Istria on the Internet - Gastronomy

Istrian Cuisine

During its tumultuous history, various nations came to Istria bringing along their culture, thus influencing the cuisine of the peninsula and its affiliated islands. These diversities blended and created a unique and original cuisine, namely, Istrian.

Among the seafood specialities recommended is the following menu:

a couple of oysters from the Lim channel
octopus salad with potatoes and a little bit of garlic, seasoned with olive oil from Tar or Vodnjan
then noodles with seafood
main dish, one of the following fish: base, gold fish, sole or sea-bream.

An alternative menu might be:

pilchard marinade, squid black risotto
main dish: the crown of seafood - fish, sea-shell, crab and squid brodetto.

Malvazija, a white wine, goes well with fish.

Typical dishes of continental Istria are:

hors-d'ouvre - smoked ham (pršut), sheep-milk cheese (pecorino), some olives, smoked fillet (zarebnjak) and sausages grilled on an open flame
main dish - pasta, gnocchi or "fuži" with game stew, possibly garnished with cooked sauerkraut.

Every Istrian meal calls for manestra, a vegetable stew/soup, sometimes served at the beginning of the meal, but often being a main course. This dish should be accompanied by Teran, a red wine.

The crown of Istrian culinary art is the truffle, a fungus which grows under the ground and which is collected by specially trained dogs. From times immemorial the truffle has been known as a famous aphrodisiac, the marvel of world gastronomy. Wild asparagus, various sorts of mushrooms should be added to this natural and healthy food, and among the fruit: figs, grapes, prunes, plums, peaches, plus hazelnuts and almonds...

Wine in Istria has a spiritually sacred meaning: necessity, love, culture of living, food and drink. Istrians are devoted to the grape-vine, making a cult of it, and it is no wonder that wine is woven into the culinary art tradition. In Istria, wine has become an inevitable accompaniment of various home-made dishes, the crown of every ceremony, and pleasure at the table.

The wines that are synonymous with Istria are Malvazija and Teran. However, typical varieties include white and grey Pinot, Chardonnay, Hrvatica, the autochthonous variety, fine rose', Borgonja, Merlot, Cabernet sauvignon, and Refošk. There is also Muscat of Momjan, a wine to be savored like life itself.

And then, of course, there is rakija (grappa)...

Bibliography:

Dobrodošli & Welcome, Istria County Tourist Association, Poreč.

Other sites of regional interest:

Papageno, Andando per saposi tra Adige e Danubio (Italiano & Deutsch)