Croatian Dishes A-Z
| Dish | What is it? | Where? |
|---|---|---|
| Brudet (Brodetto) | Fish stew with tomatoes, onions, wine, and various types of fish. Every fisherman has his own recipe. Served with polenta. | Coast |
| Buzara | Mussels or shrimp in a sauce of white wine, garlic, olive oil, and breadcrumbs. Incredibly good with fresh bread for dipping. | Coast |
| Ćevapčići (Ćevapi) | Grilled minced meat rolls made of beef/lamb. With ajvar and onions in flatbread. The ultimate street food. | Everywhere |
| Crni rižot | Black risotto, colored with squid ink. Looks unusual, tastes sensationally of the sea. | Coast |
| Fritule | Small fried dough balls with raisins and lemon zest, dusted with powdered sugar. Croatia's answer to churros. | Coast, especially Advent |
| Fuži | Istrian pasta — hand-rolled tubes, traditionally with truffle sauce or wild ragout. | Istria |
| Gregada | Fish-potato stew with white wine — the national dish of Hvar. Simple and brilliant. | Hvar, Vis |
| Ispod peke | The highlight of Croatian cuisine: meat (lamb, veal, octopus) or vegetables under an iron bell (peka), covered with glowing coals. Slowly cooked for 2-3 hours. Must be pre-ordered! | Everywhere (pre-order!) |
| Kulen | Spicy paprika salami from Slavonia. Similar to Spanish chorizo, but spicier. UNESCO candidate. | Slavonia |
| Maneštra | Thick vegetable soup/stew — Istria's comfort food. Beans, potatoes, corn, seasonal vegetables. Every house has a different recipe. | Istria |
| Pag Cheese (Paški sir) | Sheep cheese from the island of Pag — aromatic due to the salty Bora air and the herbs the sheep eat. Croatia's most famous cheese. | Pag (available everywhere) |
| Pašticada | Dalmatia's festive dish: beef marinated for days in vinegar, wine, and spices, then slow-cooked for hours. Tender, sweet-sour, complex. Served with gnocchi. | Dalmatia |
| Peka | See Ispod peke — the term refers to both the bell and the dish. | Everywhere |
| Pljeskavica | Large flat minced meat patty, grilled. The Balkan burger. | Everywhere |
| Pršut | Air-dried ham — Croatia's answer to prosciutto. Especially good from Istria (Drniš-Pršut) and the island of Krk. | Everywhere |
| Ražnjići | Grilled meat skewers — pork or chicken, marinated. | Everywhere |
| Rožata | Dubrovnik's version of crème caramel — flavored with rose liqueur. Silky, sweet, perfect. | Dubrovnik |
| Sarma | Sauerkraut rolls filled with minced meat and rice — the ultimate winter dish. Eaten throughout the Balkans, but Croatians swear by their version. | Inland, Winter |
| Skampi na buzaru | Shrimp in buzara sauce — white wine, garlic, tomatoes. With plenty of bread to soak it up. | Kvarner, Coast |
| Soparnik | Thin dough flatbreads with chard filling, traditionally baked in ashes. UNESCO-protected! From the hinterland of Omiš. | Dalmatia |
| Šporki makaruli | "Dirty macaroni" — pasta with beef ragout from the pašticada sauce. Dubrovnik's answer to Bolognese. | Dubrovnik |
| Strukli (Štrukli) | Filled pastry with cream cheese — baked or boiled. Zagreb's favorite dish. At La Štruk on Tkalčićeva, there are only Štrukli — in 20 variations. | Zagreb, Zagorje |
💡 Tipp
Always order "ispod peke" (under the bell) if it's on the menu — but ask if it needs to be pre-ordered (almost always yes, at least 2 hours in advance). It's the best dish you'll eat in Croatia.