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Croatia travel guide

What to Eat in Croatia: Famous Croatian Foods

The Croatian cuisine dates from the Ancient times and there are notable differences between the foods eaten on the mainland and those from the coastal regions. The mainland cuisine has Slavic origins and a lot of influences from the Hungarian, Austrian and Turkish cuisines; on the other hand, the cuisine found on the coastal regions has Ancient Greek, Ancient Roman, modern day Mediterranean and French influences. While on the mainland you’ll find the garlic, black pepper and paprika used a lot , on the coastal regions you’ll find oregano, olive oil, rosemary and cinnamon.

Lignje

Squid – either breaded or fried – served with boiled potatoes and blitva (swiss chard) in olive oil.

Filana paprika

This is a simple yet very tasty dish: green peppers, filled with a mixture of meat and served with tomato sauce. The side dish is mashed potatoes. Try the dish hot, in colder days.

Brodet

It’s the Dalmatian fish stew served with polenta. The dish in an excellent dinner choice after a day at the beach.

Štrukli

These are large dumplings, filled with cottage cheese. They are served with fried bread crumbs. Try them with sugar on top.

Kalja

This is a present dish made with lamb, veal, potatoes, carrots and cabbage. Simple and hearty meal.

Lamb on a spit

The Croatian lamb has an incredible taste and the way it is cook on the spit makes it a wonderful choice even for those who turn the nose when they hear the dish is made with lamb.

Pašticada

This is another Dalmatian dish, consisting of beef stew cooked in red wine and served by gnocchi.

Fritaja (Omelet) with asparagus

It’s a must-try during summer; the simple dish features eggs and freshly picked asparagus.

Palatschinke

It’s the same as the Hungarian palacsinta and is basically crepe (pancakes) with a sweet filling (generally gems).

Goulash

It’s the same as the Hungarian gulyás; it’s a soup or stew made with meat (pork or beef usually), vegetables and noodles, seasoned with paprika. In some parts of Croatia, dear is used instead of beef and the bacon is an important part of the Croatian variety of Goulash.

Black Risotto

This is sea food risotto which gets the color from the squid’s ink. Cuttlefish is also added to the dish.

Truffles

When visiting Istria, don’t forget to try the dishes made with truffles. They are typically served on pasta, but they can also be the main ingredient in the dish.

Orehnjača

It’s a desert, basically a roll filled with walnuts. Poppy seeds can also be used.

Mlinci

This is a dried flat bread, which is either boiled in a soup, a stew or simply fried in poultry fat. And it’s often served to accompany the main roast.

Photo credits:Mlinci by Icebone, Truffles by heatheronhertravels , Black Risotto by jomme , Goulash by traveldot , Palatschinke by VLKR , Pašticada by nurettin , Lamb by leiabox , Štrukli by nocas , Lignje by BLDUMMY