Food in Croatia – a guide to Croatian gastronomy

What’s best to eat in Croatia?

Croatia has recently become increasingly popular thanks to its favourable climate, beautiful islands and turquoise waters. But Croatia also has an exciting food culture that has been influenced by different cultures for centuries. Food traditions differ depending on where in the country you are located, but an obvious and inevitable influence on Croatian food culture has been Italian cuisine. Croatia was controlled by the Republic of Venice for almost 400 years and therefore many of its dishes have been influenced by Italian cuisine. If you are a fan of seafood and fish, you will like Croatian cuisine.

Croatian dishes not to be missed

Croatian risotto

When visiting Croatia, it is hard to find a restaurant that does not have a dish of Italian origin on its menu. Therefore, you will likely come across dishes such as pizza, spaghetti and risotto. The most famous risotto dishes are squid risotto, veal risotto and shrimp risotto with white wine and garlic.

Olive oil and olives

In Croatia, olive oil and olives are an important element of many dishes. When taking a tour of the islands, you’ll quickly notice the large farms with olive trees. Don't miss out on the chance to try the local olive oil.

Fish and seafood

Seafood is an important part of the Croatian culinary world, especially along the coast. You'll find fresh seafood everywhere – from oyster bars to fish restaurants. Favourite dishes include various kinds of grilled fish and seafood such as tuna, mahi-mahi, squid, mussels and other seafood. Anchovies are commonly eaten for lunch served with bread and a dash of olive oil.

Pasticada

A meat dish that is very famous in Croatia, especially in Dalmatia, is Pasticada. This is a dish of slow cooked beef that becomes tender and flavourful after many hours of simmering and is usually served alongside gnocchi.

Croatian wines

Don't miss out on tasting the local Croatian wines. The country's most famous wines are made from Chardonnay, Pinot, Skrlet and Graševina grape varieties. In Istria you can find Merlot, Muscat and Vrbnička Žlahtina. In Dalmatia, wonderful wines are produced with Babić, Plavina, Merlot, Grk, Vugava, Plavac, Stina and Bogdanuša grape varieties. Also, don’t miss the dessert wine Prošek. On a sailing trip in Croatia there are plenty of opportunities to go on wine tastings and learn more about the local wine produced on several of the islands.

Coffee culture

One thing that cannot be left unmentioned is Croatian coffee culture. Step into one of the coffee shops and enjoy the pace of life known as “fjaka”. Fjaka more or less means “doing nothing” – in other words, enjoying your coffee with good company in the sunshine. Also try delicious Croatian desserts such as fritule and rozata.