Croatian cuisine
Croatian people like to cook and eat well and still enjoy some of the traditional dishes that have been around for decades, some even for centuries.
So, if you are visiting Croatia and would like to eat like a local, we bring you a helpful guide to some of the essential Croatian dishes.
WAYS OF PREPARING FOOD:
S roštilja (or na gradele)– grilled
Pečeno– roasted
Pod pekom – cooked in a stone oven under an iron (bell) cover.
Na lešo– boiled in broth or water (lamb, beef, fish)
MEAT AND FISH:
Miješano meso– assorted roasted meat
Ražnjići– skewers
Zagrebački odrezak– a veal steak stuffed with ham and cheese, coated with bread crumbs and then fried
Lignje– squid
Salata od hobotnice– octopus salad
Crni rižot– cuttlefish risotto
Dagnje ili mušule – mussels
Škampi– scampi
STEWS
Gulaš– goulash
Grah– bean stew
Riblji paprikaš or fiš-paprikaš– spicy fish stew from Slavonia
Brudet or brodet– fish stew
Pašticada– Dalmatian beef stew
Tripice or fileki– tripe stew
Zelena menestra– cabbage and meat dish (Dubrovnik area)
PASTA
Fuži– Istrian type of pasta
Štrukli– baked or cooked filled pastry from Zagorje
Krpice sa zeljem– pasta with stewed cabbage
Šporki makaruli– traditional pasta with meat sauce, from Dubrovnik and surrounding area
SIDE DISHES:
Mlinci– roasted flatbread, usually served with roasted duck
Blitva s krumpirom– cooked chard and potatoes seasoned with olive oil and garlic
Povrće na lešo– cooked vegetables seasoned with olive oil and sometimes garlic
…AND MORE:
Punjene paprike– peppers filled with minced meat and rice, usually served with mashed potates
Sarma– sauerkraut rolls filled with minced pork meat and rice, usually served with mashed potatoes
Lepinje– flat bread
Pogača– traditional bread
DESSERTS:
Štrudla (or savijača)– apple strudel or curd cheese strudel
Orehnjača and makovnjača– sweet breads (rolls) with walnut or poppy seed filling
Palačinke– crêpes
Bučnica– summer squash and cottage cheese pie (savory or sweet)
Krafne or pokladnice– doughnuts
Rožata or rozata– flan
Pinca– sweet bread made on Easter
Fritule– deep-fried dough
Mađarica– layer cake