MEALS AND DRINKS

Food not only to make you full

Professional boat chefs will prepare dishes for you based on old Dalmatian recipes. At the same time, they can also prepare contemporary “fusion” dishes. Even on land – that is on the islands – you will have an opportunity to taste some of the homemade specialties in local family taverns, which we will recommend to you or those that you will find yourself. In any case, these foods will most likely be of local fresh ingredients and prepared in a healthy way.

Taverns and family restaurants

In the island interior and usually in old stone houses you will find uncommon small restaurants called konoba where you can order local specialties. You will also find small family restaurants called seosko domačinstvo. In these restaurants, local farmer families serve dishes prepared exclusively from traditional local ingredients. These ingredients are produced on their farms or the fish are caught by a member of the family. The development of many of these establishments has been encouraged by the frequent visits of GEOTOUR participants.

Pršut and cheese

Dry ham, the so called pršut (in Italian prosciutto crudo), has to ripen for several months before it can be served. It is often served in thin slices together with aromatic cheese.

Seafood

Seafood, such as various shells and mussels, is also very popular. Oysters are bred mostly in the shallow Mali Ston bay on the north-eastern coast of the Pelješac peninsula. It is also the best place to taste fresh oysters, either at a restaurant or at an oyster stand.

A journey of tastes

The Dalmatian cuisine is known for its healthy and balanced ingredients. It is based on a combination of various vegetables, some of them being local varieties, fish, seafood, and olive oil. Veal and young meat, as well as side dishes, are prepared differently than Westerners may be used to. Local herbs contribute to the special taste of these dishes. White bread, fresh and crunchy, is served with every meal.

The Dalmatian cuisine also adopted many tasty meals from the surrounding regions:

• From the neighbouring Mediterranean, mainly from Italy – the pogača wrap is an Italian focaccia, meatballs in red sauce are called polpete (in Italian polpette)
• From the Orient through Bosnia – čevapčići minced meat and others
• From Austria-Hungary – španska ptica = Spanish “birds“ beef wraps known to both Croats and Czechs who both lived in Austria-Hungary, but not to Spaniards