What to Eat in Croatia

Croatia is one of the richest countries in the world in terms of its gastronomic offer due to an interesting geographical location. Easternmost Croatian cuisine offers meat delicacies such as kulen and kulenova seka sausages, dried sausages, bacon, cracklings, sarma (cabbage leaves stuffed with meat) and a variety of delicious biscuits.

Northern and central Croatia are rich in cabbage, potatoes, and one of the highest quality pumpkin oil in the world. It is also known for Zagorje strukli, stew and various specialties with turkey meat. Zagorje strukli are one of the inevitable delicacies of this part of Croatia. Many generations adore homemade cheese and cream even today and various stews with vegetables and bacon have raised many across this part of Croatia. Central Croatia has more of its specialties; a well-known prekmurska gibanica, Zagreb steak and baked ham.
Croatia has excellent quality meats prepared on the grill to achieve the best taste. Many guests in Croatia want to try cevapcici, raznjici and pljeskavica, however, they can’t always be found on the menu as they are not traditional Croatian dishes. These delicacies are more typical for neighbouring Bosnia and Herzegovina and other countries that belong to the Balkans.

The most famous Croatian cuisine is surely the one from the sea.

Nearly 13 million foreign guests are delighted with Croatian Mediterranean cuisine rich in seafood, fish, squid and octopus but there can also be found homemade lamb under the bell (”ispod peke”) or on the grill.

Sea bream, sea bass, roosterfish, brill, red scorpionfish, sardine, mackerel, flounder, red mullet, dentex, tuna are only some of the fish you can find on the menu across Croatia’s Adriatic coast. Of course we mustn’t forget about stewed savory scampi or grilled scampi as well as various fish soups and stews.

Croatian Mediterranean cuisine in addition to fish is also known for homemade pasta like fuzi and pljukanci, to mention more popular types. Istria is also famous for truffles – subterranean mushrooms which can only be detected with a help from specially trained dogs.

Everyone who visits Croatia and the island of Pag has the opportunity to try some Pag cheese which is made from goat and sheep milk. Residents say that the secret ingredient of good taste comes from the wind that blows from Velebit Mountain and is mixed with salt from the Adriatic Sea.

It is with the help from this wind that some of the best types of prosciutto in the world are made: Istrian and Dalmatian prosciutto.

Croatia has its drinks that many tourists recognize as unique: medica (honey brandy), borovicka (berries brandy), sljivovica (plum brandy), jabukovaca (apple brandy), kruskovaca (pear brandy), high quality white and red wines, fantastic Croatian beer. There are many companies the produce excellent natural juices of the highest category.
The most important Croatian drink is also the healthiest; it’s water. Croatia is one of the richest countries in the world with drinking water sources; as many as dozen excellent mineral water producers across the country come as no surprise. Surely the best known are Jana, still water, and Jamnica, sparkling water.