ExploFood · Europe
What to eat in Croatia
Five dishes to try in Croatia, the most typical first. Two are vegetarian.
Five dishes to try in Croatia
Pašticada
Beef marinated in vinegar and slow-braised in a sweet wine and prune sauce.
How to have it: A Dalmatian festive dish; konobas in Split and Zadar serve it with homemade gnocchi.
Brudet
Fish stew of mixed Adriatic fish cooked with tomato, wine and polenta on the side.
How to have it: Order it in coastal konobas; it is often made for two and needs to be ordered ahead.
Štrukli
Thin pastry rolled around fresh cottage cheese, boiled or baked with cream.
How to have it: A Zagreb and Zagorje speciality; try the baked version with cream at La Štruk in Zagreb.
Soparnik
Flat pie of Swiss chard, onion and parsley baked under embers, brushed with olive oil.
How to have it: From the Poljica area near Omiš; bakeries and fairs on the Dalmatian coast sell it by the slice.
Ćevapi Ćevapčići
Small grilled minced-meat sausages served in flatbread with onion.
How to have it: Shared with the Balkans; order with ajvar pepper relish and kajmak at grill houses.
What to eat next door
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Questions
What food is Croatia famous for?
Pašticada (beef marinated in vinegar and slow-braised in a sweet wine and prune sauce) comes first on our list, followed by Brudet, Štrukli, Soparnik and Ćevapi.
What is the national dish of Croatia?
Ask ten people and you get several answers. The dish we put first for Croatia is Pašticada: beef marinated in vinegar and slow-braised in a sweet wine and prune sauce. A Dalmatian festive dish; konobas in Split and Zadar serve it with homemade gnocchi.
Which dishes in Croatia are vegetarian?
Two of the five on this page are vegetarian as usually made: Štrukli and Soparnik. Recipes vary, so ask about stock, lard or fish sauce.
What street food should I try in Croatia?
Ćevapi (small grilled minced-meat sausages served in flatbread with onion).
How reliable is this list?
The dishes are hand-picked from general knowledge in the Explo app, where you can also tick off the ones you have tried. Recipes vary by region and by family, so take it as a starting point.
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Get ExploDishes are hand-picked from general knowledge in the Explo app, with links to Wikipedia. Recipes and names vary by region.