Croatia - Day 3
Travel diary. Worth a taste …
Worth a taste ...
Although our guide spoke at length and breadth about the national dishes and eating traditions - of which grilled or roasted meat with strong, spirited drinks is an indispensable part - we preferred to sample seafood with Croatian wines, which are no less delicious. On the Istrian Peninsula two varieties are popular: TERAN - a dark red, or as the Croatians say černo vino, and MALVAZIJA - a white wine - kvalitetno vino vinogorje zapadna Istra. The latter paired well with grilled prawns and mussels.
Travelling further into central Croatia, we also got to try šljivovica - plum brandy, produced in home conditions and freely permitted for sale. This opportunity is seemingly taken by every enterprising farmer, selling it roadside next to large rounds of goat's cheese. The cheese has a somewhat sharp flavour, slightly reminiscent of smoked cheese, and would truly go well with meat dishes and a stronger drink.
Along the roadsides we frequently noticed olive groves, vineyards and fig trees, but vegetable fields were nowhere to be seen on the Istrian Peninsula. Perhaps that is also why, when a Latvian stomach craved some greens and we stopped at a local grocery store, we found no great selection. A few cucumbers, peppers at high prices, and as for fresh herbs - not a word. In Opatija, however, we discovered a shop with a name pleasing to both eye and ear: "Letiš market." Was it intended specifically for tourists from Latvia?
Along the roadsides we frequently noticed olive groves, vineyards and fig trees, but vegetable fields were nowhere to be seen on the Istrian Peninsula. Perhaps that is also why, when a Latvian stomach craved some greens and we stopped at a local grocery store, we found no great selection. A few cucumbers, peppers at high prices, and as for fresh herbs - not a word. In Opatija, however, we discovered a shop with a name pleasing to both eye and ear: "Letiš market." Was it intended specifically for tourists from Latvia?
We also managed to have lunch at a national cuisine restaurant "Konobo - BIZZARRA" (on the road between Pula and Rovinj), where the menu featured the Istrian national dish Pršut - a long-cured pork leg - the special Istrian pasta Fuži, and of course wine from a special carafe.
Beer lovers can also find a suitable drink - Ožujsko pivo. It is the most popular beer brand, brewed in the brewery of Croatia's own capital Zagreb.
The Istrian Peninsula, it turns out, also cultivates the prized truffle mushroom, which specially trained dogs seek out and dig up. The price of these mushrooms often ranges from 2,000 to 7,000 euros per kilogram.
An interesting fact - drinking water in Istria can be consumed straight from the tap, without boiling or any other purification. Tested - the taste is good and no stomach upset follows.
Beer lovers can also find a suitable drink - Ožujsko pivo. It is the most popular beer brand, brewed in the brewery of Croatia's own capital Zagreb.
The Istrian Peninsula, it turns out, also cultivates the prized truffle mushroom, which specially trained dogs seek out and dig up. The price of these mushrooms often ranges from 2,000 to 7,000 euros per kilogram.
An interesting fact - drinking water in Istria can be consumed straight from the tap, without boiling or any other purification. Tested - the taste is good and no stomach upset follows.
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