Croatian Mall - Shop Croatian

Croatian Cuisine

Gastronomy

Croatian cuisine is a cuisine of regions, reflecting Croatian geography, history and culture. Croatia's turbulent history, caused by its unique geopolitical position, is also evident in its dishes, which combine different eras: the ancient Greeks grew grapes on the islands of Vis and Hvar; the Hungarians brought goulash and paprikash (meat stew), the Turks left sarma (stuffed sauerkraut rolls), stuffed green peppers and rolled dough, while the Italians left their trace in various kinds of pasta.

Click here to view the complete article. 

NATIONAL MEALS AND DRINKS

Beside the standard European cuisine present in all restaurants and hotels specialties from the grill and the roasting-spit (lamb, pork, poultry) are very popular. Some specialties are as follows: the Gavrilovic salami, the marenda.jpg (28553 bytes)Dalmatian smoked ham, salty pilchards, sheep cheese, peppered Slavonian sausages, paprika-flavoured salami, etc. An exquisite hors-d'oeuvre are sea-shells (oysters, mussels, date-shells) as well as scampi, grilled or "na buzaru" (cooked and flavoured with a lot of aromatic spices). From fish meals the fish stew (several kinds of fish sauteéd in a tomato sauce with garlic and spices) is very savoury, and in the continental region the peppered fish stew with fresh-water fish is favoured.

From meat specialties we point out the following: the Dalmatian "pasticada" (beef stuffed with lard and roasted in wine and spices), the steak á la Zagreb (veal stuffed with ham and cheese, then fried in breadcrumbs), the cutlet la Zagorje (with sausages, sauerkraut and boiled potatoes), the veal Easter egg (in piquant tomato sauce with mushrooms), turkey with "mlinci" (thinly rolled out pasta), the country dinner (stuffed cabbage leaves, sausages, roasted pork and lard in sauerkraut). In northern Croatia venison is regularly prepared la hunter's or in a cream sauce, whereas in Dalmatia it is roasted or sauteéd in a sauce of vinegar, olive-oil, wine, prosecco, prunes with rosemary.

Beside foreign alcoholic drinks you may taste the domestic brandies: plum-brandy, herb-flavoured brandy and walnut-brandy. Further, there are many sorts of wine, but king of all wines is Dingac (15-16% of alcohol), a thick red wine from the peninsula of Peljesac. Then there is the Korculanski grk (14-15% of alcohol). A series of other thick red wines should also be mentioned: the visko, hvarsko, kastelansko and the Istrian wine. In the northern country parts the alcoholic content of the wines drops, but the acid contents grows. Predominantly white wines with pleasant flavour, light and sweet taste are brewed here. Among these we would like to stress the following: grasevina, rizling, traminac, pinot, sovignon, pljesivica, etc.

Copyright © 1998 HINA News Agency, Zagreb - Croatia
Reprinted by permission
NOTE: Further copying of the above articles in other Web pages without HINA's express authorization is prohibited
  • Croatia and Wine: The tradition of winemaking in Croatia
  • Dobar tek 
    Monthly magazine wich cover recipes, food, wine, spices / Mjesecnik s izuzetnim fotografijama i originalnim receptima, tekstovi o vinu, hrani i zacinima

Cookbooks:

Online Cookbooks:

POSLuH kuharica Kuhinja za zaposlene - by Vlasta Mutabzija (in Croatian only) Food recipies easy to prepare vegetarian food cookies

Recipes:

Traditional Foods:

  • Easter:
    • HRVATSKI USKRSNI OBICAJI - Croatian Easter Customs
      Easter Eggs, Donuts Croatian Style, Croatian Easter Songs
      Recipes in Croatian. From: PISANICA, Otvoreno sveuciliste, 1991.

  • Christmas:

Croatian-owned restaurants/bars/dellis World-wide:

  • Chicago
  • Louisiana
    • Drago's Seafood Restaurant and Oister Bar 
      by Drago Cvitanovich
      Address: 3232 North Arnoult Road, Metairie, LA 70002-4738, 504-888-9254
      The Cvitanovich family has operated Drago's since 1970. Their family's Croatian background led them to develop some of the city's finest seafood dishes: Drago's Seafood - Metairie, LA - DineSite.com
    • New Orleans - Uglesich's Restaurant
      • (The following appeared in the Croatian Cultural Society of Minnesota Volume 2, 2000 newsletter.)
        During a recent television show, Martha Stewart interviewed a cook from New Orleans, LA. His name was Anthony Uglesich, co-owner of Uglesich's Restaurant in New Orleans.
        What is interesting was that Anthony was of Croatian heritage and talked about his father being a fisherman from one of the islands of Croatia who immigrated to America and opened this restaurant in New Orleans in 1927.
        It is a very popular restaurant serving fried catfish sandwiches, which seem to be a delicacy, for lunch. The restaurant is only open for lunch and serves approximately 400 each day.
        If you travel to New Orleans, be sure to visit and support our fellow Croatians. The restaurant is located at 1238 Baronne St., New Orleans. (phone: 523-8571). See other review here and here.
  • New York, info from: Nina Dzajkic on Oct. 25, 1999.
    • Il Menestrello
      14 E. 52nd St. (bet. 5th & Madison Aves.)
      Tele: 421-7588
    • CROATIA WEEKLY, Zagreb, December 24, 1999.
      VRBNIK ŽLAHTINA IN MANHATTAN
      When a dry white wine from the Croatian Adriatic Island of Krk reached the restaurant of Milan Miletić, situated between the prestigious Madison and Fifth Avenues, the whole shipment was immediately consumed. Choosy Americans have discovered another good wine
    • Lidia's Italy (New York)
      For Lidia Bastianich, the soul of her restaurant is as closely tied to family as it is to the strong regional cuisine of her Northeastern Italy. Lidia Bastianich was born into an Italian family that regarded fine cooking and the freshest ingredients as necessities, indispensable to daily life. Now, in New York City, her own family continues the tradition.
      • CROATIA WEEKLY, Zagreb, December 30, 1999.
        A CROAT WINS U.S. CULINARY OSCAR
        Lidia Bastianich, proclaimed the best cook in the United States, will be awarded the James Beard award, a. k. a. the culinary Oscar
    • Millenium - Bar
      28-35 Steinway St.
      Astoria, NY, (718) 545- 4369
    • SCORPIO - Cafe/Bar
      35-15 Broadway (between 35th and 36th Streets)
      Astoria, NY 11106, (718) 956-8233
  • Primo Restaurant (Salt Lake City, Utah)
  • San Francisco
    • Tadich Grill: San Francisco
    • Original Joe's Restaurant
      San Francisco, (415) 775-5146
      E-mail: Marie Duggan
      Original Joe's Restaurant, recently named in the Top 50 Best restaurants in the Bay Area has been owned and operated by a Croatian for the last 62 years....Ante Rodin, my father.....The whole restaurant which is in a now dicey neighborhood survives and thrives because of his old country values of hard work, stick to it tiveness, and of course great food.
      The business now has three generations involved.....Hardly no restaurant can match its quality and value.....among other other very nice compliments over the years it's been called "the most honest joint" in the bay area......The tradition continues after 62 years. My dad, now 86, is still at work seven days a week manning the helm. He is a truly beautiful,very typical Croatian man.........and one of the best cooks in SF.......when I saw Lidia on TV, it was my dad revisted.        
      Marie Duggan, Oct. 12, 1999.
  • San Pedro
    • Ante's Restaurant - Map
      729 Ante Perkov Way
      San Pedro CA 90731 (310) 832-5375
      Mr. Tony Perkov, Owner.
      I ate at Ante's a few times last year. Ante's son TONY, is a wonderful host (Ante passed away a few years back). The menu is a delicious mix of Dalmatian and American cuisine. The service is great and everyone know everyone. It's a unique experience not to be missed. There are thousands of Dalmatian Croat descendants in San Pedro. They came here at the turn of the last century and were mostly employed in the now floundering Fishing Industry. See also the article:       Croatian San Pedro.

Antes's Restaurant, July 2005
Antes's Restaurant in San Pedro, Calif., July 2005

  • There is another Croatian owned resturant in U.S. in the city of Sanford, near Orlando, FL. It is called "Sergio's". Phone # is 407-323-4040.
    Info from: Kresimir Trtanj on Oct. 20, 1999.
  • Toronto & area
    • Joso's (restaurant), 202 Davenport Road, Toronto, 416-925-1903
      Joso's is one of the best known bistros frequented by the affluent society and movie stars who shoot in "Hollywood North". Joso got his start in a CBC TV show "Joso and Malka" in late 1960's. Joso's guitar is still his trademark.
    • Two Croatian Delis In Mississauga Area
      The Zajednicar October 6, 1999
      The taste of Croatian smoked meat and sausages can be found within the Mississauga area in Ontario, Canada.Two of the most well-known delis belong to Bruno Polunic at the "Taste of Europe Meat Deli" and Vilim Godina at "Willy's Meat and Delicatessen." Should you be visiting the Mississaugua area and wish to purchase top quality smoked meat and sausages, call Taste of Europe at 905-455-1077 or Willy's at 905-270-4206.
      Bruno and Maria Polunic are owners of the Taste of Europe Meat and Deli at 200 County Court Blvd., in Brampton, Ontario, while Vilim Godina and his wife own Willy's Meat and Delicatessen at 2500 Hurontario St., Mississauga, Ontario.
    • Croatia Restaurant:
      1989 Dundas St W # A,  Mississauga, ON. Phone: 905-624-4111

     

  • Zagreb Restaurants, from Asker.com

Croatian Food Industry, Food Merchants and Gastro Guides:

Old News but good:

cro-bar.gif (1145 bytes)
Are you looking for or want to sell Croatian products?
Someone here might be able to help you:
Contact your Croatian Mall representative
cro-bar.gif (1145 bytes)

Our other Croatian pages:
 [Croatia & Wine]
[Genealogy][Christmas in Croatia]

Croatian Mall - Shop Croatian


Visitors
Since October 29, 2002  

Last Revised: January 16, 2006

For your comments click here
Copyright © MCMXCVII/MMVI Jack Lupic

NO PART OF THIS SITE (IMAGES AND
CONTENT) MAY BE USED (COPIED,
RETRANSMITTED, ETC.) WITHOUT A PRIOR
APPROVAL BY THE AUTHOR.