The diversity of cuisine in the Zadar area is based on the riches of the sea and variety of fruits of the earth from the Ravni kotari district
Did You Know? Pag Cheese – A Culinary Gem
The cheese from the Island of Pag is one of the best dairy products in the world. It is produced in the traditional manner, from the milk of the autochthonous breed of sheep from Pag, which feed on the pasture rich with aromatic herbs, and posolica, brought by the winds from the Velebit.
4 he gastronomy of the Za dar part of Dalmatia is defined by a sophisticated harmony of rich fruits from the land and a variety of sea-fruits in a unique composition of excellent dishes, where each ingredient preserves its specific features, and where the mix gives such taste that is immeasurable by ordinary culinary standards.
Even with all its differences, founded on the wealth from the sea on one side, and the inexhaustible possibilities of the fertile Ravni Kotari on the other, the gastronomy of the Zadar area of Dalmatia is still branded by one product from the island only, praised to the status of a gastronomic cult. The cheese of Pag with its unique quality and rather recognisable, specific taste, is the most famous and appreciated Croatian dairy product. The unique micro-climate features of the Island of Pag, specific vegetation rich with aromatic herbs and improved with posolica brought by the winds from Velebit, breeding of the indigenous breed of Pag's sheep and a long tradition of cheese production, together with the vast experience of the dairy producers ensure that the supreme quality of this product will be preserved as a permanent gastronomic legacy of this island.
The cheese from Pag, which can stand shoulder to shoulder with the best hard sheep cheeses in the world, is an inevitable ingredient in the most ambitious menus, offering the best from this area. The island of Pag, and its towns Pag and Kolan, are the centers for cheese production. The tradition of production and its ancient recipe are transferred from one generation to the next and preserved as a family legacy. The new generations are maturing and wanting to gain market acceptance for their product.
Pag is also known for its excellent lamb, the quality of which equals the sheep milk from which the cheese is made. It is based on a very specific pasture containing all the micro climate and vegetation features of this unique island. The lamb is prepared on a rotisserie or grilled, baked in an oven with potatoes or slow-cooked in a dish with young peas, making the speciality locally called "lamb with biži".
Zadar has skilfully included all the features and advantages of the areas gravitating to - wards it into its own gastronomic offering. Vegetables and fruits of utmost quality come to Zadar market from the Ravni Kotari, promising somewhat forgotten tastes and aromas. Broad beans and artichoke, chard, rocket, zucchini, cauliflower, broccoli, to - matoes and other vegetables grown on the fertile soil of Zadar, combined with excellent island-made olive oil, are the prime ex - amples of healthy, Mediterranean nutrition. Kali, a fishing base on Ugljan island, with excellent fishermen known from the Adriat - ic to California, is famous for the rich daily offering of white and blue fish at Zadar's fish market.
Sardine, former prime food for folk in Dalmatia, is regaining a significant place in the modern gastronomy, in which blue fish has often been neglected.
The chefs of Zadar are true masters in the preparation of grilled fish, cooked fish-stew (bouillabaisse), but also marinated and salted blue fish. Tuna is becoming more popular in recent years, thanks to the Japanese, who consider the Adriatic tuna as the fish of the highest quality in the world, and use it in sushi and other Japanese specialities.
There are several different recipies for bouil - labaisse, with minor differences, but with one thing in common: mixing several types of fish and slow-cooking them with a mod - erate addition of herbs and using excellent olive oil from the Ugljan island. Polenta is the usual side dish with bouillabaisse.
The hinterland of Zadar provides proscuitto from Poserdarje, a delicacy with many in - ternational awards, which owes some of its quality to the winds from Velebit. The other part of the quality lies in the preparation which includes drying in cold smoke.
Refined lovers of sophisticated drinks will be thrilled with Maraschino, a liquor made from the famous cherry marasca, coming from Asia, deep-rooted in the area of Zadar, which is the name given to the Zadar factory for the production of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.
Maraschino is an original brand from Zadar with a long tradition, celebrating this city all over the Mediterranean and in the world. It originates from the pharmacy of the Do - minican convent in Zadar, where it has been regularly prepared since the 16th century, under the name of Rosoglio. The tourist con - sider it an authentic souvenir, which they gladly take back home with them.
Sardine, which used to feed the commoners of Dalmatia, is gaining an important position in the modern gastronomy.
The gastronomy of Zadar's part of Dalmatia is defined by a sophisticated harmony of rich fruits from the land and a variety of seafruits in a unique composition of excellent dishes, where each ingredient preserves its specific features, but in the mix gives such taste that is unattainable by ordinary culinary measures. New gastronomic favourites complement the restaurant menus in Zadar. Among them, there are the Foša, Niko, Roko, Kornat, Pet bunara (offering meals with marasca cherry), and the Pece (in Vinjerac) and Zrinski (on the Pasman Island). Zadar offers a unique cultural, historical and religious heritage to its visitors, but also some examples of avant-garde architecture and fine arts, presenting rarities all over the world, such as the Sea Organ and Greeting to the Sun. There are also smaller towns around Zadar offering gastronomic pleasures enriched by the aroma and taste of the area. In Nin, a historic town with salt-works, there is a ninski šokol, a smoke-dried meat product made from pork neck, dried in the winds from Velebit. There is also sukošanski maneštrun in Sukošan; cooked root-like vegetables with bacon and pasta. Islands offer octopus salad with lentils or octopus under čripnja.
Sardines, of high nutritional value and of low price, are becoming a success even in elite restaurants. What used to be the food of the commoners of Dalmatia, is now becoming the queen of trendy menus.
Health Benefits of Zadar's Cuisine
The ideal geographic and agronomic position of Zadar provides the conditions for a menu full of sea-fruits and organically grown vegetables and fruits, from an area with plenty of sun and water.
A sufficient amount of green, bitter vegetables and all other ingredients found along the coast, protect the health of the bone structure. Herbs on the islands have a specific taste coming from the soil structure, and also the fact that the bay is under the influence of posolica (a salty meteorological phenomenon, when small drops of salt water are carried by the wind to the soil). The structure of vegetation gives a special taste to the meat of animals raised on the island pastures. It needs to be mentioned that those pastures are scarce, but alive with Dalmatian herbs rich with very light oils. Dalmatian herbs are both for seasoning and medication.
Sprinkled sea drops, sea salt and iodine penetrate the soil, the vegetation and animals, and analysis of the types cultivated in areas where the wind brings posolica, compared to other areas, shows higher amounts of chlorine, magnesium, sodium, iodine, lithium, zinc, manganese, and specifically selenium.
Local Groceries and Specialty Products
Cheese from Pag Marasca cherry Samphire, pickled Smoke-dried shark
d i s h e s
Cheese from Pag with samphire Marasca and cheese cake Maneštra made of cuttlefish Octopus with lentils Gnocchi with prosciutto
Wine Production in Zadar: History and Varieties
Zadar, the largest city and the administrative, cultural and economic center of northern Dalmatia, has excellent conditions for the development of agriculture: excellent climate, a fertile and spacious hinterland, and a traditional preference towards production. Wine production has historically been one of the most important cultures, but in the last several decades, this area did not follow the trend in Croatia of mass development of small family wine cellars and this created a wrong impression on the suitability of this area for wine production. Fortunately, the situation has been changing recently, and significant areas are being planted, along with the introduction of new varieties and technologies. Notable wines are appearing and winning awards, making firm steps towards the top of the Dalmatian provision.
Wine was produced in this area more than two thousand years ago, of which there is much archaeological evidence. Whether it was the Greeks, such as in the other parts of Dalmatia, or the domestic Illyrians who knew about grapevines and wine before them, remains unknown, but it is certain that production was significantly improved by the Romans, who established a colony Idassa (Jadera), under the direct order of Julius Caesar.
Natural Conditions for Wine Production in Zadar
Everyone who comes to the area of Zadar either by road, sea or air, will note that this is a very interesting landscape, laced with many fields, upslopes and water surfaces - the Adriatic Sea, Zrmanja River, Karin Sea, Novigrad Sea, and Vrana Lake. In addition to the mild climate, all this created excellent conditions for the production of grapes and wine. Today, alongside the rich autochthonous assortment and introduction of some world famous and recognised varieties, there are many interesting wines, which usually blend with the richness of the natural resources and modern technology.
In accordance with Croatian vineyard legislation, this tourist region includes two wine growing areas: Zadar - Biograd and Benkovac-Stankovci. The area includes the fertile Ravni Kotari in the hinterland, as well as the coastal strip and islands. The largest areas are in Ravni Kotari, at the Nadinsko Polje and the area of Benkovac, where large vineyards of former social enterprises were cultivated in the 70s of the last century. Today, new areas are being cultivated closer to the sea, not far from Zadar, and on the islands.
The climate is typically Mediterranean, warm and mild, with a colder and windy hinterland. The temperature is around 16- 16.5 °C in the annual average, with about 900 mm rainfall. Summers are hot and without rain, and drought is very frequent. There are different soils here, depending on the position they range from stone and shallow soil in the karst area, to the deep, fertile brown or red soil in the fields.
Wine Varieties and Prominent Producers in Zadar
Over the last few decades, several large social companies existed in this area and managed wine production. Large areas were planted and new sorts were introduced, mostly from France (Grenache, carignan, ugni blanc). But, as the ownership structure changed after the last war, and there was no full recovery of the private areas, this area has gone through a downturn when it comes to the development of family cellars and private wine-making initiatives. Only in the last several years, did several producers emerge in significant, new areas and with very interesting wines.
When looking at white wines, this area is traditionally growing indigenous Croatian varieties, such as debit, the leading white variety. It gives average table and quality wine, and can be found in almost all domestic wines. It is frequently grown together with maraština, an old Dalmatian variety which was recently found to be identical to the Italian type malvasia del Chianti.
It gives quality wines, but it can be found occasionally on the market as pure variety wine - regularly mixed with other varieties. Chardonay was introduced in the latter years and is spreading in the area, in spite of the fact that it matures rather early and that its wine is often quite strong and with a high percentage of alcohol. Trebbiano toscano (ugni blanc) was introduced into the assortment some forty years ago and it has given good results. It often comes with debit and maraštino, freshening the wine, due to its ability to preserve a significant amount of acid in the grapes. Pošip has been present recently and its initial results are extraordinary - it shows very good variety characteristics in this area, too. When it comes to other white varieties, several other native varieties can be found, but not as variety wines in the range. As for the red ones, there is also a dominance of the autochthonous varieties, such as plavina (regular ingredient of local mixed red wines, with a soft and mild taste), and babić, a variety well-known in the Šibenik area, with good characteristics on stone and poor soils. Other indigenous varieties that are traditionally planted are lasina, zadarka and svrdlovina, but they do not have any significant impact on the market. The true renaissance in the production and offering of red wine in the area of Zadar comes from the introduction of the French varieties - grenache and carignan, introduced during the 70's of the last century, as well as merlot, cabernet sauvignon and syrah, present in recent years. Outstanding potential is seen here and the best red Zadar wines bear those names. A new variety in this area is plavac mali, the most important Croatian autochthonous red variety, but so far mostly present in central and southern Dalmatia.
On the former large producers of wine, today only Badel 1862 and its winery Vinarija Benkovac continue with production, traditionally making a very good rosé made of Grenache and carignan. They planted large areas with varieties cabernet sauvignon, merlot and syrah (located in Korlat), and the first produced wines had excellent characteristics. When it comes to the smaller producers, one can mention the Wines of the island of Pag (Denis Rako), who was among the first of the private producers, then Gegić's wines (local varieties with cabernet sauvignon, merlot and vranac), and a few new ones, are just appearing on the market now. Among those, there are Jurjević's wines, with posip and syrah, from the island of Silba, then the Figurica by Mladen Anić from Smilčići (maraština, cabernet sauvignon, syrah). A very good trebbiano toscano is produced by the Zlatko Kaštelanac. There is an excellent cabernet sauvignon by Šime Škaulj from Nadin, and new wines are received from many others, whose names will soon be found on the wine maps of this region and further afield.
The Šibenik area of Dalmatia is known for its harmonious mixture of continental and Mediterranean cuisine