Characteristic products
Istria is a region rich in quality products, most of which have their own appellation. Istrian white truffles, similar to the Piedmont white truffle, spring to mind. Harvested between October and December, they go very well with cheese, pasta, potatoes or eggs. Its delicate flavor changes with too much heat, and ideally it should be sliced very thinly just before serving. Then there's the excellent olive oil such asistarsko ekstra djevičansko maslinovo ulje from Croatia orekstra deviško oljčno olje slovenske Istre from Slovenia. Last but not least, kraški med or honey from Karst, a high limestone plateau rich in indigenous flora.
When it comes to charcuterie, Italian influences can be felt in pršut, an alteration of the word prosciutto. Croatia producesistarski pršut (Istrian smoked ham). The same goes for Slovenia's kraški pršut (Karst smoked ham) or kraška panceta, a petit-salé from the same region.Istarske kobasice or Istrian cooking sausage is flavored with a hint of laurel and wine. Cheeses often take the form of tomme made from goat's or sheep's milk, such as nanoški sir, from Mount Nanos in Slovenia. The appellation istarski ovčji sir is a general term for Istrian goat's or sheep's tommes, more or less matured.
The classics of Istrian cuisine
Many Istrian recipes can be found in Croatia, Slovenia and the Trieste region. One example is pašta-fažol (a pasta and white bean soup), closely related to minestra di fagioli e orzo, an Italian soup with barley, vegetables and white beans, itself closely related to maneštra, a vegetable soup with pasta and fresh corn. Corn is also used to prepare polenta, which accompanies meat in sauce, seafood or cheese, and is as popular in north-east Italy as it is in Slovenia and on the Croatian coast. In the countryside, fritaja sa sparugami - wild asparagus omelette - is very popular.
Jota is emblematic of this mixed cuisine. This hearty stew of beans, potatoes, sauerkraut(crauti) and bacon, cooked with regional olive oil and flavoured with garlic and bay leaves, is a perfect symbol of this culinary melting pot. Often dubbed the "Istrian stew", this dish is found throughout the region. Calandraca - more typical of Trieste cuisine - is prepared with veal, potatoes and carrots. It usually contains tomato, but can also be served al bianco (without tomato) or co'l vin (with a dash of white wine). Finally, gulasch alla triestina is a perfect example of the Austro-Hungarian influence, where goulash, emblematic of Hungary, made its way to the Adriatic coast. While the tasty blend of beef and paprika is still present, here it's served with polenta rather than potatoes. The terms čripnja or peka refer to two types of dishes, made respectively of terracotta and cast iron, topped with a lid, which can be used to cook various foods over the embers - beef, pork, lamb, octopus, vegetables - as farmers and fishermen once did.
With its Italian influence, pasta is very popular in Istria. Fuži (tube-shaped), pasutice (diamond-shaped) or pljukanci (long strands) are served with a truffle, cured ham or meat sauce. A typical Trieste speciality, chifeletti are crescent-shaped potato gnocchi, often pan-fried to a golden brown.
Oysters from the Bay of Lim in Croatia, not to mention shrimp, squid, sea bream and scorpion fish, are all Adriatic delights. Cod is popular on Christmas Eve and Good Friday. In Croatia, for example, it can be found in the form of bakalar na bijelo (a kind of cod brandade with garlic, with or without potatoes) or bakalar na crveno (a tomato-based stew with potatoes). Buzara od skampi is a langoustine stew with tomato and white wine from Croatia and Slovenia, served with pasta. Similar to bouillabaisse,istarski brodet combines fish, seafood and potatoes in a spicy sauce.
Desserts and drinks
The strucolo de pomi - filled with apple and dried fruit - is a version of the Austrianapfelstrudel, but from Trieste. Presnitz is also typical of the region. This cake, originally from Central Europe, takes the form of a puff pastry snail filled with walnuts, almonds, pine nuts, dried fruit, chocolate and various spices. In Croatia and Slovenia, you'll find fritule, small ball-shaped sugar doughnuts flavored with rum. Istarski cukerančići and kroštule are crispy doughnuts, resembling our bugnes. Typical of the Croatian town of Labin, krafi are ravioli filled with fresh cheese, raisins, sugar and lemon zest. They are usually poached before being served with melted butter or a red fruit coulis. There are also desserts common to the whole of Croatia, such as kremšnita (a type of mille-feuille), rožata (a rosewater crème-caramel) or savijača (a type of strudel topped with apple, fromage frais, cherry, poppy or walnut).
Situated at the crossroads of Ottoman, Austro-Hungarian and Italian influences, Istria is a coffee-lover's paradise. Between Trieste, dubbed the " caffè capital" because of its important port for transporting coffee to Vienna or Budapest, and Croatia, which flirts with Italian espresso and Turkish coffee, the region has something for every caffeine addict.
With its mild climate, Istria offers light, subtle wines. Among the most famous are poreški merlot, teran, malvasia istarka, cabernet sauvignon poreški and muškat momjanski. Between Slovenia and Italy, collio (Italian) or brda (Slovenian) is also produced in the Gorizia hills. The DOC (Italian equivalent of our AOC) originally located in the province of Gorizia extends into the Brda region, so production in both countries benefits from this appellation. As a digestif, open a bottle of šljivovica, a plum brandy, unless you prefer the grape-based rakija, very popular in the Balkans. Lovers of local beers can sip a Favorit, produced in Buzet, Croatia.
www.istria-gourmet.com
