Croatian Food Guide: A Must Try Local Food

Written by Marin @Danielis on April 25, 2017 in Sailing Cooking & Cuisine

1) Crni rižot - black risotto

Croatian food guide: black risotto

It is all about the squid ink. In nature, its used to get away from predators, but in cooking it gives a distinctive taste and the risottos signature black color.

2) Hobotnica ispod peke - Octopus under the hood

Croatian food guide: octopus

The peka is a cast iron dome on which an iron ring is placed and the whole thing is covered with embers. Any type of meat can be made this way, but there are few things as good as a fresh from the sea octopus baked with potatoes, herbs and vegetables.

A good peak takes about two hours to prepare, so either call ahead or have a couple of bottles of chilled white wine while you wait.

3) Riba sa gradela - fish from the grill

Croatian food guide: fish from the grill

A freshly caught fish (brancin, zubatac, orada) seasoned with homemade olive oil, coarse salt stuffed with some rosemary, grilled over hot embers is all you will ever need.

4) Pršut i paški sir - cured ham and cheese from the island of Pag (Gligora if you can find it)

Croatian food guide: prsut i paški sir 

This one is tricky since great cured ham is not really available and there is a danger of getting served a plate of the store-bought stuff, but your skipper should know the right doors to knock on where they serve the good stuff, and you want the good stuff. This amazing ham has the right balance of salt, fat and smoky flavor which goes insanely well with goat cheese form the island of Pag.

5) Škampi na buzaru - No translation, just try it. You are welcome

Croatian food guide: škampi na buzaru

A buzara is a traditional fisherman's stew made with white wine, olive oil, garlic, tomatoes breadcrumbs, and scampi. Its made to be eaten on the deck of a boat (or a terrace of the restaurant) with your hands, tearing into those delicious little guys and scraping the sauce with fresh bread.

6) Skradinski rizoto - The Skradin Risotto

Croatian food guide: Skradinski rizoto

If you are a fan of Anthony Bourdain then skip this, you seen him eat it right out of the pot back in his No reservations show about Croatia.

But in case you missed it, this mysterious dish is something worth searching for. We will only reveal that you can find it in the town of Skradin, it is a Pižić family secret, the recipes are 200 years old and it is handed down generation by generation, but only the men of the family are allowed to prepare it. If you find out the location of the restaurant call ahead because the cooking time is 12 hours.

For more in depth information check out our friends at "Taste of Croatia", and follow in Anthony Bourdains steps (http://www.tasteofcroatia.org/articles/faces-places/anthony-bourdain-croatia)