Croatian cuisine () is

heterogeneous Homogeneity and heterogeneity are concepts relating to the uniformity of a substance, process or image. A homogeneous feature is uniform in composition or character (i.e., color, shape, size, weight, height, distribution, texture, language, i ...

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

Croatia Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...

has its own distinct culinary tradition. Its roots date back to

ancient times Ancient history is a time period from the History of writing, beginning of writing and recorded human history through late antiquity. The span of recorded history is roughly 5,000 years, beginning with the development of Sumerian language, ...

. 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 Slavic features and influences from the more recent contacts with Turkish, Hungarian and Austrian cuisine, using

lard Lard is a Quasi-solid, semi-solid white fat product obtained by rendering (animal products), rendering the adipose tissue, fatty tissue of a domestic pig, pig.

for cooking, and spices such as

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

paprika Paprika is a spice made from dried and ground red peppers, traditionally ''capsicum annuum''. It can have varying levels of Pungency, heat, but the peppers used for hot paprika tend to be milder and have thinner flesh than those used to produce ...

, and

garlic Garlic (''Allium sativum'') is a species of bulbous flowering plants in the genus '' Allium''. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chives, Welsh onion, and Chinese onion. Garlic is native to central and south Asia, str ...

. The coastal region bears the influences of

Greek Greek may refer to: 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 of all kno ...

and Roman 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, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

(especially Venetian). Coastal cuisines use

olive oil Olive oil is a vegetable oil obtained by pressing whole olives (the fruit of ''Olea europaea'', a traditional Tree fruit, tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin) and extracting the oil. It is commonly used in cooking for frying foods, as a cond ...

, 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. It is a member of the sage family, Lamiaceae. The species is native to the Mediterranean r ...

, sage,

bay leaf The bay leaf is an aromatic leaf commonly used as a herb 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. The flavour that a bay lea ...

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 climate, temperate Northern Hemisphere. Oregano is a ...

, marjoram,

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, biscuits, b ...

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 Aroma compound, fragrance in fin ...

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

, 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 is part of the Croatian culinary tradition in all regions. Food and recipes from other former Yugoslav countries are also popular in Croatia.

n cuisine can be divided into several distinct cuisines (

Dalmatia Dalmatia (; ; ) is a historical region located in modern-day Croatia and Montenegro, on the eastern shore of the Adriatic Sea. Through time it formed part of several historical states, most notably the Roman Empire, the Kingdom of Croatia (925 ...

Dubrovnik Dubrovnik, historically known as Ragusa, is a city in southern Dalmatia, Croatia, by the Adriatic Sea. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations in the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean, a Port, seaport and the centre of the Dubrovni ...

, Gorski Kotar,

Istria Istria ( ; Croatian language, Croatian and Slovene language, Slovene: ; Italian language, Italian and Venetian language, Venetian: ; ; Istro-Romanian language, Istro-Romanian: ; ; ) is the largest peninsula within the Adriatic Sea. Located at th ...

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 by t ...

, Međimurje, Podravina,

Slavonija Slavonia (; ) is, with Dalmatia, Croatia proper, and Istria County, Istria, one of the four Regions of Croatia, historical regions of Croatia. Located in the Pannonian Plain and taking up the east of the country, it roughly corresponds with f ...

Zagorje Hrvatsko Zagorje (; Croatian Zagorje; ''zagorje'' is Croatian language, Croatian for 'backland' or 'behind the hills') is a cultural region in northern Croatia, traditionally separated from the country's capital Zagreb by the Medvednica mount ...

) 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) Mlinci

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 Calf (animal), calves, in contrast to the beef from older cattle. Veal can be produced from a calf of either sex and any List of cattle breeds, breed; however, most veal comes from young male calves of Dairy cattle, dairy b ...

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

Međimurje County Međimurje County (; ; ) is a triangle-shaped Counties of Croatia, county in the northernmost part of Croatia, roughly corresponding to the historical and geographical region of Međimurje (region), Međimurje. It is the smallest Croatian count ...

*Janjetina – roasted lamb garnished with Mediterranean herbs ** Pag lamb (Paška janjetina) ** Dalmatian lamb (Dalmatinska janjetina)Dalmatian lamb gets name protection in Europe becoming the 40th product from Croatia
Croatia Week. Published March 8, 2023. * Odojak – roasted suckling pig *Fresh

game A game is a structured type 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 video games) or art ...

from

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

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 refers primarily to the meat of deer (or antelope in South Africa). Venison can be used to refer to any part of the animal, so long as it is edible, including the internal organs. Venison, much like beef or pork, is categorized into spe ...

the count's way *Wild

duck Duck is the common name for numerous species of waterfowl in the family (biology), family Anatidae. Ducks are generally smaller and shorter-necked than swans and goose, geese, which are members of the same family. Divided among several subfam ...

with sauce *Polpete, ćufte, faširanci – Frikadeller *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's native range is restricted to Eura ...

* Kotlovina from

Samobor Samobor () is a town 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 (), the eas ...

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

fillet Fillet may refer to: *Annulet (architecture), part of a column capital, also called a fillet *Fillet (aircraft), a fairing smoothing the airflow at a joint between two components *Fillet (clothing), a headband *Fillet (heraldry), diminutive of the ...

of beef haunch with

Sauerkraut Sauerkraut (; , ) 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 ferment the sugar ...

* Escalope à la Baron Trenk (spicy-rolled

Schnitzel 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 as foo ...

) * Međimurje

Goose A goose (: geese) is a bird of any of several waterfowl species in the family Anatidae. This group comprises the genera '' Anser'' (grey geese and white geese) and '' Branta'' (black geese). Some members of the Tadorninae subfamily (e.g., Egy ...

(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. Buckwheat originated around the 6th millennium BCE in the region of what ...

) * Turopolje Goose (with corn

semolina Semolina is the name given to roughly milled durum wheat mainly used in making pasta 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 ma ...

as a side dish) * Purgerica Turkey (

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a Religion, religious and Culture, cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by coun ...

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, north of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the ...

, 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 * Hladetina, a particular type of

head cheese Head cheese () or brawn is a meat jelly or terrine made of meat. Somewhat similar to a jellied meatloaf, it is made with flesh from the head of a calf or pig (less commonly a sheep or cow), typically set in aspic. It is usually eaten cold, ...

Edible dormouse ''Glis'' is a genus of rodent that contains two extant species, both known as edible dormice or fat dormice: the European edible dormouse ''(Glis glis'') and the Iranian edible dormouse (''Glis persicus''). It also contains a number of fossil spe ...

Seafood

Croatian

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

dishes include: *

Squid A squid (: squid) is a mollusc with an elongated soft body, large eyes, eight cephalopod limb, arms, and two tentacles in the orders Myopsida, Oegopsida, and Bathyteuthida (though many other molluscs within the broader Neocoleoidea are also ...

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

Octopus An octopus (: octopuses or octopodes) 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, and nautiloids. Like oth ...

salad – Croatian: ''salata od hobotnice''; octopus can also be prepared brudet style, with red wine, or baked ''pod pekom'' *

Cuttlefish Cuttlefish, or cuttles, are Marine (ocean), marine Mollusca, molluscs of the order (biology), suborder Sepiina. They belong to the class (biology), class Cephalopoda which also includes squid, octopuses, and nautiluses. Cuttlefish have a unique ...

risotto – Croatian: '' Crni rižot' *

Tuna A tuna (: tunas or 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 bul ...

* Scampi – Croatian: ''škampi'' *Common

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

s – Croatian: ''dagnje'' *Salted

cod Cod (: cod) is the common name for the demersal fish genus ''Gadus'', belonging to the family (biology), family Gadidae. Cod is also used as part of the common name for a number of other fish species, and one species that belongs to genus ''Gad ...

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 A fish (: fish or fishes) is an aquatic animal, aquatic, Anamniotes, anamniotic, gill-bearing vertebrate animal with swimming fish fin, fins and craniate, a hard skull, but lacking limb (anatomy), limbs with digit (anatomy), digits. Fish can ...

stew A stew is a combination of solid food ingredients that have been Cooking, cooked in Soup, liquid and served in the resultant gravy. Ingredients can include any combination of vegetables and may include meat, especially tougher meats suitable for ...

– Croatian ''brodet'' or brudet (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 mollusc. The word is often applied only to those that are deemed edible and live as infauna, spending most of their lives halfway buried in the sand of the sea floor or riverbeds. Clams h ...

s *Sea spider salad *Breaded

catfish Catfish (or catfishes; order (biology), order Siluriformes or Nematognathi) are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Catfish are common name, named for their prominent barbel (anatomy), barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, though not ...

carp The term carp (: carp) is a generic common name for numerous species of freshwater fish from the family (biology), family Cyprinidae, a very large clade of ray-finned fish mostly native to Eurasia. While carp are prized game fish, quarries and a ...

*Grilled sardines 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 suborder Clupeoidei. The term "sardine" was first used in English during the early 15th century; a somewhat dubious etymology says it com ...

(''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, Swiss chard (known as "blitva"), dried plums, dried figs, apples and other fruit are sometimes added to meat stews. * Slavonian čorbanac (Croatian: Čobanac is a traditional meat stew originating from Slavonia and Baranja, located in the eastern part of Croatia. The dish is traditionally prepared by slowly cooking all of the ingredients for several hours in a large copper pot that is strung over an open fire.Typically, it consists of a few different types of meat, from veal and beef to wild game meat, along with large quantities of onions, and a special blend of sweet and hot ground paprika which gives the stew its characteristical rich and vivid color.) * 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 (; ) is, with Dalmatia, Croatia proper, and Istria County, Istria, one of the four Regions of Croatia, historical regions of Croatia. Located in the Pannonian Plain and taking up the east of the country, it roughly corresponds with f ...

*Slavonska riblja čorba (fish stew from Slavonia) * Brudet (or ''Brodet'') – fish stew * Chicken stew * Rabbit goulash * Ričet, also known as ''jačmik'', ''orzo'' * Istrian stew ( Jota) * Pašta fažol – bean stew with small pasta *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 and sheep. Types Beef Beef tripe is made from the muscle wall (the interior mucosal lining is removed) of a cow's stomach chambers: th ...

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

polenta Polenta (, ) is an Italian cuisine, Italian dish of boiled cornmeal that was historically made from other grains. It may be allowed to cool and solidify into a loaf that can be baked, fried or Grilling, grilled. The variety of cereal used is ...

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

goulash Goulash () is a meal (not quite stew or soup) made 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 on ...

Fuži Fusi (also Fuži in Croatian and Slovene) is a traditional pasta of Istria region, in Croatia and Slovenia Slovenia, officially the Republic of Slovenia, is a country in Central Europe. It borders Italy to the west, Austria to the north, ...

, 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

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 * Mushroom soup, especially with

porcini ''Boletus edulis'' (English: cep, penny bun, porcino) is a basidiomycete fungus, and the type species of the genus '' Boletus''. It is prized as an edible mushroom. The fungus produces spore-bearing fruit bodies above ground in summer a ...

* Dill soup * Zagorska juha with porcini mushrooms, bacon, sweet pepper * Pretepena juha od graha, beans cream soup * Prežgana juha * Chicken soup

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

) * Knedle (boiled dumplings) * Mišanca (mix of wild plants and herbs)

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, one of the species of the genus ''Tuber''. More than one hundred other genera of fungi are classified as truffles including '' Geopora'', '' Peziza'', '' Choiromyces'', and ' ...

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

''(Maslinovo ulje)'' * Paški baškotin – aromatic

zwieback Zwieback () is a form of rusk eaten in Austria, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, North Macedonia, Poland, Scandinavia, Serbia, Slovenia, Switzerland and Turkey. It is a ...

(rusk) from the Island of Pag *Potatoes from the region of

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

from the

Varaždin Varaždin ( or ; , also known by #Name, alternative names) is a city in Northern Croatia, north-east of Zagreb. The total population is 46,946, with 38,839 in the city settlement itself (2011). The city is best known for its baroque buildings, ...

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.& ...

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

pea Pea (''pisum'' in Latin) is a pulse or fodder crop, but the word often refers to the seed or sometimes the pod of this flowering plant species. Peas are eaten as a vegetable. Carl Linnaeus gave the species the scientific name ''Pisum sativum' ...

s or broad beans * Slanina - cured slabs of pork subcutaneous fat with or without skin and with or without layers of meat * Fritaja with

asparagus Asparagus (''Asparagus officinalis'') is a perennial flowering plant species in the genus ''Asparagus (genus), Asparagus'' native to Eurasia. Widely cultivated as a vegetable crop, its young shoots are used as a spring vegetable. Description ...

* Gorski kotar filling (pieces of ham with eggs and bread) * Čvarci - kind of pork cracklings, with fat thermally extracted from the lard

Sausages and ham

* Kulen (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 ( ; : ''salame'') is a ''salume'' 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 fo ...

from

* Švargl from

*Istrian and Dalmatian Pršut – dry-cured ham * Panceta from Dalmatia * Špek from continental Croatia * Kaštradina – smoked mutton or goat meat * Ombolo

Cheese (''sir'')

* Paški sir – sheep's milk cheese from the 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 The Cetina () is a river in southern Croatia. It has a length of and its basin covers an area of . From its source, Cetina descends from an elevation of above sea level to the Adriatic Sea. It is the most water-rich river in Dalmatia.Naklada Nap ...

region ('' Cetinski sir'') *Cheese from the Island of

Krk Krk (; ; ; ; archaic German: ''Vegl'', ; ) is a Croatian island in the northern Adriatic Sea, located near Rijeka in the Bay of Kvarner and part of Primorje-Gorski Kotar county. Krk is tied with Cres as the largest Adriatic island, depending o ...

('' Krčki sir'') *Cheese from Međimurje ('' turoš'') *Cheese from Podravina ('' prga'') *Cottage cheese (eaten with cream, '' vrhnje'') from

(''sir i vrhnje'', often seen as quintessential Croatian traditional food)

Savoury pies

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

focaccia Focaccia is a Flatbread, flat leavening agent, leavened oven-baked Italian cuisine, Italian bread. In Rome, it is similar to a type of flatbread called (). Focaccia may be served as a side dish or as sandwich bread and it may be round, rectang ...

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

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

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

Pastry

Pita Pita ( or ; ) or pitta (British English), also known as Arabic bread (, ), as Lebanese bread and as kmaj (from the Persian ''kumaj''), is a family of yeast- leavened round flatbreads baked from wheat flour, common in the Mediterranean, Levant ...

Pogača Pogača (; ) is a type of bread baked in the ashes of the fireplace, and later in modern ovens. Found in the cuisines of the Balkans, Levant, Turkish and Hungary it can be leavened or unleavened, though the latter is considered more challenging ...

(farmers' bread) * Povitica * 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 (crepes) with sweet filling (Hungarian: ''palacsinta'', German: ''Palatschinken'') * Piškote/Piškoti — thin, light, sweet delicate, crispy cookie *

Baklava Baklava (, or ; ) 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. There are several theories for the origin of th ...

* Kremšnita – vanilla slice or custard slice, is a custard and chantilly cream cream cake dessert * Doboš — sponge cake layered with chocolate buttercream and topped with caramel (Hungarian: ''Dobos torta'') *Šaumšnita – * Zagorski štrukli – sweet pastry from

northern Croatia Northern Croatia or North Croatia (, ) refers to the northern parts of Croatia, encompassing Zagreb County, Zagreb, Varaždin County, Varaždin, Međimurje County, Međimurje, Krapina-Zagorje County, Zagorje and Koprivnica-Križevci County, Kopri ...

* Uštipci * Fritule * Knedle – also known as gomboce are potato dough dumplings, usually filled with plums and rolled into buttered breadcrumbs *

Strudel Strudel ( , ) is a type of layered pastry with a filling that is usually sweet, but savoury fillings are also common. It became popular in the 18th century throughout the Habsburg monarchy, Habsburg Empire. Strudel is part of Austrian cuisine ...

(Croatian: or ) with

apple An apple is a round, edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus'' spp.). Fruit trees of the orchard or domestic apple (''Malus domestica''), the most widely grown in the genus, are agriculture, cultivated worldwide. The tree originated ...

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 species of 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 pl ...

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

doughnut A doughnut or donut () is a type of pastry 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 fran ...

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

, jams, compotes * Čupavci (lamingtons) * Tiramisu

Cakes (''kolači'')

*'' Rožata'' or ''Rozata'' (flan, creme caramel) *Easter pastry '' Pinca'' *'' Kroštule'' (crunchy, deep-fried pastry) *'' Fritule'' (deep-fried dough, festive pastry, particularly for

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

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

Drinks

Wines

Croatia has 3 main wine regions: Continental (''Kontinetska''), Coastal (''Primorska'') which includes the islands and Slavonia.Croatia’s northeastern-most region. The old wine cellars in Ilok date back to the 15th and 18th centuries. It is interesting that the famous Ilok Traminac was ordered by the English Court for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. Also, one interesting story coming from one of the employees who save a place during the Homeland War, more precisely during the Serbian occupation of Ilok, when he decided to enclose the wall of one part of the Old Cellar and store it as many as 8,000 most valuable archival wines. 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.

Konavle Konavle () is a municipality and a small Dalmatian subregion located southeast of Dubrovnik, Croatia. The region is administratively part of the Dubrovnik-Neretva County and the center of the municipality is Cavtat. Demographics The total muni ...

and

Pelješac Pelješac (; Chakavian: ; ) is a peninsula in southern Dalmatia in Croatia. The peninsula is part of the Dubrovnik-Neretva County and is the second largest peninsula in Croatia. From the isthmus that begins at Ston, to the top of Cape Loviš ...

were recognised by '' Vogue'' as the best ones in Croatia. There are numerous enological events (

fair A fair (archaic: faire or fayre) is a gathering of people for a variety of entertainment or commercial activities. Fairs are typically temporary with scheduled times lasting from an afternoon to several weeks. Fairs showcase a wide range of go ...

s) throuought the year (for ex. ''Vinistra''). In parts of Croatia, wine, either red or white, is sometimes consumed mixed with mineral water or juices. For example, in

Hrvatsko zagorje Hrvatsko Zagorje (; Croatian Zagorje; ''zagorje'' is Croatian language, Croatian for 'backland' or 'behind the hills') is a cultural region in northern Croatia, traditionally separated from the country's capital Zagreb by the Medvednica mount ...

and Međimurje, popular combination is white wine and mineral water (mostly Jamnica), called ''gemišt'' (German: ''gemischt'', ”mixed”, "mixture"). On the other hand, in

is popular ''bevanda'' (Italian: ''bevanda'', "drink"), mix of vine and natural water. Bevanda is common gastronomical motif in cultural representations of Dalmatia and its people in

popular culture Popular culture (also called pop culture or mass culture) is generally recognized by members of a society as a set of cultural practice, practices, beliefs, artistic output (also known as popular art

f. pop art F is the sixth letter of the Latin alphabet. F may also refer to: Science and technology Mathematics * F or f, the number 15 (number), 15 in hexadecimal and higher positional systems * ''p'F'q'', the hypergeometric function * F-distributi ...

or mass art, sometimes contraste ...

Dessert wines

*Sweet Malvazija * Muškat Ottonel (see: Muscat grape) * Prošek * Traminac

White wines

* Rajnski Rizling * Žlahtina, ''

Vitis vinifera ''Vitis vinifera'', the common grape vine, is a species of flowering plant, native to the Mediterranean Basin, Mediterranean region, Central Europe, and southwestern Asia, from Morocco and Portugal north to southern Germany and east to northern ...

'' from Vrbnik (Vrbnik polje) at the Krk island, also known as "Vrbnička žlahtina” * Malvazija * Graševina

Red wines

* Babić * Plavac Mali * Postup * Frankovka

Beers (''pivo'')

Apart from imported beers (

Heineken Heineken Lager Beer (), or simply Heineken (), is a Dutch 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 February 1864, ...

, 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 Alcohol by volume, ABV, the country's standard for pilsners. The beer is sold in many EU countrie ...

, 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, enter ...

produces

Bavaria Bavaria, officially the Free State of Bavaria, is a States of Germany, state in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the list of German states by area, largest German state by land area, comprising approximately 1/5 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 lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

. * Karlovačko: brewed in

Karlovac Karlovac () is a city in central Croatia. In the 2021 census, its population was 49,377. Karlovac is the administrative centre of Karlovac County. The city is located southwest of Zagreb and northeast of Rijeka, and is connected to them via the ...

br>
* Ožujsko: brewed in

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

Buzet Buzet (; ; ) is a town in Istria, west Croatia, population 6,133 (2011). The historical core of Buzet dates back to the Middle Ages, and today Buzet is known as the town of truffles. Buzet is also known as the home of Croatian motorsport, and eve ...

, 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 pivo: from the seaport city of

Rijeka Rijeka (; Fiume ( �fjuːme in Italian and in Fiuman dialect, Fiuman Venetian) is the principal seaport and the List of cities and towns in Croatia, third-largest city in Croatia. It is located in Primorje-Gorski Kotar County on Kvarner Ba ...

*Tomislav: dark beer from

* Velebitsko pivo: brewed near Gospić on the

Velebit Velebit (; ; ) 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 northwest near ...

mountain, the dark beer has been voted best beer by an English beer fan website. Recent craft beer breweries are: *

Medvedgrad Medvedgrad (; Croatian language, Croatian for ''bear-town''; ) is a medieval Fortification, fortified town located about 10 km north of Zagreb, on the south slopes of Medvednica mountain, approximately halfway from the Croatian capital Zagreb t ...

Brewery, from Zagreb, established in 1994 * Grif microbrewery, Zagreb

Liqueurs and spirits

* Maraschino * 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 Alcohol proof, US proof). Grappa is a protected name in the European Union. Grappa is made by ...

),''Travarica'' (Loza with herbs), '' Šljivovica'' (plums), Kruškovac (pears), Drenovac (cherries) * Pelinkovac * Orahovac (walnut liqueur) * Medovina (honey) *Gvirc (as Medovina, only more alcohol).

Coffee

Croatia is a country of

coffee Coffee is a beverage brewed from roasted, ground coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a stimulating effect on humans, primarily due to its caffeine content, but decaffeinated coffee is also commercially a ...

drinkers (on average 5kg per person annually), not only because it was formerly part of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire, but also because it bordered the former

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

. Traditional coffee houses similar to those in

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

are located throughout Croatia.

Mineral water

Regarding its water resources,

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

Protected products

There are 46 Croatian agricultural and food products registered in the European Union as a

protected designation of origin The protected designation of origin (PDO) is a type of geographical indication of the European Union aimed at preserving the designations of origin of food-related products. The designation was created in 1992 and its main purpose is to designat ...

. or a protected designation of geographical origin. They include cheese, honey, meat, fruits and vegetables, olive and other oils, pastry and sea products.