Roller coaster ride for your taste buds
If you are deciding about where to travel next and unique gastronomy is your great passion, Istria region is the right place for you. The gastronomy of Istrian region reflects all the climate, historical and geographical characteristic of this area. Depending on what time of the year you decide to travel, Istria will welcome you with many dishes specific only for this area.
As every great meal starts with an aperitif, we will start with traditional Istrian brandy.
Biska is a home-made brandy prepared from homemade Komovica, mistletoe and four herbs. The recipe is about two thousand years old; it is a remnant of the Druid magic of the ancient Celts who once lived in this region. The most famous is Biska from the smallest city in the world Hum, which is prepared according to the recipe of the late Hum pastor, a fine herbalist, Joseph Vidal. Annually, every last Sunday in October you can enjoy a Festival of Istrian Brandy in Hum. Many local producers gather and share their stories and traditions with many visitors.
Istrian wine is another symbol that truly defines Istrian identity. The most famous sorts are Malvasia, Teran, Muskat and Cabernet Sauvignon. You can spend several days exploring only Istrian vineyards and all of them are unique, tradition oriented with rich history and family owned. Each family will gladly welcome you in their homes and share their knowledge and passion about their best wines. Every April, wine lovers gather in the traditional medieval town of Gracisce in Istria. The Gracisce Wine Fair was held for the 26th time in 2019 and has become one of the largest in Croatia. Thousands of visitors come from Croatia, Italy, Austria and Slovenia every year. The wines are judged by an expert committee, and the audience enjoys the atmosphere of the old town, which turns into a large open-air tavern, with traditional folk music and a selection of indigenous dishes.
After Biska and wine, our next delicious ingredient is olive oil. Olives are cultivated on the Istrian peninsula and pressed for their liquid gold since Roman times. Proof of this long tradition is 1600 years old olive oil tree on Veliki Brijuni island. Several Istrian olive oil producers have been nominated and maned for the best olive oil in the world.
For your main course you can choose from one of the kind Istrian cattle, that can be found only in Istria region. Boskarin was historically used on farms as a working breed, for pulling carts with heavy stone across rugged terrain for building monumental building that make Istria famous today. They were almost extinct but with hard work of locals, now this majestic animal is recovering in numbers. Their meet is considered “the meat of Istria”.
If you travel in spring, make sure you try some delicious dishes made of asparagus. You can enjoy them in various versions, in omelet, risottos, salads and cream soups. They are grown and picked by locals who will serve them to you in their small traditional taverns in Istria called Konoba’s.
Truffles are a widely known culinary trump card that will leave few indifferent. Ever since the truffle was discovered 80 years ago in the Motovun forest, it has ceased to be a gastronomic hit of northwestern Istria. Thousands of gourmets’ rush into the taverns served by it, and the magical truffle cult fuels popular belief in its aphrodisiac powers. Immediately after extraction, fresh truffle is used directly as a food additive, or with modern methods of truffle processing to produce premium quality products. Magnatum Pico is the most exclusive edible truffle in the world and costs as much as 2500 Euros per kilogram. It is mostly picked and grown in Italy, and it can also be found in Istria, Slovenia and Hungary.
Treat your senses to the flavors and scents of the Mediterranean and enjoy carefully prepared Istrian dishes only in your honor. Embark on a journey that will surly take your taste buds on a roller-coaster ride and enrich your foodie list with many ingredients that can be found only in magical
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