country of coffee drinkers, not only because it was formerly part of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire, but also because of its bordering position to the former Ottoman Empire. You will find traditional coffee houses similar to those in Vienna everywhere in 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 (the so-called Eauscar) for best mineral water of 2003 [4]
Lipički studenac
Jana – also belongs to Jamnica, best aromatized mineral water (Eauscar 2004)
Cetina – water from the river Cetina, which flows through the Dalmatian hinterland [5]
Bistra – produced by Coca Cola
Postup
Plavac mali
Dingač
Red Kaštelet
Babić (Area around Primošten)
Cabernet Sauvignon (from Poreč)
Faros (from the Island of Hvar)
Moslavačka Frankovka
Red Frankovka from Ilok
Šiler
Hrvatica
Barrique from Poreč
Grk
Red Muškat (Poreč)
Teran from Motovun
Grenche from Zadar
Red Burgundy from Kutjevo
Maestoso
Red Merlot
Crljenak Kaštelanski - after recent DNA studies widely known as Zinfandel
Beers (pivo)
Apart from the great abundance of imported international beers (Heineken, Tuborg, Gösser, Stella Artois, etc.), you will find some tasty home-brewn beers in Croatia. (Real fans need to know that the brewery in Split produces Bavarian Kaltenberg beer by licence of the original brewery in Germany.)
Karlovačko: brewed in Karlovac [1]
Ožujsko: brewed in Zagreb (the name refers to the month of march) [2]
Pan
Osječko: from Osijek
Staro Češko: Czech beer from Daruvar (a Czech minority is living there), brewed in Croatia
Riječko pivo: from the large seaport city of Rijeka on the northern Adriatic coast
Velebitsko pivo: brewed near Gospić on the Velebit mountain, small but high-quality brewery, the dark beer has been voted best beer by an English beer fan website.
Liqueurs and spirits
Maraschino [3]
Rakija (Croatian name for schnapps):
Travarica - with herbs
Šljivovica - plum
Lozovača - grapes
Kruškovac - pears
Drenovac - cherries
Pelinkovac
Orahovac (walnut liqueur)
Glembaj
Medovina (with honey)
Gvirc (as Medovina, only more alcohol)
Coffee
Croatia is, of course, a country of coffee drinkers, not only because it was formerly part of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire, but also because of its bordering position to the former Ottoman Empire. You will find traditional coffee houses similar to those in Vienna everywhere in 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 (the so-called Eauscar) for best mineral water of 2003 [4]
Lipički studenac
Jana – also belongs to Jamnica, best aromatized mineral water (Eauscar 2004)
Cetina – water from the river Cetina, which flows through the Dalmatian hinterland [5]
Bistra – produced by Coca Cola
