Croatia has blown up as a tourist destination in recent years, at least partially because of Game of Thrones. Before this larger crowd descended upon the country, it was visited by tourists – largely close European neighbours – who were in the know. People who have found a vacation rental in Croatia and are coming today for the iconic television show tours, picture-perfect beaches, architectural gems and incredible historic quarters of her cities, might be a little less informed on what they can really expect and one of the things that they may not know as much about is Croatia's cuisine.
Croatian cuisine is varied and fascinating and each region of Croatia has its own distinct culinary traditions. This all goes back to the seasonally and locally available foods that were allowed by each region's geographic location in the past and each region's proximity to other countries and cultures. As such, mainland cuisine was influenced by Slavic, Hungarian and Turkish cultures and coastal areas bear the influence of Greek, Roman and Italian cuisine. Similarly to Italy, much of Croatian cuisine is based on peasant cooking traditions. Some foods are entirely regional and not available elsewhere but most dishes can be found all around the country, often with local variants.
In order to prepare you for your trip we have compiled a list of dishes and foods that you won't want to miss when you visit Croatia!
1. Black Risotto/Crni Rižot
A very typical seafood dish of Dalmatia, this is a risotto made with squid ink, which gives it its distinct black colour. Be warned, it will turn your teeth and mouth black but the rich and tasty combination of cuttlefish or squid, olive oil, garlic, red wine and squid ink makes seafood lovers swear that it is well worth it! You should find it widely available in seafood restaurants throughout Croatia so be sure to add this unique dish to your list of must-try experiences once you have found a vacation rental in Dalmatia.
Of course, there are many more dishes to mention so be sure to read on to the following posts in this series for even more examples of Croatian cuisine that you won't want to miss out on!
In order to prepare you for your trip we have compiled a list of dishes and foods that you won't want to miss when you visit Croatia!
1. Black Risotto/Crni Rižot
A very typical seafood dish of Dalmatia, this is a risotto made with squid ink, which gives it its distinct black colour. Be warned, it will turn your teeth and mouth black but the rich and tasty combination of cuttlefish or squid, olive oil, garlic, red wine and squid ink makes seafood lovers swear that it is well worth it! You should find it widely available in seafood restaurants throughout Croatia so be sure to add this unique dish to your list of must-try experiences once you have found a vacation rental in Dalmatia.
Of course, there are many more dishes to mention so be sure to read on to the following posts in this series for even more examples of Croatian cuisine that you won't want to miss out on!
Photo credit: Micaela & Massimo / CC BY 2.0
