Kvarner's Culinary Highlights
Kvarner gastronomy is embracing the famous Lovran chestnut from the slopes of Učka Mountain. This is a much valued variety of chestnut and it is the basis of the seasonal offering of sweet delicacies made from this fruit. Every autumn, the festival of chestnuts, called Marunada, takes place in the town of Lovran, celebrating the season of the chestnut and offering a wide range of delicacies made of or with chestnuts.
Even if the famous Kvarner shrimp was the only thing Kvarner gave to the Mediterranean gastro-culture, it would have been enough for its place at the gastronomic map of the world. Many experts in gastronomy and gourmands have no doubts: the Kvarner shrimp or the shimp from the area under the Velebit Channel originally comes from Norway and has become domesticated in the area of Kvarner. Its quality is extraordinary and its extremely delicate, gentle texture surpasses all crabs and, many would agree, even the lobster and hlap (a type of lobster) and the pretty rare sea-spider from Pula's local waters. It lives on the muddy soil, but excessive catching is threatening this species. The king of crabs can be prepared in several ways, and some of the master chefs consider that its basic preparation includes a 2-minute cooking in mildly salted water with a bit of olive oil. Served with sprinkled olive oil and a few drops of lemon, shrimp's fascinating taste is preserved. Its genuine taste is also preserved by short barbecuing and many will opt for buzara (stew), scampi risotto or pasta with scampi. Any way of preparation of a large, fresh shrimp brings one of the biggest, global sea delicacies to the table. Devotees of the original authenticity of taste eat shrimps raw sprinkled only with a few drops of lemon juice.
The area of Kvarner, and specifically the Opatija Riviera, has several restaurants singled out with consistent quality and constant innovations with seasonal features. The tables of those restaurants will offer the most quality seasonal fruits and vegetables, and sophisticated sweets, along with imaginatively prepared fresh fish, shells, molluscs and crabs. At the sea side, one will find the
Authentic Kvarner Shrimp: Raw with Lemon
Plavi podrum (blue cellar), Le Mandrac and Tramerka (in Volosko), restaurants Bevanta, Laurus (in Opatija), Johnson (Mošćenička Draga). The best known gastronomic destinations on the slopes above the Kvarner are restaurants and hotels Kukuriku (in Kastav) and Draga di Lovran in the town of the same name. Catering competition in Kvarner resulted in an extensive range of cuisine and a strong tendency towards authenticity in the menus and thus the whole of the Kvarner area can be considered as the peak of Croatian catering.
Delicacies of Kvarner's islands (Krk, Lošinj, Cres and Rab) are strongly represented in Kvarner's gastronomy. This is specifically the case for lamb 'à la islands', which is of extraordinary quality firstly due to variety of pasture, enriched with posolica (traces of salt on the grass from the action of sea winds), and microclimatic characteristics of the Velebit Channel. Smaller island producers of goat and sheep cheeses, usually family farms, continuously improve and enrich the gastronomy of Kvarner with their products. A specific type of pasta, locally called šurlice, is prepared on the Island of Krk, while a type of cream soup of fennel, called mineštra, is prepared on the Island of Lošinj. Krk is the homeland of Vrbnička žlahtina, a famous sort of white wine originating from Kvarner, coming from the area Vrbnik. Along with other delicacies from Rab, comes Cake of Rab, a dessert of fine taste and desired on tables in many prestigious restaurants.
The Kvarner gastronomy is embracing the famous Lovran chestnut from the slopes of Učka Mountain. This is a much valued variety of chestnut and it is the basis of the seasonal offering of sweet delicacies made from this fruit. Every autumn, the festival of chestnuts, called Marunada, takes its place in the town of Lovran, celebrating the season of chestnut and offering a wide range of delicacies made of or with chestnuts. Thanks to its entertaining and gastronomic features, it has grown into a real tourist attraction.
The coastal area is firmly connected to its hinterland, and the Mediterranean cuisine is enriched by continental specialities of the Gorski Kotar, the area known for its game, frogs, snails, dormice, wild fruit and plentiful edible mushrooms. During the summer heat, the visitors of Kvarner have the option of an easy escape into a fresher zone: only a half an hour drive by motorway takes them to the attractive tourist destinations in Gorski Kotar. They can visit the Risnjak National Park, or enjoy the lakes, tasting specialties offered in the restaurants in Fužine, Lokve and other locations. The long tourist tradition of the Kvarner Riviera, with Opatija as its center, along with many other towns recognised as coastal resorts, has developed an exciting and sophisticated gastronomy, with prevailing Mediterranean cuisine, but also a strong influence of the traditional cuisine from the areas bordering the coast.
The elements of the central European cuisine, specifically when looking at the confectionery element, are harmonised with typical Mediterranean menus,that are dominated by fresh fish and sea-food. Štrudel (a type of pastry) is equally favoured as fritule (a type of doughnut) and kroštule (a type of sweet pastry). Closeness to Italy and centuries-long connection between Italy and Kvarner have had a strong impact on the gastronomy. The harmonious penetration and completion of traditional recipes, imaginative pasta with sea fruits, vegetables and mushrooms, as well as risotto, eliminates the gastronomic borders between the western and eastern coasts of the Adriatic sea. Fast tourism development strengthens the tendencies of gastronomic internationalisation, opening its doors to new culinary experiences.
The area of Kvarner is a true paradise for navigators, and they have the opportunity to discover not only the hidden bays with virgin beaches, but also small family-run wine cellars and restaurants, offering local, seasonal specialities and, for some folk, almost forgotten dishes. These are the places where you can experience the Adriatic coast as it once was and as many would like to see it today. This is especially true when talking about the gastronomy, where the folk cuisine is facing more demand and value.
The Kvarner shrimp, symbolising the peak of Kvarner's gastronomy, will become more rare, and with the time will have to be added to the list of more accessible seafood such as anchovies, sardines and other Adriatic treasures, which are often unjustifiably left out of family and restaurant menus.
Health Benefits of Kvarner's Local Cuisine
Anything you order during your Kvarner travels, will bring the pleasure of taste, but also guaranteed fast recovery and replace - ment of energy we mercilessly waste in our fast lifestyle.
We are witnesses of the negative impact that stress has on our body and soul. Stress and free radicals are the root of accelerated ageing, but also many degenerative changes. If we take an occasional break and spend quality time while on vacation, we can significantly decrease the unwanted footprints left by the daily turbulence of life. Asparagus (vitamin C, carotene, iron, phos - phorus, potassium, asparagines, arginine), citrus fruits (terpene, flavan-3-ols, glucaric acid), wild fruits and nuts (fatty acids Ome - ga 3, minerals zinc, calcium) are just a few foods which contain nutritive components, and can postpone degenerative processes in the cells.
Visiting Kvarner, you get a chance to enjoy natural anti-ageing food with perfect gastro - nomic pleasure.
Fresh Groceries in Kvarner
- Asparagus
- Chestnut
- Ramsons
- Blackberries
- Lemon, orange
Signature Dishes of Kvarner
- Squid with swede
- Bouillabaisse (brudet) of dry-
- smoked octopus
- Lemon risotto
- Bitter orange marmalade
- Grilled scampi
The Croatian coast is a very interesting area for the grapevine; a narrow coastal line between Istria and Dalmatia, between the mountainous Croatia and cold, continental climate and Kvarner's isles with its typical Mediterranean atmosphere. Every traveller visiting this region, immediately notices its differences in landscape, climate, vegetation and the way of life within a relatively small space, where it is possible to spend the morning skiing at the Mt. Platak, and a few hours later enjoy the sea under the warm sun. The production and availability of wine are diverse and it is possible to find chardonnay, pinot and frankovka of almost continental freshness in the Vinodol area (from Križišće to Novi Vinodolski), while islands also grow typical southern varieties, such as cabernet sauvignon, merlot, syrah, and recently the plavac mali (small blue grapes).
The history of grapevine cultivation is very old and goes back to ancient times. The Greeks were probably the first who started producing wine, but the most important for the development of viticulture were the Romans. Proof of this is found in numerous documents, including a record of Lucan, a Roman poet, who speaks about the fight between Caesar and Pompey on the Island of Krk, and of the wooden barrel made of alder, which Caesar's soldiers used to escape from the surrounded island. This leads us to conclude that the habitants of this area used wooden barrels before the Greeks and Romans did. The latter are recorded as more important for the development of viticulture, although they kept and transported their wine in clay amphora.
Wine Varieties and Top Producers in Kvarner
In accordance with Croatian wine legislation, the area of Kvarner belongs to the wine-growing Croatian coastal region, and the most significant areas are at the sea side (the wine growing fields cover the whole coastal area from Lovran to Vinodol), as well as the islands, starting with Krk and Rab. Other islands have mostly smaller family farms and the Island Susak is worth mentioning because it emerged from the alluvium of sand, and at the beginning of the 20th century, the grape-vine covered up to 96% of the area of the island, i.e. everything except the villages (there was no vine-pest on the island). This demonstrates the significance of this culture for the economy of Kvarner's islands.
The vineyards are located mostly on karst fields and on terraces to a lesser extent. The most famous of them are in the area of Bakar, where the production of the first sparkling wine in this area started. It was the famous "Water of Bakar" (copper water - Bakarska vodica). The soil is very diverse; from heavy red soil to light flysch and sand. The differences in climate between the coastal area and islands are also very marked. In Rijeka there is about >1500 mm/per year of precipitation, while Susak has about half of that, i.e. around 800 mm. Temperatures also vary, but the annual average is around 14-15 °C. All these differences result in the development of a large number of varieties and production of different types of wine. The largest areas today are on the Island of Krk, at the Vrbničko polje (the field of Vrbnik), with the majority of producers located there. In recent years, they managed to revitalise quality vineyard areas, both on the islands and in the coastal area. This area is characterised by smaller plots of vineyards and family production, from where only a handful reach the market of a greater quality.
wines
Varieties and their wine and the most prominent producers
The most important variety in the area of Kvarner is Žlahtina, which is the fundamental wine of almost all producers. It is considered a Croatian native variety with a long history in this area and it became a much sought-after wine on the local market some 20 years ago. Its popularity continues and it is very wide-spread and presents the economically most important variety. It is the result of excellent correlation of characteristics of the variety and environmental conditions, and thus its wine conquered the market with good organic features, becoming the basis for wine-growing. Unlike heavy and strong southern wines on one side, and easy, but often harsh northern wines, Žlahtina brought to the market a good combination - it gives fruity, fresh, elegant and rather drinkable wines, making an excellent compromise between north and south. The largest areas are found on the Island of Krk, in Vrbničko polje, where almost all producers are located. The most famous and by quantity the largest wineries are the Katunar vinarija Inc., Frajona Inc., Agricultural Cooperative (PZ) Gospoja and PZ Vrbnik, as well as Neda and Šipun from Vrbnik. It is also important to mention Vupik d.o.o. from Novi Vinodolski. Apart from Žlahtina it also produces Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Frankovka named Morčić. Chardonnay is produced by several other producers and several years ago some other world-known varieties were also planted, such as merlot, syrah, pinot, and white sauvignon. It is important to mention Istrian Malvasia, as a domestic variety, but it is less present here than in Istria. Another sort is Plavina, which is locally referred to as Brajdica crna. The popularity and high quality of wine in this area tend to be confirmed also by Plavac mali, a variety from middle and southern Dalmatia. The first plantations were made on Krk and Rab islands, and the first wine is eagerly expected.
Sparkling wines are traditionally produced here and the oldest of them is the Bakarska vodica, natural sparkling wine (methode rurale), using the grapes from indigenous varieties: belina, žumić, vrbić and žlahtina, grown on the famous stone terraces, above the town of Bakar. Its production was well-known and large before, and has been almost completely abandoned. In recent years, attempts have been directed towards rehabilitation of the variety. The Istravino company produces Bakarska vodica as a carbonated wine (with the marking "Special"), and as a sparkling wine produced in the classic way (marked "Prestige"). Apart from the Bakarska vodica, there are several other producers who produce sparkling wine, and it is therefore possible to find Porin (with white pinot and žlahtina, using the Charmat method), 1288 (a classic method of bottle fermentation - champenoise method, giving a sparkling wine named by the year of the Law Codex of Vinodol, which is an important historic document). As a rare wine, it is important to mention Valomet, a natural sparkling wine produced in a classic method from žlahtina, but then kept for maturation in the sea for more than a year, at a depth of thirty metres giving excellent conditions for maturation. Apart from being responsible for the excellent characteristics of the sparkling wine, the long period in the sea is also responsible for the original design of the bottle, which is covered by layers of corals and shells, which accounts for the very high price of this wine.
The area of Kvarner is rich in autochthonous varieties of grapevine, which have been absent from production for many years. During recent years, there have been attempts to revitalise them, supported by the market orientation to move towards native original products. Some of them show excellent characteristics (vrbić, žumić, sansigot, trojšćina, kamenina, jarbola) and are very interesting for producers. Several producers have started new plantations with these varieties and their first wines are resulting from this.