by Janis / 0 comments - Orginally published:12th January 2018
What would tempt your taste buds?
One of the many reasons Gary and I love to travel is to experience the local food and culture of a country or region, and our Croatian road trip certainly didn’t disappoint us. We had so many delicious culinary experiences.
I would probably say that Gary is the more adventurous of the two when it comes to trying different foods. However, over the many years of our travelling, there have not been too many local delicacies that we would never wish to experience again.
Thankfully, none of these were in Croatia.
Why not Pin it for later?
Where is Croatia?
How to get to Croatia
- By Air
If you’re flying into Croatia, search for your flights in one easy place with Booking.com. This reliable travel search engine will scan for your favoured routes and chosen dates. Pre-book your hire car from Rental Cars, and your adventure begins.
- By Car
If you’re heading from the UK by car, jump on Le Shuttle or a Brittany Ferry and venture off to Croatia under your own steam. Check out our Road Trip checklist for handy advice.
Brodet in Trogir
Or is it BrudetThe first dish I’ve chosen is Brodet, which is a seafood stew traditionally served with polenta. This delicious dish includes three different types of fish, along with a selection of shellfish.
I must admit that this Brodet was my favourite dish on our Croatian road trip. It was full of incredible flavours.
Brodet - A Croatian Fish Stew
Although the dish Brodet can be found at many places along the Dalmatian coast, I enjoyed this stew at the historical town of Trogir at Konoba Fortin.
We attempted to recreate this dish at home, but alas, it wasn’t quite as tasty or refined.
If you've yet to discover the delights of Croatia you're in for a treat. While planning our road trip, I used the DK Eyewitness books. I find them extremely informative, easy to follow and the pictures and maps tempt you into discovering more.
We used a previous version of this book to plan our north to south Croatian road trip, now you can grab the revised copy.
Crni rižot in Zadar
Don’t let the colour deter youCrni rižot or cuttlefish risotto, was one of Gary’s favourite dishes of our Croatian trip. Crni rižot is quite a powerful-looking dish and certainly packs a punch on the flavours; this is undoubtedly a good choice for seafood lovers. The risotto's distinctive black colour comes from the cuttlefish's squid ink.
Cuttlefish risotto
Gary chose this dish at a local Konoba in Zadar named Konoba Skoblar, and of course, he enjoyed it with a glass of Croatian white wine.
Did you know?
That truffles can be found in the Istria region of Croatia and at a fraction of the cost of other parts of the world.
The simplicity of grilled fish
Perfect and uncomplicatedThe shoreline along the Dalmatian coast is stunning, so it really would be remiss of me not to try the locally caught fresh fish. And when the fish is so fresh, I believe choosing it just simply grilled is perfect.
Seabass
So, while in Dubrovnik, we ate at Konoba Koloseum at the bottom of the Jesuit Steps. I chose a delicious grilled seabass, which was superb, so flavoursome, and served with fresh vegetables.
Sampling Čevapi in Trogir
A traditional Balkan dishČevapi was a dish recommended to us before we left for Croatia, so we undoubtedly wanted to try it. Čevapi is quite a simple dish made from a combination of minced beef, pork, lamb, or veal, depending on the region you are visiting, with the addition of seasoning.
Čevapi
The meat is formed into a sausage shape about the length of your finger and simply grilled. This is quite a popular dish in the Balkan region, often served with flatbread.
Perfect for a quick snack.
Delicious Pašticada
A Dalmatia specialityPašticada is a very traditional dish of the Dalmatia region and is not always easy to find. The reason for this is that the cooking process is very slow and thorough. The beef is marinated with specific ingredients overnight, then slowly roasted to produce succulent flavours within a rich sauce. The dish is traditionally served with gnocchi.
Pašticada
We were lucky to find this dish in a Konoba near our apartment in Dubrovnik, named Konoba Pjatanca. The waitress gave us a complimentary glass of walnut liqueur, which was made by her brother and also delicious.
Visiting Croatia
For further advice on visiting Croatia, head to the official tourism website Croatia – Full of Life.
Perfect fish skewers
A delicious light lunchA dish I really enjoyed in the sunshine of Zadar was just simply some fish skewers. Chunks of fresh fish and vegetables were grilled and served with blitva s krumpirom and accompaniment of Swiss chard, potatoes, and garlic.
Fish skewers
I chose this dish while we were staying in Zadar from Konoba Skoblar, the same Konoba that Gary had the Crni rižot mentioned above. It was a delightful restaurant and overlooked a bustling square.
Stuffed Squid in Rovinj
A taste of the seaAnother winning dish for Gary was a delicious plate of stuffed squid, which he enjoyed on a couple of occasions during our Croatian road trip. Once again, the stuffed squid was simply cooked and served with fresh grilled vegetables and a generous portion of blitva s krumpirom, a Swiss chard with potatoes and garlic.
Stuffed squid and traditional vegetables
During our 2-night stay in Rovinj, nestled along the Istrian coast, Gary, and I found a couple of lovely restaurants. To Gary’s delight, one tiny place we discovered was serving stuffed squid. Staying along the Croatian coastline, you’re treated to some magnificent seafood.
Have you?
Tried any Croatian dishes that you loved and could eat time and time again?
Indulge in a meat platter
The allure of wood-burning grillNow, I’m aware that this Croatian culinary post is fairly seafood-heavy, and it isn’t surprising, given Croatia's spectacular coastline. However, the Croatians love their meat as well.
We visited one restaurant in Trogir that tempted us in with the alluring scent of a wood-burning grill.
A meat feast
Needless to say, Gary and I chose the carnivore’s option on that occasion, which was accompanied by Ajvar, a Croatian red pepper sauce.
Something Else
You must also try Pršut & Pag cheese, Croatian cured ham and cheese from the Island of Pag mmmm….
Sweet Palacinke
Homemade pancakesNow, a delightful treat for the sweet-toothed amongst us.
Palacinke
Palacinke is a light and delicate crêpe-like pancake filled with a sweet filling of your choice. Your options are possibly jam or chocolate; however, we were told that the traditional filling in Croatia was walnut, so “When in Rome”, and Gary kindly took one for the team.
And he loved them.
A culinary delight for next time
An excuse to return to CroatiaWhile driving through the Croatian countryside and the coastal regions along the Adriatic Sea, we often noticed al-fresco Konobas. Many of these restaurants had external ovens and were spit-roasting lamb and pork in preparation for the arrival of hungry folk that evening.
A Croatian road trip
Unfortunately, due to our timing on this road trip, we didn’t quite get the chance to stop at one, but the aroma was so tempting. Ahh, well, there is always a next time.
* This post may contain links to affiliated sites where we earn a small commission at no additional charge to you.
