Entry 1: Our First Time in Croatia

Our First Time in Croatia

One of the things we were most looking forward to when planning our move to Europe, was switching more easily to a Mediterranean diet. We tried to eat healthy foods in the US but most of the basic foods (e.g. milk, bread, meats) were enriched with artificial additives. Living in Colorado also did not provide us with access to inexpensive seafood, which we love.

ZAGREB

One of our first stops in Zagreb was the local open market in the city center on the border of Upper and Lower Towns. It is similar to the seasonal farmer’s markets in the US where locals can buy produce, fruits, nuts, dried fruits, honey, rakija (the Croatian brandy flavored with fruits or herbs), fresh flowers, and cheese. It was not a very big market but it was good to see what locals can purchase in the spring.

One thing we look for when traveling is local street food on carts or temporary stalls like those in NYC, Mexico City, or anywhere in Southeast Asia. We were disappointed not to find those in Zagreb. Their fast-food menu items (also the most inexpensive foods) are pizza, cevapi (sausage-shaped kebabs served on special greasy pita bread with raw onions), and fries, and burgers, which cost about $5-10. You can find these at restaurants everywhere in Zagreb.

One of our best food finds was a small food court inside a mall in lower town that had great food options. I had their soup with barley and beef (with a stew-like consistency) while Matt had beef with cherry tomatoes soup for $5 a bowl with a roll. Both were delicious and filling. Another option was a create-your-own rice or noodle bowl, Mongolian bbq style, for around $10, when I needed my Asian food fix.

One of my best meals in Zagreb was a simple dish of fried sardines with french fries for 30 kuna (about $5). It was lightly breaded with flour and deep-fried so you can eat the whole fish. This dish was so good and inexpensive that I had it twice in one week. Fries are always served with tartar sauce, never with ketchup. I never saw a ketchup bottle on any of the restaurant tables. I guess it is not a thing in Croatia.

Zagreb cuisine generally consists of grilled meats (e.g. on a stick, or on flatbread), schnitzels (with pork or veal), and lots of pasta options. I guess being inland, seafood is not as readily available as on the Dalmatian coast. (I will cover this later.)

ISTRIA

Our base in Opatija, on the eastern coast of the Istrian Peninsula, was a good introduction to coastal cuisine without the Dalmatian coast prices. The same fast food options were available as in Zagreb but we now saw more seafood on the menus.

We visited the seafood and small vegetable market but, as we did not have a kitchen in our apartment (a sobe, which is a private room in a private house), we only prepared simple salads with smoked salmon or prosciutto.

Our meals were always accompanied by excellent and very inexpensive regional wine (about $5/bottle) and rakija. The white (Graševina/Welschriesling and Malvasia are the most popular varietals and are widely available), and rosé wines are all excellent. They all pair well with seafood, pasta, and risotto, which were the dominant menu items when we were in the area in the summer. If you enjoy wine, visiting the local vineyards is an easy activity but you must have a car to get to them. We went to two: one outside Rovinj called Matošević (https://matosevic.com/en/), and another outside Motovun, Benvenuti(https://www.benvenutivina.com/en/index.html).

Both were family-owned and had excellent tasting rooms and staff. The wines were a bit pricier (closer to $20/bottle) and are rarely exported to the US. Tasting is free if you buy a bottle; otherwise, it costs around €12 per person. Benvenuti Vineyards also has suites (benvenutivina.com, which are like luxury cabins with views of some of their vineyards.

Truffles are sold in many towns in Istria. You can even join a truffle-hunting excursion if so inclined. We had our first truffle pasta meal in a little restaurant recommended by a Benvenuti staff person. It was a little out of the way but worth the drive.

Explore food anywhere!

~ Avic