Local Flavour

In most Dalmatian towns the market is a sight for sore eyes, and Zadar’s is one of the biggest and best. It’s been here since the Middle Ages, but the large open space dates back to WWII, when many buildings were flattened in this part of town. Some around the edge of the square are only just being reconstructed. The outside stalls are where you’ll find mouthwatering displays of fruit, vegetables, fresh herbs and more... all locally grown and bursting with flavour. Little old ladies (bakice) also sell home made olive oil, rakija and cheese – usually far better than the shop-bought equivalent. The indoor meat market is to one side of the square, and the fish market is opposite, coolly located inside the city walls. Proud locals claim it’s the best fish market on the coast. To one side is a section of the market for cheap clothes and bric-a-brac, great if you need an emergency pair of flipflops or a cheap snorkel. Hours of fun browsing, bargaining and banter.

Eat Your HEart out

The inhabitants of Zadar live in a fertile horn of plenty. Not only do the locals have the obvious benefit of fresh fish on their doorstep, the city is also backed by a broad belt of land named Ravni kotari – “the flat counties”. Here a combination of sun and rain, rich soil and a clean environment provides great conditions for growing tasty fruit and vegetables. In Zagreb’s openair markets many a stallholder puts forth a sign proudly proclaiming “Produce of Zadar” to attract buyers with an eye for good food.

However, a trip to Zadar’s market is still a mouth-watering experience. The fish market is a delight, built right into the city ramparts at the spot where the fishing trawlers land with their catch. As well as lush lettuces and crisp chard, you’ll find citrus fruits and kiwis from the islands, fresh and dried figs, homemade olive oil and cut flowers straight from the garden.

Apart from the riches of the fertile plains and seas, Zadar’s gastronomic identity is shaped by the mountains you see to the north. From there comes the tradition of rearing sheep and goats. Both the meat and the milk are the basis of some of the Zadar region’s most interesting specialities.

Let’s get a little bit specific. What should you look out for if you’d like to try the authentic food of the Zadar region?

The coast The obvious place to start. In Zadar’s restaurant’s you can’t miss fish grilled over charcoal or cooked in a brudet sauce. Then there’s risottos, of which crni rižot with black cuttlefish ink may qualify as the most interesting. And seafood prepared na buzaru with white wine, garlic and parsley. Simply delicious. Look out for the most inexpensive fish; sardines, anchovies and other small fish, deep fried or preserved in salt or oil and vinegar. And Zadar, which has centuries of close contact with Italy, is no bad place for a simple meal of pizza or pasta.

What do people eat at home? Fried fish or squid on Fridays, definitely. On special occasions, salt cod cooked a million different ways, such as na bijelo – with garlic, parsley, white wine and potatoes. This might be followed by pašticada – beef studded with carrots, garlic and smoked bacon and stewed with wine and prunes. On Sundays, meat cooked na lešo in a soup with vegetables, an allin-one dish that just needs a green salad to round it off. On workdays, pašta fažol – bean stew with pasta, is a popular filler.

Lowlands, highlands and islands In springtime the land from the water’s edge to the foot of the mountains is crawling with folks hunting for asparagus. This wild asparagus, pleasantly bitter in taste, is much prized lightly sautéed with scrambled eggs as a fritaja. A speciality from this region is vara – chickpeas cooked in water with kidney beans, a local bean called jari grah and sweetcorn, very simply, served just with olive oil. It’s the perfect remedy when you’ve overdone things, purging your blood of cholesterol and other naughties.

Lest you get the wrong idea, Zadar’s interior is a fiercely carnivorous land. On the light side, you might get a turkey (tuka) roasted peka style, under an iron lid heaped with embers. Local turkeys are small and athletic, very different from the big white industriallyfarmed birds. Roasted like this with potatoes they’re succulent and delicious.

Then there’s lamb and kid goat. It’s odd that goat meat is little eaten in much of Europe since it’s almost indistinguishable from lamb except it’s less greasy (and certainly more healthy). In the highland regions smoked kid goat is an especial delicacy, usually stewed with vegetables in a dish named kaštradina. Weddings, birthdays and Christmas are unimaginable in these parts without a roast lamb or goat. Both are also prepared lešo style on an everyday basis. Beef and pork don’t figure much on the traditional menu.

Island lamb is particularly prized, notably that from Kornati and Pag where the animals graze on wild herbs laced with salt from the wind. Pag is the centre of Croatia’s cheese industry; a good mature Pag cheese is not dissimilar to Parmesan. At the other end of the cheesy spectrum, a product called skuta is only edible in the first few days of its life at the beginning of the cheese-making process. It’s a light curd cheese, sweetish in flavour, perfect for spreading on bread or for desserts, all the more so as it’s low in fat. You’ll find it on Pag island and also made by families in the hinterland, but rarely elsewhere as it doesn’t keep for long.

You probably won’t find food like this in Zadar itself. To get a broader picture of the cuisine of the region, we highly recommend you take a jaunt inland and keep an eye out for a family-run restaurant or a seosko domaćinstvo – a rural smallholding that serves home-grown food to guests. Or head to Benkovac where there are several culinary festivals each year.

KAštRAdiNA Perhaps the most iconic traditional food of this region, the dish known in modern Croatia as kaštradina was called castradina Schiavona during Venetian times, the same as the basket-hilted schiavona sword. It is thought that both earned their name from the soldiers from Dalmatia and the Balkans who fought bravely to protect the Venetian lands. Anyway, kaštradina in the Zadar region is usually smoked mutton or goat meat cooked in sauerkraut. You’ll find it in the hinterland and on Pag island in winter, the time when fresh meat is scarce. It’s a warming dish that is great washed down with strong local red wine

MARASChiNo LiquEuR Zadar’s Maraska factory moved a few years back to new technologically-advanced premises but it’s former home, a beautiful lemon building on the seafront, is one of the best-loved things in Zadar, as are its products. The company was founded in 1768 as a distiller of Maraschino liqueur – a sweet, clear spirit made from Maraschino cherries which grow well in this climate. The Maraschino cherry is small, sourish and not too meaty – it’s not so great for eating. But it makes wonderfully aromatic liqueur and is great in cakes and juices. Still available in the same basket-wrapped bottle as at the beginning of the 19th century, Maraschino liqueur makes a great gift or souvenir. SALt FiSh In times past, the only way of preserving fish was to salt it. Sardines, the most easily accessible fish, were salted by every family and kept in storage. Nowadays the sardine has been usurped by the smaller anchovy, which most people know from other Mediterranean cuisines. It’s a tasty ingredient in starters, pizzas, pastas and sauces. Cod in Croatia is almost always salted; fresh cod is very little used. Salt cod features in many traditional dishes but it comes from the cold northern waters. The tradition of eating salt cod was imported to Catholic southern Europe centuries ago since it could be stored for meatless Fridays. If your travels take you to Kali on the island of Dugi Otok, keep an eye out for salt tuna which isn’t made anywhere else in Croatia. Kali is the centre of Croatia’s fishing industry and most tuna is landed here.

SAMphiRE At the water’s edge, especially where it’s rocky, if you spot a green plant with succulent branching leaves, break off a little and sniff it. If it has a faint herbal tang, chances are it’s rock samphire (Crithmum maritimum). Known locally at motar, it’s rather little used in cooking these days but is regaining popularity thanks to the wild food movement. The story goes that in the Second World War people had little other than samphire to eat, so they became mighty sick of it. But it’s fantastic cooked and served as a vegetable side dish with a delightful herby taste. It’s even better pickled, and has saved the life of many a sailor through history – with its high vitamin content it was taken on long voyages to prevent scurvy.

pEKA You might get a turkey (tuka) roasted peka style, under an iron lid heaped with embers. Local turkeys are small and athletic, very different from the big white industrially-farmed birds. Roasted like this with potatoes they’re succulent and delicious.

Roca Archive

14.07 - 16.07 » KALi FiShERMAN’S NiGhtS - tuNuARA The largest fishing feast in the Zadar region is on the island of Ugljan and in the town of Kali. Head down for the rich three-day program where traditions of old are revived such as the parade of fishing boats across the Zadar Canal, which is also a trademark of the event. The authentic cuisines cooked up in accordance to local recipes are second to none!Qwww.kali.hr.

17.07 » šoKoLiJAdA For those who prefer delicacies such as smoked ham and bacon, this international and gastronomic event is a meaty taste bud grenade. Not only that, it helps preserve a 17th century tradition from Nin which is all about the process of salting, spicing, marinating, smoking and drying pork neck. Competition is fierce with ancestral recipes at stake but it’s all in good fun. It’s a true ‘dig in and savour’ session. Prestige for some, a hearty meal for others!Qwww. nin.hr.

04.08 » thE FEStivAL oF SALt The Nin Salt Works (Solana Nin) is a rarity in today’s world as it is one of the last few sites where salt is produced ‘ala natural’, whilst keeping the local flora and fauna intact. This festival showcases various dioramas, individual plants and animals from the area, different salt crystals and more..QThe Nin Salt Works Museum and Shop, Ilirska cesta 7, tel. (+385‑23) 26 47 64, www. solananin.hr/.

23.09 - 02.10 » ZAdAR StREEt Food FEStivAL We’re yet to meet a good festival we didn’t love, and this magical manifestation of gourmet burgers, fish delicacies and Pinsa pizzas is no different. The best of the best from Zadar will be serving up delicious delights for hungry punters at Puntamika, with expertly mixed cocktails on hand for the thirsty. Needless to say, we’ll see you there. QG‑5, Beach & Cocktail Bar Bam‑ boo, Obala kneza Domagoja bb, Free, www.zadarfoodfestival.com.