Croatian cuisine is heterogeneous and is known as a cuisine of the regions, since every region of

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = " Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capi ...

has its own distinct culinary tradition. Its roots date back to ancient times. The differences in the selection of foodstuffs and forms of cooking are most notable between those in mainland and those in coastal regions. Mainland cuisine is more characterized by the earlier Slavic and the more recent contacts with Hungarian and

Turkish cuisine Turkish cuisine () is the cuisine of Turkey and the Turkish diaspora. It is largely the heritage of Ottoman cuisine, which can be described as a fusion and refinement of Mediterranean, Balkan, Middle Eastern, Central Asian and Eastern Eur ...

, using

lard Lard is a semi-solid white fat product obtained by rendering the fatty tissue of a pig.Lard
entry in the ...

for cooking, and spices such as

black pepper Black pepper (''Piper nigrum'') is a flowering vine in the family Piperaceae, cultivated for its fruit, known as a peppercorn, which is usually dried and used as a spice and seasoning. The fruit is a drupe (stonefruit) which is about in dia ...

paprika Paprika ( US , ; UK , ) is a spice made from dried and ground red peppers. It is traditionally made from '' Capsicum annuum'' varietals in the Longum group, which also includes chili peppers, but the peppers used for paprika tend to be milder ...

, and

garlic Garlic (''Allium sativum'') is a species of bulbous flowering plant in the genus '' Allium''. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chive, Welsh onion and Chinese onion. It is native to South Asia, Central Asia and northeas ...

. The coastal region bears the influences of

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

and

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lett ...

cuisine, as well as of the later

Mediterranean cuisine Mediterranean cuisine is the food and methods of preparation used by the people of the Mediterranean Basin. The idea of a Mediterranean cuisine originates with the cookery writer Elizabeth David's book, '' A Book of Mediterranean Food'' (1950 ...

, in particular

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

(especially Venetian). Coastal cuisines use

olive oil Olive oil is a liquid fat obtained from olives (the fruit of ''Olea europaea''; family Oleaceae), a traditional tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin, produced by pressing whole olives and extracting the oil. It is commonly used in cooking: ...

, herbs and spices such as

rosemary ''Salvia rosmarinus'' (), commonly known as rosemary, is a shrub with fragrant, evergreen, needle-like leaves and white, pink, purple, or blue flowers, native plant, native to the Mediterranean Region, Mediterranean region. Until 2017, it was kn ...

, sage,

bay leaf The bay leaf is an aromatic leaf commonly used in cooking. It can be used whole, either dried or fresh, in which case it is removed from the dish before consumption, or less commonly used in ground form. It may come from several species of tr ...

oregano Oregano (, ; ''Origanum vulgare'') is a species of flowering plant in the mint family Lamiaceae. It was native to the Mediterranean region, but widely naturalised elsewhere in the temperate Northern Hemisphere. Oregano is a woody perennial ...

marjoram Marjoram (; ''Origanum majorana'') is a cold-sensitive perennial herb or undershrub with sweet pine and citrus flavours. In some Middle Eastern countries, marjoram is synonymous with oregano, and there the names sweet marjoram and knotted marj ...

cinnamon Cinnamon is a spice obtained from the inner bark of several tree species from the genus '' Cinnamomum''. Cinnamon is used mainly as an aromatic condiment and flavouring additive in a wide variety of cuisines, sweet and savoury dishes, breakf ...

clove Cloves are the aromatic flower buds of a tree in the family Myrtaceae, ''Syzygium aromaticum'' (). They are native to the Maluku Islands (or Moluccas) in Indonesia, and are commonly used as a spice, flavoring or fragrance in consumer products, ...

nutmeg Nutmeg is the seed or ground spice of several species of the genus ''Myristica''. ''Myristica fragrans'' (fragrant nutmeg or true nutmeg) is a dark-leaved evergreen tree cultivated for two spices derived from its fruit: nutmeg, from its seed, an ...

, and lemon and orange rind. Peasant cooking traditions are based on imaginative variations of several basic ingredients (cereals, dairy products, meat, fish, vegetables, nuts) and cooking procedures (stewing, grilling, roasting, baking), while bourgeois cuisine involves more complicated procedures and use of selected herbs and spices.

Charcuterie Charcuterie ( , also ; ; from french: chair, , flesh, label=none, and french: cuit, , cooked, label=none) is a French term for a branch of cooking devoted to prepared meat products, such as bacon, ham, sausage, terrines, ''galantines'', ''ballo ...

is part of the Croatian culinary tradition in all regions. Food and recipes from other

former Yugoslav countries The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, commonly referred to as SFR Yugoslavia or simply as Yugoslavia, was a country in Central and Southeast Europe. It emerged in 1945, following World War II, and lasted until 1992, with the breakup of Yugo ...

are also popular in Croatia.

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = " Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capi ...

n cuisine can be divided into several distinct cuisines (

Dalmatia Dalmatia (; hr, Dalmacija ; it, Dalmazia; see names in other languages) is one of the four historical regions of Croatia, alongside Croatia proper, Slavonia, and Istria. Dalmatia is a narrow belt of the east shore of the Adriatic Sea, str ...

Dubrovnik Dubrovnik (), historically known as Ragusa (; see notes on naming), is a city on the Adriatic Sea in the region of Dalmatia, in the southeastern semi-exclave of Croatia. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations in the Mediterranea ...

, Gorski Kotar,

Istria Istria ( ; Croatian and Slovene: ; ist, Eîstria; Istro-Romanian, Italian and Venetian: ; formerly in Latin and in Ancient Greek) is the largest peninsula within the Adriatic Sea. The peninsula is located at the head of the Adriatic betwe ...

Lika Lika () is a traditional region of Croatia proper, roughly bound by the Velebit mountain from the southwest and the Plješevica mountain from the northeast. On the north-west end Lika is bounded by Ogulin-Plaški basin, and on the south-east b ...

, Međimurje,

Podravina ''Podravina'' (in Croatian) or ''Podravje'' (in Slovenian) are Slavic names for the Drava river basin in Croatia and Slovenia. History Between 1929 and 1941 a province of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia known as the ''Drava Banovina'' (Drava province) ...

, Slavonija, Zagorje) each of which has specific cooking traditions, characteristic of the area and not necessarily well known in other parts of Croatia. Most dishes, however, can be found all across the country, with local variants.

Meat and game

* Specialities from the grill are called ''s roštilja'', those roasted on the spit ''s ražnja'' * ''pečeno'' means roasted * ''prženo'' means fried * ''pod pekom'' means that the dish has been put into a stone oven under a metal cover. The cook puts hot coals on the cover so that the meal is cooked slowly in its own juices. Specialties cooked ''pod pekom'' include lamb, veal, and octopus. * ''na lešo'' means boiled in broth or water (lamb, beef, fish) Meso z tiblice - servirano (Croatia)

Croatian meat-based dishes include: *Pork *Miješano meso or Ražnjići (

skewer A skewer is a thin metal or wood stick used to hold pieces of food together. The word may sometimes be used as a metonym, to refer to the entire food item served on a skewer, as in "chicken skewers". Skewers are used while grilling or roasting ...

s) *Zagrebački odrezak (

Veal Veal is the meat of calves, in contrast to the beef from older cattle. Veal can be produced from a calf of either sex and any breed, however most veal comes from young male calves of dairy breeds which are not used for breeding. Generally, v ...

steaks stuffed with ham and cheese, breaded and fried) *Šnicle (schnitzel) – breaded veal, pork or chicken cutlets * – pork ham from

Međimurje County Međimurje County (; hr, Međimurska županija ; hu, Muraköz megye) is a triangle-shaped county in the northernmost part of Croatia, roughly corresponding to the historical and geographical region of Međimurje. Despite being the smallest C ...

*Janjetina – roasted lamb garnished with Mediterranean herbs * Odojak – roasted suckling pig *Fresh

game A game is a structured form of play, usually undertaken for entertainment or fun, and sometimes used as an educational tool. Many games are also considered to be work (such as professional players of spectator sports or games) or art (suc ...

from

* Visovačka begavica *

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula ...

with mlinci (flat pasta, soaked in roast juices) * Buncek – smoked pork hock, used in bean, sauerkraut or kale stews *Leg of lamb à la Pašticada *Leg of

venison Venison originally meant the meat of a game animal but now refers primarily to the meat of antlered ungulates such as elk or deer (or antelope in South Africa). Venison can be used to refer to any part of the animal, so long as it is edibl ...

the count's way *Wild

duck Duck is the common name for numerous species of waterfowl in the family Anatidae. Ducks are generally smaller and shorter-necked than swans and geese, which are members of the same family. Divided among several subfamilies, they are a form ...

with sauce *Polpete, ćufte, faširanci –

Frikadeller A frikadelle (plural frikadellen) is a rounded, flat-bottomed, pan-fried meatball of minced meat, often likened to the German version of meatballs. The origin of the dish is unknown. The term is German but the dish is associated with German, ...

*Roasted

pheasant Pheasants ( ) are birds of several genera within the family Phasianidae in the order Galliformes. Although they can be found all over the world in introduced (and captive) populations, the pheasant genera native range is restricted to Eurasia ...

*Kotlovina from

Samobor Samobor () is a city in Zagreb County, Croatia. It is part of the Zagreb metropolitan area. Administratively it is a part of Zagreb County. Geography Samobor is located west of Zagreb, between the eastern slopes of the Samobor hills ( hr, ...

(kettle with knuckle of pork and other meat and sausages) *Boiled fillet of beef haunch with

Sauerkraut Sauerkraut (; , "sour cabbage") is finely cut raw cabbage that has been fermented by various lactic acid bacteria. It has a long shelf life and a distinctive sour flavor, both of which result from the lactic acid formed when the bacteria ...

Escalope An escalope is traditionally a piece of boneless meat that has been thinned out using a mallet or rolling pin or beaten with the handle of a knife, or merely butterflied. The mallet breaks down the fibres in the meat, making it more tender. The ...

à la Baron Trenk (spicy-rolled

Schnitzel A schnitzel is a thin slice of meat. The meat is usually thinned by pounding with a meat tenderizer. Most commonly, the meat is breaded before frying. Breaded schnitzel is popular in many countries and is made using veal, pork, chicken, mutt ...

) * Međimurje

Goose A goose ( : geese) is a bird of any of several waterfowl species in the family Anatidae. This group comprises the genera '' Anser'' (the grey geese and white geese) and ''Branta'' (the black geese). Some other birds, mostly related to the ...

(stuffed with

buckwheat Buckwheat (''Fagopyrum esculentum''), or common buckwheat, is a flowering plant in the knotweed family Polygonaceae cultivated for its grain-like seeds and as a cover crop. The name "buckwheat" is used for several other species, such as ''Fagop ...

) * Turopolje

(with corn

semolina Semolina is coarsely milled durum wheat mainly used in making couscous, and sweet puddings. The term semolina is also used to designate coarse millings of other varieties of wheat, and sometimes other grains (such as rice or corn) as well. Ety ...

as a side dish) * Purgerica Turkey (

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year ...

dish from the bordering region to

Zagreb Zagreb ( , , , ) is the capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Croatia#List of cities and towns, largest city of Croatia. It is in the Northern Croatia, northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slop ...

, turkey filled with chestnuts, apples, bacon, lemons, etc.) * Krvavice, or čurke,

blood sausage A blood sausage is a sausage filled with blood that is cooked or dried and mixed with a filler until it is thick enough to solidify when cooled. Most commonly, the blood of pigs, sheep, lamb, cow, chicken, or goose is used. In Europe and the ...

s, made of blood and

kaša In English, kasha usually refers to pseudocereal buckwheat or its culinary preparations. In various East-Central and Eastern European countries, ''kasha'' can apply to any kind of cooked grain. It can be baked but most often is boiled, either ...

* Hladetina, a particular type of

head cheese Head cheese ( Dutch: ''hoofdkaas'') or brawn is a cold cut terrine or meat jelly that originated in Europe. It is made with flesh from the head of a calf or pig (less commonly a sheep or cow), typically set in aspic, and usually eaten cold, ...

* Brački vitalac * Edible dormouse – eaten on the

Dalmatian coast Dalmatia (; hr, Dalmacija ; it, Dalmazia; see #Name, names in other languages) is one of the four historical region, historical regions of Croatia, alongside Croatia proper, Slavonia, and Istria. Dalmatia is a narrow belt of the east shore of ...

according to Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern.

Seafood

Croatian

seafood Seafood is any form of sea life regarded as food by humans, prominently including fish and shellfish. Shellfish include various species of molluscs (e.g. bivalve molluscs such as clams, oysters and mussels, and cephalopods such as octopus an ...

dishes include: *

Squid True squid are molluscs with an elongated soft body, large eyes, eight arms, and two tentacles in the superorder Decapodiformes, though many other molluscs within the broader Neocoleoidea are also called squid despite not strictly fittin ...

– Croatian: ''lignje'', grilled, fried, stuffed or prepared as stew and served with polenta *

Octopus An octopus ( : octopuses or octopodes, see below for variants) is a soft-bodied, eight- limbed mollusc of the order Octopoda (, ). The order consists of some 300 species and is grouped within the class Cephalopoda with squids, cuttlefish, ...

salad – Croatian: ''salata od hobotnice''; octopus can also be prepared

brudet Brudet, brodet or brodeto is a fish stew made in Croatian regions of Dalmatia, Kvarner and Istria, as well as along the coast of Montenegro; the brodetto di pesce, or simply brodetto (''broeto'' in Lingua veneta, ''Brudèt ad pès'' in Roma ...

style, with red wine, or baked ''pod pekom'' *

Cuttlefish Cuttlefish or cuttles are marine molluscs of the order Sepiida. They belong to the class Cephalopoda which also includes squid, octopuses, and nautiluses. Cuttlefish have a unique internal shell, the cuttlebone, which is used for control of ...

risotto – Croatian: '' Crni rižot' *

Tuna A tuna is a saltwater fish that belongs to the tribe Thunnini, a subgrouping of the Scombridae (mackerel) family. The Thunnini comprise 15 species across five genera, the sizes of which vary greatly, ranging from the bullet tuna (max length: ...

Scampi Scampi, also called Dublin Bay Prawn or Norway Lobster ('' Nephrops norvegicus''), is an edible lobster of the order '' Decapoda''. It is widespread in the Mediterranean and northeastern Atlantic, from North Africa to Norway and Iceland, and ...

– Croatian: ''škampi'' *Common

mussel Mussel () is the common name used for members of several families of bivalve molluscs, from saltwater and freshwater habitats. These groups have in common a shell whose outline is elongated and asymmetrical compared with other edible clams, which ...

s – Croatian: ''dagnje'' *Salted cod is imported, but dishes are very popular for Christmas Eve or on Good Friday. It can be prepared either as ''bakalar na bijelo'' (

, Dalmatia and Istria, with olive oil and garlic, with or without potatoes), or as ''bakalar na crveno'', in tomato-based stew, with potatoes. *

Fish Fish are Aquatic animal, aquatic, craniate, gill-bearing animals that lack Limb (anatomy), limbs with Digit (anatomy), digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and Chondrichthyes, cartilaginous and bony fish as we ...

stew A stew is a combination of solid food ingredients that have been cooked in liquid and served in the resultant gravy. A stew needs to have raw ingredients added to the gravy. Ingredients in a stew can include any combination of vegetables a ...

– Croatian ''brodet'' or

(Dubrovnik and Dalmatia), best made with several type of fish (red rascasse, European conger, monkfish, European hake) *

Clam Clam is a common name for several kinds of bivalve molluscs. The word is often applied only to those that are edible and live as infauna, spending most of their lives halfway buried in the sand of the seafloor or riverbeds. Clams have two shel ...

s *Sea spider salad *Breaded

catfish Catfish (or catfishes; order Siluriformes or Nematognathi) are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behavior from the three largest species alive, ...

carp Carp are various species of oily freshwater fish from the family Cyprinidae, a very large group of fish native to Europe and Asia. While carp is consumed in many parts of the world, they are generally considered an invasive species in parts of ...

*Grilled

sardines "Sardine" and "pilchard" are common names for various species of small, oily forage fish in the herring family Clupeidae. The term "sardine" was first used in English during the early 15th century, a folk etymology says it comes from the Ital ...

or other fish (''na gradele'') *Salted

anchovies An anchovy is a small, common forage fish of the family Engraulidae. Most species are found in marine waters, but several will enter brackish water, and some in South America are restricted to fresh water. More than 140 species are placed in 1 ...

sardine "Sardine" and "pilchard" are common names for various species of small, oily forage fish in the herring family Clupeidae. The term "sardine" was first used in English during the early 15th century, a folk etymology says it comes from the It ...

(''slana riba'') are served as hors d'oeuvres or as a part of light supper with ''povrće na lešo'', salads etc. *''Buzara'' (shellfish sautéed in garlic, olive oil, parsley & white wine) * Date shells or '' prstaci'' are part of the traditional cuisine, but in the 20th century their extraction was banned as a measure of ecological protection

Stews

Stewed vegetables with a small amount of meat or sausages (''varivo'' or ''čušpajz'') is perceived as a healthy, traditional meal. Sour cream (in Northern Croatia) or olive oil (on the coast) can be added to the plate just before serving. Stewed meat dishes are often prepared by men in open spaces, following hunting and shepherding traditions. In Dalmatian urban cuisine, spices such as cinnamon and clove, dried plums, dried figs, apples and other fruit are sometimes added to meat stews. Gulyas080

Goulash Goulash ( hu, gulyás) is a soup or stew of meat and vegetables seasoned with paprika and other spices. Originating in Hungary, goulash is a common meal predominantly eaten in Central Europe but also in other parts of Europe. It is one of the n ...

(Croatian: ''gulaš'', see also Hungarian '' gulyás'') * Grah – pork hock bean stew (often done as ''grah i zelje'' – with sauerkraut, or ''grah s kiselom repom'' – with pickled turnip strings) * Gregada - seafood stew * Varivo od mahuna – green beans stew * Riblji paprikaš – also called ''fiš-paprikaš'' (spicy fish stew from

Slavonia Slavonia (; hr, Slavonija) is, with Dalmatia, Croatia proper, and Istria, one of the four historical regions of Croatia. Taking up the east of the country, it roughly corresponds with five Croatian counties: Brod-Posavina, Osijek-Bar ...

, see also Hungarian ''

halászlé Fisherman's soup or halászlé () is a hot, spicy paprika-based fish soup. A folk item of Hungarian cuisine, it is a bright-red hot dish prepared with generous amounts of hot paprika and carp or mixed river fish. It is native to the Pannonian P ...

'') *Slavonska riblja čorba (fish stew from Slavonia) *

Brudet Brudet, brodet or brodeto is a fish stew made in Croatian regions of Dalmatia, Kvarner and Istria, as well as along the coast of Montenegro; the brodetto di pesce, or simply brodetto (''broeto'' in Lingua veneta, ''Brudèt ad pès'' in Roma ...

(or ''Brodet'') – fish stew * Chicken stew * Rabbit goulash * Ričet, also known as ''jačmik'', ''orzo'' *

Istrian stew The Istrian stew or jota ( hr, Istarska jota; sl, Jota, it, Jota) is a soup made of beans, sauerkraut or sour turnip, potatoes, bacon, spare ribs, known in the northern Adriatic region. It is especially popular in Istria and some other parts ...

(

Jota Jota may refer to: __NOTOC__ * Iota (Ι, ι), the name of the 9th letter in the Greek alphabet; * (figuratively) ''Something very small'', based on the fact that the letter Iota (lat. i) is the smallest character in the alphabet; * The name of t ...

) * Pašta fažol – bean stew with small pasta * Game Čobanac ( Shepherd's Stew) *Feines Venison goulash with prunes * Hunter's stew * Wine goulash * Sauerkraut stew * Zelena menestra – traditional cabbage and meat dish –

and surrounding area * Pašticada – Dalmatian beef stew with prunes and dried figs *

Tripe Tripe is a type of edible lining from the stomachs of various farm animals. Most tripe is from cattle, pigs and sheep. Types of tripe Beef tripe Beef tripe is made from the muscle wall (the interior mucosal lining is removed) of a cow's ...

stew (''tripice'', ''fileki'')

Pasta

Pasta is one of the most popular food items in Croatian cuisine, especially in the region of Dalmatia. ''Manistra na pome'' (pasta with tomato sauce) is a staple. The other popular sauces include creamy mushroom sauce, minced meat sauce and many others. Fresh pasta (, ) is added to soups and stews, or prepared with cottage cheese, cabbage, even with walnuts or poppy seed. Potato dough is popular, not only for making (gnocchi), but also for making plum or cheese dumplings which are boiled, and then quickly fried in breadcrumbs and butter. *

Žganci Žganci is a dish in Slovenian and Croatian cuisine, known as ''Sterz'' in Austria, ''pura'' on the Croatian coast, and also known in northern Italy. It is a traditional "poor man's food" of hard-working farmhands similar to polenta, although prepa ...

– cornmeal dish in Slovenian and Northern Croatian cuisine, also known as

polenta Polenta (, ) is a dish of boiled cornmeal that was historically made from other grains. The dish comes from Italy. It may be served as a hot porridge, or it may be allowed to cool and solidify into a loaf that can be baked, fried, or grilled. ...

(''palenta'', ''pura'') in Istria and Dalmatia * Gnocchi, often served with pašticada or

goulash Goulash ( hu, gulyás) is a soup or stew of meat and vegetables seasoned with paprika and other spices. Originating in Hungary, goulash is a common meal predominantly eaten in Central Europe but also in other parts of Europe. It is one of the n ...

* Fuži, a typical pasta from Istria * Needle macaroni * Štrukli – baked or cooked filled pastry from Zagorje, Zagreb area. * Krpice sa zeljem – pasta with stewed cabbage * Šporki makaruli – traditional pasta with cinnamon-flavored meat sauce, from Dubrovnik and surrounding area File:Mlinci.jpg, Mlinci File:Kuhane_strukle_0210_1.jpg, Zagorski štrukli File:Ajdovi_zganci.JPG, Žganci

Soups

Soup is an integral part of a meal in Croatia and no Sunday family meal or any special occasion will go without it. The most popular soups are broth-based, with added pasta or semolina dumplings. They are usually light in order to leave space for the main course and dessert to follow. However, cream or roux-based soups are also popular, and there are many local variations of traditional soups. In Dalmatia, fish soup with fish chunks, carrots and rice is commonly served. * Maneštra * Veal soup with smoked meat *

Beef broth with vermicelli pasta Beef is the culinary name for meat from cattle (''Bos taurus''). In prehistoric times, humankind hunted aurochs and later domesticated them. Since that time, numerous beef cattle, breeds of cattle have been Selective breeding, bred specifical ...

* Mushroom soup, especially with porcini * Dill soup * Zagorska juha with porcini mushrooms, bacon, sweet pepper * Prežgana juha *

Chicken soup Chicken soup is a soup made from chicken, simmered in water, usually with various other ingredients. The classic chicken soup consists of a clear chicken broth, often with pieces of chicken or vegetables; common additions are pasta, noodles, ...

Side dishes

* Sataraš (sliced and stewed summer vegetables) * Mlinci (typical northwest Croatian, roasted flatbread, similar to Caucasian flatbreads) * Đuveč (baked summer vegetables, similar to

Ratatouille Ratatouille ( , ), oc, ratatolha , is a French Provençal dish of stewed vegetables which originated in Nice, and is sometimes referred to as ''ratatouille niçoise'' (). Recipes and cooking times differ widely, but common ingredients include ...

)

Other

* Zagrebački odrezak – breaded escalope stuffed with ham and cheese, type of cordon bleu * Punjena paprika – peppers filled with minced meat (Turkish: ''dolma'') * Sarma –

rolls filed with minced pork meat and rice * Arambašići from Sinj – similar to Sarma, but made with finely diced beef and without rice * Lepinje – flat bread *Wild

truffles A truffle is the fruiting body of a subterranean ascomycete fungus, predominantly one of the many species of the genus ''Tuber''. In addition to ''Tuber'', many other genera of fungi are classified as truffles including '' Geopora'', '' Pe ...

, served on pasta, risotto, or fried eggs ( fritaja) *Croatian

''(Maslinovo ulje)'' * Paški baškotin – aromatic zwieback (rusk) from the Island of Pag *Potatoes from the region of

''(Lički krumpir)'' – high-quality, large, red potatoes *

from the

Varaždin ) , image_photo = , image_skyline = , image_flag = Flag of Varaždin.svg , flag_size = , image_seal = , seal_size = , image_shield = Grb_Grad ...

region *

Cabbage Cabbage, comprising several cultivars of ''Brassica oleracea'', is a leafy green, red (purple), or white (pale green) biennial plant grown as an annual vegetable crop for its dense-leaved heads. It is descended from the wild cabbage ( ''B.&n ...

(''zelje'') from the region of Zagreb *

Artichoke The globe artichoke (''Cynara cardunculus'' var. ''scolymus'' ),Rottenberg, A., and D. Zohary, 1996: "The wild ancestry of the cultivated artichoke." Genet. Res. Crop Evol. 43, 53–58. also known by the names French artichoke and green articho ...

s with

pea The pea is most commonly the small spherical seed or the seed-pod of the flowering plant species ''Pisum sativum''. Each pod contains several peas, which can be green or yellow. Botanically, pea pods are fruit, since they contain seeds and d ...

s or broad beans * Fritaja with

asparagus Asparagus, or garden asparagus, folk name sparrow grass, scientific name ''Asparagus officinalis'', is a perennial flowering plant species in the genus '' Asparagus''. Its young shoots are used as a spring vegetable. It was once classified in ...

* Gorski kotar filling (pieces of ham with eggs and bread) *

Čvarci Čvarci (singular čvarak, sr-Cyrl, чварци / чварак, , , sl, ocvirki, ro, jumări, pl, skwarki, cz, škvarky, sk, škvarky, oškvarky, german: Grammeln, uk, шкварки, shkvarky, hu, töpörtyű, mk, Џимиринки) is ...

Sausages and ham

Kulen Kulen () is a type of flavored sausage made of minced pork that is traditionally produced in Croatia ( Slavonia) and Serbia (Vojvodina). A regional festival of Kulen is held annually in Bački Petrovac. A kind of kulen from Syrmia has had its ...

(Kulin) – spicy pork sausage from

* Češnjovka – spicy pork sausage with a harmonious garlic taste from Turopolje * Kobasica – spicy, air-dried or smoked sausage (Hungarian: ''kolbász'') *

Salami Salami ( ) is a cured sausage consisting of fermented and air-dried meat, typically pork. Historically, salami was popular among Southern, Eastern, and Central European peasants because it can be stored at room temperature for up to 45 ...

from

* Švargl from

*Istrian and Dalmatian Pršut –

dry-cured ham Ham is pork from a leg cut that has been preserved by wet or dry curing, with or without smoking."Bacon: Bacon and Ham Curing" in ''Chambers's Encyclopædia''. London: George Newnes, 1961, Vol. 2, p. 39. As a processed meat, the term "ha ...

* Ćevapčići * Panceta from Dalmatia * Špek from continental Croatia * Kaštradina – smoked mutton or goat meat * Ombolo

Cheese (''sir'')

Paški sir Pag cheese or Pag Island cheese ( hr, Paški sir, ) is a Croatian variety of hard, distinctively flavored sheep milk cheese originating from the Adriatic island of Pag. It is generally regarded as the most famous of all artisan cheeses made in th ...

– famous sheep's milk cheese from island of Pag *Farmers' cheese ( škripavac) and curd cheese from the regions of

Kordun The Kordun () region is a part of central Croatia from the bottom of the Petrova Gora (Peter's mountain) mountain range, which extends along the rivers Korana and Slunjčica, and forms part of the border region to Bosnia and Herzegovina. Within ...

and

*Cheese from the Cetina region '' Cetinski sir'' *Cheese from the Island of Krk '' Krčki sir'' *Cheese from Međimurje '' Turoš'' *Cheese from

'' Prga'' *Cottage cheese (eaten with cream, '' vrhnje'') from Zagorje (''sir i vrhnje'', often seen as quintessential Croatian traditional food) Poğaça bread

Savoury pies

*'' Viška pogača'' is a salted sardine-filled

focaccia Focaccia ( , , ; lij, fugassa ; nap, label= Barese, fecazze ) is a flat leavened oven-baked Italian bread, similar in style and texture to pizza; in some places, it is called ("white pizza"). Focaccia can be served as a side dish or as san ...

from the island of Vis. *'' Soparnik'' is a Dalmatian

chard Chard or Swiss chard (; '' Beta vulgaris'' subsp. ''vulgaris'', Cicla Group and Flavescens Group) is a green leafy vegetable. In the cultivars of the Flavescens Group, the leaf stalks are large and often prepared separately from the leaf bl ...

-filled pie. *'' Duvanjska pita'', made from thin phyllo dough wraps filled with potato and meat.

Pastry

Pita Pita ( or ) or pitta (British English), is a family of yeast-leavened round flatbreads baked from wheat flour, common in the Mediterranean, Middle East, and neighboring areas. It includes the widely known version with an interior pocket, also ...

Pogača Poğaça is a type of bread baked in the ashes of the fireplace, and later on in the oven, similar to focaccia. Found in the cuisines of the Balkans, it can be leavened or unleavened, though the latter is considered more challenging to make. It ...

(farmers' bread) *

Povitica A nut roll is a pastry consisting of a sweet yeast dough (usually using milk) that is rolled out very thin, spread with a nut paste made from ground nuts and a sweetener like honey, then rolled up into a log shape. This 'log' is either left lon ...

* Bučnica (summer squash and cottage cheese pie, can be savory or sweet) * Štrukli (made with cottage cheese, sour cream and eggs, can be savory or sweet, boiled or baked) * Zlevanka, simple baked cornmeal pastry with various fillings (e.g. cheese, sour cream, cherries, plum jam, walnuts, nettle) * Varaždinski klipići

Sweets and desserts

Palačinke Palatschinke (or palaccinka, plural palatschinken) is a thin crêpe-like variety of pancake of Greco-Roman origin. While the dessert is most common in South and West Slavic countries, it is also generally known in other parts of Central and Easte ...

(crepes) with sweet filling (Hungarian: ''palacsinta'') *

Baklava Baklava (, or ; ota, باقلوا ) is a layered pastry dessert made of filo pastry, filled with chopped nuts, and sweetened with syrup or honey. It was one of the most popular sweet pastries of Ottoman cuisine. The pre- Ottoman origin of t ...

* Kremšnita – *Šaumšnita – * Zagorski štrukli – sweet pastry from northern Croatia *

Uštipci Uštipci ( sr-cyr, Уштипци, ) are doughnut-like fried dough balls popular in Southeast European countries, namely Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, North Macedonia, Serbia, Slovenia and Albania Origin The origin of the uštipci pastry i ...

Fritule is a Croatian festive pastry made particularly for Christmas. They resemble little doughnuts, the Italian ''zeppole'', Venetian ''frìtole'', and the Dutch Christmas snack ''oliebollen'' ('balls of oil'). However, they are usually flavored with ...

Knedle Knedle (from German ''knödel'', "dumpling"), is a dish of boiled potato-dough dumplings filled with plums or apricots, originating in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Popular in Central and Eastern European countries, the dish is eaten as dessert, a ...

– potato dough dumplings, usually filled with plums and rolled into buttered breadcrumbs * Strudel (Croatian: or ) with

apple An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple trees are cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus '' Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, where its wild ancest ...

or curd cheese fillings * Orahnjača and Makovnjača – sweet breads with walnut or poppy seeds *Croatian

honey Honey is a sweet and viscous substance made by several bees, the best-known of which are honey bees. Honey is made and stored to nourish bee colonies. Bees produce honey by gathering and then refining the sugary secretions of plants (primar ...

Bear's paw Hanging Rock, also known as Bear's Paw (Yonah‑wayah in Cherokee), is a mountain in the North Carolina High Country, next to the town of Seven Devils. It is along the Avery and Watauga border. Its elevation reaches . The mountain gener ...

*Farmer's cheese (quark) cakes (cream cake) * Krafne, pokladnice – a type of

doughnut A doughnut or donut () is a type of food made from leavened fried dough. It is popular in many countries and is prepared in various forms as a sweet snack that can be homemade or purchased in bakeries, supermarkets, food stalls, and fra ...

* Croatian pancakes (with wine and egg sauce) * Šnenokli, paradižot (meringue in custard cream, floating island (dessert)) *Almond filled

ravioli Ravioli (; singular: ''raviolo'', ) are a type of pasta comprising a filling enveloped in thin pasta dough. Usually served in broth or with a sauce, they originated as a traditional food in Italian cuisine. Ravioli are commonly square, tho ...

() *Homemade

fruit preserves Fruit preserves are preparations of fruits whose main preserving agent is sugar and sometimes acid, often stored in glass jars and used as a condiment or spread. There are many varieties of fruit preserves globally, distinguished by the met ...

, jams, compotes * Čupavci (lamingtons)

Cakes (''kolači'')

*'' Rožata'' or ''Rozata'' (flan, creme caramel) *Easter pastry '' Pinca'' *'' Kroštule'' (crunchy, deep-fried pastry) *''

'' (deep-fried dough, festive pastry, particularly for

) * Bishop's bread *'' Guglhupf'' ring cake (Croatian ''kuglof'') *'' Rapska torta'' (Rab cake) *''

Međimurska gibanica Međimurska gibanica(; Medjimurian layer cake) is a type of gibanica or layer cake originating from Međimurje County, Croatia. It is made of puff pastry and four fillings: nuts, fresh cheese, poppy seeds and apples, as well as of many additional ...

'' (

layer cake with apple, poppyseed, walnut and cottage cheese fillings) *''Makarana torta'' *''Imotska torta'' *''Mađarica'' (Croatian layer cake)

Drinks

Wines

Croatia has two main wine regions: Continental (Kontinetalna) and Coastal (Primorska), which includes the islands. Each of the main regions is divided into sub-regions which are divided yet further into smaller vinogorje, (literally wine hills) and districts. Altogether, there are more than 300 geographically defined wine-producing areas in Croatia. In parts of Croatia, wine, either red or white, is sometimes consumed mixed in approximately two thirds wine and one third of mineral water.

Dessert wines

*Sweet

Malvazija Malvasia (, also known as Malvazia) is a group of wine grape varieties grown historically in the Mediterranean region, Balearic Islands, Canary Islands and the island of Madeira, but now grown in many of the winemaking regions of the world. I ...

* Muškat Ottonel (see: Muscat grape) *

Prošek Prošek is a sweet dessert wine that is traditionally from the southern area of Dalmatia, Croatia. It is made using dried wine grapes in the passito method. Good quality Prošek is usually much more expensive by volume than other wines due to ...

White wines

* Rajnski Rizling * Žlahtina *

* Graševina

Red wines

Babić Babić ( Serbian Cyrillic: Бабић) is a Croatian, Bosniak and Serbian family name. It is the 3rd most frequent surname in Croatia and is derived from the common Slavic word for grandmother or old woman: baba. Geographical distribution As of ...

Plavac Mali Plavac Mali (), a cross between Crljenak Kaštelanski ( ancestral Zinfandel) and Dobričić grapes, is the primary red wine grape grown along the Dalmatian coast of Croatia. The name refers to the small blue grapes that the vines produce: in ...

Postup Postup is wine growing region on Croatia's Pelješac peninsula just to the east of Orebić. It takes its name from the small village that sits at the center of it. The main grape harvested in Postup is Plavac Mali and, like the grapes from th ...

Beers (''pivo'')

Apart from imported beers (

Heineken Heineken Lager Beer ( nl, Heineken Pilsener), or simply Heineken () is a pale lager beer with 5% alcohol by volume produced by the Dutch brewing company Heineken N.V. Heineken beer is sold in a green bottle with a red star. History On 15 Feb ...

, Tuborg, Gösser,

Stella Artois Stella Artois ( ) is a pilsner beer, first brewed in 1926 by Brouwerij Artois in Leuven, Belgium. In its original form, the beer is 5.2 per cent ABV, the country's standard for pilsners. The beer is also sold in other countries like the UK, Ir ...

, etc.), there are home-brewed and locally brewed beers in Croatia. A brewery based in

Split Split(s) or The Split may refer to: Places * Split, Croatia, the largest coastal city in Croatia * Split Island, Canada, an island in the Hudson Bay * Split Island, Falkland Islands * Split Island, Fiji, better known as Hạfliua Arts, entertai ...

produces

Bavaria Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total l ...

n ''Kaltenberg'' beer by licence of the original brewery in

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...

. * Karlovačko: brewed in

Karlovac Karlovac () is a city in central Croatia. According to the 2011 census, its population was 55,705. Karlovac is the administrative centre of Karlovac County. The city is located on the Zagreb-Rijeka highway and railway line, south-west of Zagre ...

br>
* Ožujsko: brewed in

''(the name refers to the month of March)'' * Pan * Favorit: from

Buzet Buzet (; la, Piquentum; it, Pinguente) is a town in Istria, west Croatia, population 6,133 (2011). Demographics In 2011 the total municipal population was 6,133 people, distributed in the following settlements (with population shown in paren ...

, Istria * Vukovarsko: from Vukovar * Osječko: from

Osijek Osijek () is the fourth-largest city in Croatia, with a population of 96,848 in 2021. It is the largest city and the economic and cultural centre of the eastern Croatian region of Slavonia, as well as the administrative centre of Osijek-Baranja ...

(oldest brewery in Croatia) *

Tars Tars or TARS may refer to: Organisations * The Arthur Ransome Society, based on British children's author Arthur Ransome * Teen Age Republicans, a youth wing of the US Republican Party * TARS, an abbreviation for ''Transporturi Aeriene Româno-So ...

pivo: from the seaport city of

Rijeka Rijeka ( , , ; also known as Fiume hu, Fiume, it, Fiume ; local Chakavian: ''Reka''; german: Sankt Veit am Flaum; sl, Reka) is the principal seaport and the third-largest city in Croatia (after Zagreb and Split). It is located in Prim ...

*Tomislav: dark beer from

* Velebitsko pivo: brewed near

Gospić Gospić () is a town in the mountainous and sparsely populated region of Lika, Croatia. It is the administrative centre of Lika-Senj County. Gospić is located near the Lika River in the middle of a karst field ( Ličko Polje). Gospić is the ...

on the

Velebit Velebit (; it, Alpi Bebie) is the largest, though not the highest, mountain range in Croatia. The range forms a part of the Dinaric Alps and is located along the Adriatic coast, separating it from Lika in the interior. Velebit begins in the nor ...

mountain, the dark beer has been voted best beer by an English beer fan website.

Liqueurs and spirits

Maraschino Maraschino ( , ) is a liqueur obtained from the distillation of Marasca cherries. The small, slightly sour fruit of the Tapiwa cherry tree ( ''Prunus cerasus'' var. ''marasca''), which grows wild along parts of the Dalmatian coast in Croatia, ...

* Rakija (Croatian name for spirits), commonly made from: ''Lozovača'' / ''Loza'' (grapes) (it.:

Grappa Grappa is an alcoholic beverage: a fragrant, grape-based pomace brandy of Italian origin that contains 35 to 60 percent alcohol by volume (70 to 120 US proof). Grappa is made by distilling the skins, pulp, seeds, and stems (i.e., the pomac ...

),''Travarica'' (Loza with herbs), ''

Šljivovica Slivovitz is a fruit spirit (or fruit brandy) made from damson plums, often referred to as plum spirit (or plum brandy). If anyone else has a dictionary of some Slavic language that translates your word for slivovitz as "plum brandy", please ...

'' (plums), Kruškovac (pears), Drenovac (cherries) *

Pelinkovac Pelinkovac is a bitter liqueur based on wormwood ( Croatian and Slovenian: ''pelen'' or ''pelin''), popular in Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Bulgaria as well as in Slovenia, where it is known as pelinkov ...

* Orahovac (walnut liqueur) * Medovina (honey) *Gvirc (as Medovina, only more alcohol).

Coffee

Croatia is a country of

coffee Coffee is a drink prepared from roasted coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a stimulating effect on humans, primarily due to its caffeine content. It is the most popular hot drink in the world. Seeds of ...

drinkers (on average 5kg per person annually), not only because it was formerly part of the

Austrian-Hungarian Empire Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1 ...

, but also because it bordered the former

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University ...

. Traditional coffee houses similar to those in

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

are located throughout Croatia.

Mineral water

Regarding its water resources,

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = " Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capi ...

has a leading position in Europe. Concerning water quality, Croatian water is greatly appreciated all over the world. Due to a lack of established industries there have also been no major incidents of water pollution. * Jamnica – Winner of the Paris AquaExpo for best mineral water of 200

*Lipički studenac * Jana (mineral water), Jana – also belongs to Jamnica, best aromatized mineral water (Eauscar 2004)

Juices and syrups

* Badel * Jamnica *

Maraska Maraska is a Croatian company best known for its maraschino, a liqueur obtained from the distillation of Marasca cherries. History In 1759, Francesco Drioli, a Venetian merchant, began industrial-scale production of maraschino in Zadar, Croa ...

* Dona * Vindija juices – ''Vindi sokovi'' *Cedevita * Zvečevo

Meat and game

Seafood

Stews

Pasta

Soups

Side dishes

Other

Sausages and ham

Cheese (''sir'')

Savoury pies

Pastry

Sweets and desserts

Cakes (''kolači'')

Drinks

Wines

Dessert wines

White wines

Red wines

Beers (''pivo'')

Liqueurs and spirits

Coffee

Mineral water

Juices and syrups

See also

References

Further reading