Inside Croatia's rich food culture: from coastal feasts to family traditions
With a distinct divide between the southern coastal and northern continental culinary cultures, this is one country where you should let your taste buds determine the itinerary.
If you’ve ever been to a Croatian’s house, you will know that one thing is true – we’re a hospitable nation. Gost (“guest”) is an emotionally charged word and visitors are treated with something akin to reverence. This is perhaps one of the things that really sets Croatian hospitality apart. We love to make our guests feel at home, as comfortable as possible – and a major part of this is ensuring they are well fed.
The definition of a catastrophe (or embarrassment) in Croatia is not having enough food to serve people, so at all times there must be food and drink in the home deemed “worthy” of any unexpected guests that may drop by, even if it’s just for a cup of coffee. However, Sunday lunch is reserved for families, and the streets of Croatia’s cities and towns empty out as people sit with their loved ones for this cherished, almost sacred, weekly meal.
Nothing says Sunday lunch like the smell of freshly cooked beef soup wafting down from apartments all over northern Croatia, while nothing suggests festivity like the sweet smell of deep-fried, sugared fritule escaping from someone’s window.
At meal times, portions are generous and dishes are served on the table for everyone to help themselves, although the host will encourage and refill plates. While it’s not considered an insult to turn down food, it’s definitely seen as contributing to the communal spirit by participating in both eating and drinking.
Meals in the home are a focal point of Croatian tradition and history, and even though there has been a notable increase in people eating out in recent times, the home-cooked meal will always hold a special place in our hearts.
Croatians consider themselveslucky to come from such a beautiful country, with its pristine landscape. Located in the heart of Europe, at the crossroads of many cultures and with a population of just over four million, the country has become a huge tourist drawcard in recent years.
Thanks to Croatia’s distinct geographic regions, and influences resulting from a long and complex history, the cuisine has many variations. It’s a country of regional cuisines, with a distinct divide between the southern coastal and northern continental culinary cultures. The clean air, abundance of water in many parts of the country and different types of soils all over the region mean that the produce is some of the best in Europe. The inherent flavours of the meat, fish and vegetables lend themselves to simple yet refined recipes that warm the heart and soul.
Croatia is a tiny country with extraordinary topographical diversity, bordered by Hungary, Slovenia, Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia Herzegovina; it also shares a maritime border with Italy. As such, its culinary history has been shaped by its turbulent political history, influenced by the many different ethnic groups that either passed through, exerted power over or occupied the lands that are now Croatia. It has continuously absorbed and adapted the various cultural elements that have made their way through its territories, taking a little of everything to become its own unique blend.
Predominantly Italian elements, with notes of French and hints of Turkish, are woven into the lean coastal cuisine of Dalmatia, Istria and Primorje, comprising lots of vegetables, fish and seafood along with the mandatory olive oil. The north, on the other hand (Zagorje, Slavonija and Lika), has been shaped by Germanic, Austrian, Hungarian and Turkish strands. This cuisine is characterised by hearty meat, poultry, dairy products and starchy foods, rich desserts and pickles; it’s a product of the rich and fertile land.
Dalmatia, the region that makes up most of the southern coast, has been heavily exposed to influences from around the Mediterranean, having first being colonised by the Ancient Greeks and Romans. The Ottoman Empire swept through the Balkans in the 1450s and, to this day, one can see the culinary impact in dishes such as skinless sausages and sautéed vegetables with rice. In 1797 Napoleon incorporated Dalmatia into his Illyrian Provinces, lending a heavy French influence to the region, which is evident in some of the dishes such as rožata, a kind of crème caramel.
BONUS RECIPE: Scampi in White Wine and Tomato
In 1815, Dalmatia was incorporated into the Habsburg Empire and Italian became the official language. It was during this time that the Austrian and Hungarian cultures heavily influenced the area of today’s Croatia. A lasting legacy were things like the expansion of coffee houses and cakes, such as the famous chocolate sponge cake known as sacher torte.
With the fall of the Habsburgs in 1918, Dalmatia was claimed by both Italy for a period and the new Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. In 1945, after World War II, Yugoslavia became the overarching federation and much traditional farming of produce was neglected, instead taken over by heavy industry. After a period of unrest during the 1980s, following the death of President Tito, Croatia finally declared its independence in 1991. Today, the hunger for growing produce and reviving old trades is back; what is produced now in the country is among the best in Europe.
Dalmatia is a region defined by the sea, with white-pebbled beaches, azure skies and myriad islands that sparkle like jewels in the crystal clear Adriatic. The climate is typical of the Mediterranean, as is the vegetation, with olive trees, lavender bushes, vineyards and fragrant pine trees. Vegetables and seafood are the staples of a diet that has had to do the best it could with harsh, rocky terrain. Dalmatians had to be frugal and inventive, creating the best they could with limited produce. Meat has always been a luxury and rich dishes were only ever served at festivities or during special times of the year, such as Christmas.
Much like other Mediterranean diets, though, this has been a blessing in disguise, as the diet is very healthy. When entertaining guests, a meal often begins with plates of cured meats (pršut in the south, kulen in the north) and various types of cheese, pickled vegetables and bread. This will be accompanied by an aperitif, such as a brandy, followed by the first course, a bowl of warm soup – no matter what the weather.
Next will come either a meat dish, such as peka or pašticada, or a roast, with a particular favourite being lamb on the spit from the island of Pag or the mountainous region of Lika. Suckling pig on the spit or roast turkey are also popular dishes in various parts of the country, and meals are usually accompanied by salads, roast vegetables or, in the north, boiled pastry called mlinci. Fish dishes would also be served as a main course.
BONUS RECIPE: Carrot, Capsicum and Eggplant Soup
No meal with guests is ever complete without sweets and cakes, which often contain seasonal fruits and nuts (plums, apples, apricots, cherries, walnuts and hazelnuts). Strudels (from the Germanic influence), cream cakes, dumplings and pancakes are traditional favourites.
There is one more thing that no Croatian meal is complete without – brandy and liqueurs. A typical start or end to any meal is sweet cherry brandy (maraschino), warm walnut brandy (orahovica), pear brandy (kruškovac), potent plum brandy (šljivovica) and herbal grass brandy (travarica).
This is an edited extract from Dalmatia (2nd edition) by Ino Kuvacic (Hardie Grant, $50). Photography by Chris Middleton and Ino Kuvacic.
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