Istrian gastronomic recommendations
Istria is the ideal resort for fans of tradition and quality products. Discover the exquisite gastronomic offer by tasting top specialties in restaurants and authentic Istrian taverns as well as by tasting renowned wines.
It is recommendable to try out the superb olive oil of the region which will enrich your taste of dishes.
We will introduce you to the other part of seasonal offer - a tiny part of traditional Istrian gastronomic heritage.
The highlights of Istrian cuisine are:
Prosciutto gira-volta, radicchio primo-taio
The Istrian snack is hard to imagine without prosciutto or pork shoulder. Part of the pork shoulder is boiled, while the remaining part is prepared in a gira-volta way. Slices of new prosciutto are lightly fried in olive oil (or rather heated). At the very end, some white wine is added and left to simmer together. And, if prosciutto prepared like this is accompanied by a bowl of new radicchio (primo-taio), then there's nothing to worry about before lunch.
Mišanca
Mišanca is a term denoting wild-growing plants that are picked in spring or early summer. Sometimes mišanca consist of some twenty or more types of plants. Its basis is different types of wild grown onion, plants, eatable flowers and herbs. At the beginning of the season, in early spring, mišanca can be eaten fresh, with olive oil and vinegar dressing. It's also delicious if salted anchovies, olives, caper or hard-boiled eggs are added. Mišanca can be slightly boiled and then served with other vegetables or meat. And finally it is also tasty as a rich vegetable soup (mineštrina od verdure).
Maneštra
The highlights of Istrian cuisine are the various and rich soups, called maneštra. They are prepared with meat or vegetables, which makes them very nutritious. A real specificity is that they are seasoned with pešt - chopped bacon, garlic and parsley. In istrian taverns there is a wide variety of such Istrian soups: maneštra with young corn, maneštra with fennel, maneštra with chick-peas, meatless, white, young and other types of minestrone soup (maneštra).
Asparagus
In Istria scrambled eggs (fritaja) are usually "refined" by adding various tasty ingredients: from prosciutto, bacon, sausages to different mushrooms and truffles; however in this category the true Istrian brand is fritaja with asparagus. The tops of asparagus or black bryony (Tamus communis) are braised in olive oil until tender and then eggs, salt and pepper are added.
Fennel
In addition to the already mentioned mineštrina od mišance, in spring other types of maneštra are prepared from freshly picked vegetables. However, maneštra which is prepared with fennel is the most famous spring rich vegetable soup. When it is prepared in a traditional way dried pork tongue gives it an irreplaceable taste.
Visit Istria and discover the uniqueness of our cuisine which can be described as simply good and unforgettable! After having a good meal and drink, spend Your holiday in one of the hotels, apartment in a tourist resort or in a private house, apartment situated on the beach or in the Istrian inland. The accommodation offer in Istria can be found on the web link.
