DUBROVNIK Cuisine

"Lovrijenac", Dubrovnik

"Mediterranean diet" is the healthiest in the world, experts say. Plenty of vegetables, fruits, fish, beneficial, wonderful olive oil and a glass of red wine…What a wonderful, healthy life!

Fortunately, “Mediterranean diet” is something natural and local for most part of Croatia: all over  the cost but on the continent as well. There are many happy followers, including me, all over Croatia and the world! One of the things that I miss the most in Canada, and for that matter in most European countries too, is lack of traditional food markets. Food market in open is a beautiful place, that inspires and stimulates all senses! In Croatia, you can still find them everywhere and I sincerely hope, that colourful, traditional food markets will never disappear.

Every region has its special name for food markets, usually rooted in foreign languages, but adopted and cherish locally, adding up to local culture and charm. In Zagreb, the capital, it’s “plac”, in Split it’s “pazar” and in Dubrovnik, it’s called “pjaca”.

"Pjaca", Dubrovnik, Domestic Products

 Today I will be talking about wonderful food culture and tradition of Dubrovnik. I was fortunate enough to spend a lot of spring and summer months in this amazing city; enjoying its extraordinary beauty, history, sounds, smells, colours and – food! There is nothing more beautiful and authentic than getting up early in the morning and visiting pjaca in the old city, listening to loud voices of farmers who sell their authentic, fresh products, laughter and life itself! It’s a beautiful, Mediterranean way of living! Irreplaceable, amazing! Yes, I am getting nostalgic😊

There is one special dessert, called “Rozata”, created and perfected in Dubrovnik since the year 1300. It was made for a distinguished guest from Vatican and it used to be called “Monk’s pudding”. It’s Croatian version of French “Crème Caramel” or Spanish “Flan”. It is prepared with a special addition of rose liqueur, that’s where the name came from; “roza” is rose in Dubrovnik dialect, therefore “Rozata”. Rozata is wonderful, light dessert made of basic ingredients: eggs and milk. It was always accessible to all social classes and that’s one of the reason of its popularity.

Dubrovnik, actually small city nearby:

Oysters, Ston

Ston, is famous by fantastic oysters. Legend says, during the Renaissance Gospari would serve oysters on ice, brought from the surrounding mountains! There were people called “icemen” whose only job was to provide ice for this wonderful custom. It was rarely seen even in the most prestigious cities in Europe, at the time! It becomes clearer where the name Gospari (gentlemen) comes from :-)

Author: Vlatka Pokos