Istria is one of the most visited Croatian regions, especially during the summer season. Aside from fairytale landscapes, Istria is especially known and appreciated for its many food specialties and delicacies. Even if you have not spent a lot of time in Istria, you have surely tried some of the Istrian wines or truffle dishes some time. In this blog post, we bring you some of the gastronomic specialties that this Croatian region is known for.
Truffles
Truffles and Istria have become almost synonymous in the gastronomical sense. The Istrian grey soil is especially suitable for the growth of this expensive and tasty fungus, which resembles a potato. The Motovun area specifically is best known for its truffle dishes. Once you’ve tried white or black Istrian truffles and give in to their unique taste and smell, you will become addicted and you will want to come back again and again to taste these Istrian “potatoes.”
Pastas
Due to its historical connections to Italy, Istria also has its own pasta shapes that cannot be found anywhere else in the world. From Istrian lasagna, ravioli, the posutica or pasutica and the pljukanci shape, all the way to fusi (Croatian: fuži), which is probably the most famous Istrian pasta. All of these shapes are prepared in multiple ways with different sauces. Some of the specialties with pasta are Istrian goulash with pieces of chicken meat, or fuži in a meat goulash made from Istrian cattle, the so-called boškarin.
Cheese
All lovers of dairy products will have a chance to try different types of cheese in Istria, most of which are made according to years- or even centuries-old recipes. A special cheese specialty of this region is Istrian goat cheese, and cheese made from both cow and goat milk. Aside from these, Istrian cheese also includes cheese with truffles, cheese in walnut leaves, cheese in Teran pomace and hard cheese, like the Gran Istriano.
Wines
The Croatian coast is renowned for its superior wines. Some Croatian wineries have been recognized for their excellence and have received first awards for some of the most quality wines in the whole world. The Istria region is especially known for two types of wine – Malvasia and Teran. Malvasia is the most important Istrian variety, and it grows only in Istria. It is a white wine that differs slightly depending on the soil that it grows on. Teran is a red variety of grape that has a special ruby red color with a glimmer of purple. The taste and smell of Teran are also special, reminiscent of forest fruit.
Olive oil
We could not talk about Istrian specialties without one of their key ingredients – Istrian olive oil. Synonymous with Mediterranean cuisine, olive oil is used in almost all Istrian dishes. Although many people cannot tell the difference between Istrian and Dalmatian olive oils, the Istrian ones are made special by Istrian olive varieties. Some of the most popular Istrian olive varieties are leccino, pendolino, the istarska bjelica variety and many others.
If you are planning a visit to this beautiful region, don’t forget to book top-quality accommodation on time.
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