Gastronomy
Gastronomy
Croatian cuisine is heterogeneous, and is therefore known as “the cuisine of regions”. Its modern roots date back to Proto-Slavic and ancient periods and the differences in the selection of foodstuffs and forms of cooking are most notable between those on the mainland and those in coastal regions.
Mainland cuisine is more characterized by the earlier Proto-Slavic and the more recent contacts with the more famous gastronomic orders of today – Hungarian, Viennese and Turkish – while the coastal region bears the influences of the Greek, Roman and Illyrian, as well as of the later Mediterranean cuisine – Italian and French.
A large body of books bears witness to the high level of gastronomic culture in Croatia, which in European terms dealt with food in the distant past, such as the Gazophylacium by Belostenec, a Latin-Kajkavian dictionary dating from 1740 that preceded a similar French dictionary.
There is also Beletristic literature by Marulic, Hektorovic, Drzic and other writers, down to the work written by Ivan Bierling in 1813 containing recipes for the preparation of 554 various dishes (translated from the German original), and which is considered to be the first Croatian cookery book.
Gastronomy of Istria
The word gastronomy is derived from Ancient Greek gastros “stomach”, and nomos “knowledge” or “law”. It is the study of relationship between culture and food. It is often thought erroneously that the term gastronomy refers exclusively to the art of cooking (the so called Culinary Art), but this is only a small part of this discipline: it cannot always be said that a cook is also a gourmet (taken from Wikipedia.org).
The istrian gastronomy faithfully reflects all of the historical, geographical and climatic characteristics of this area. The tumultuous past times considerably impacted the gastronomy as well. Various traditions are interlaced in the traditional cuisine, which founds its fundaments in the nature (self-propagating plants, aromatic condiments, seasonal vegetables, sea fruits…), and influences of Franc and German feudal authorities as well as the Roman food and that of the Slavic populations which arrival started in the 7th century, were imported. Certainly the greatest impact on istrian gastronomy was done by the Venetian gastronomy, which authority lasted in these areas almost for five centuries – until the year 1797.
The Venetian cuisine was extremely creative and various, also due to the fact that condiments coming from all over the world were used. Nothing unusual for a rich State with a powerful fleet and intense worldwide commercial relations: from the Northern Europe until the Far East. Thanks to such articulated commercial relations, the stockfish from the Baltic countries and rare condiments coming from Asia were normally found on Venetian tables. There were fresh vegetables from the surrounding mouths, game from the inner lands, olive oil and wine from Istria and the scampi coming from the Kvarner bay as well. Of course, the same was in reverse. The western istrian coastal cities of that period (Koper and Poreč), by means of Venice came in touch with many new fares, the stockfish included, but they also learned to adopt the new condiments: the popper, the cinnamon, the nutmeg, the cloves and others.
Considering that, at least in the beginning of the Serenissima, the fish in Venice was stigmatized as being popular or even poor people’s food – on the ways of preparing the fish and other sea fruits, it was possible to learn from the fishermen of Chioggia. On the contrary, those were bound to the istrian fishermen who were coming from the fishermen villages like Piran, Izola, Novigrad and Rovinj. There was also an exchange of knowledge in the preparation of the zuppa (dense soup), rižoto (rice) and buzara (sauce), from one side of the Adriatic, but also in that of burned crabs, stew made of shore crabs or common limpets, to the other. Such mutual imbuing has impacted the istrian coastal gastronomy until nowadays as well.
CROATIAN WINES
Many Istrians conceive wine a inexplicable unearthly sacred potion, a necessity and passion, the culture of living, as nourishment and liquor, prayer and a curse. Istrians have been historically devoted to the grapevine. A proverbial saying confirms it; Wine comes from grapevine and milk from a goat. Wheat is life, while wine is a myth and as our elders would say, The bread is for the flesh and wine is for the soul. Istria, this miniature continent and the largest peninsula of the Adriatic coast, slopes gently into the sea towards the eternally sunny southwest. The wine’s bouquet and body is enriched by the special land structure, i.e. the red soil spreading over the littoral and the white soil covering the hinterland area. The vineyards spread over approx.15.200 acres of land. The western viticulture area (in the vicinity of Poreč, Buje, Pula and Rovinj) is the largest, its vineyards covering approx. 14.430 acres. The central Istria wine-growing hills (around Buzet and Pazin) spread over some 516.44 acres, while in the eastern part (near Labin), there are around 255 acres of vine grapes.
Over the past century the Istrian malmsey has born the title of the most famous and ubiquitous wine of our peninsula. Depending on the chemical processing procedure, nurture and vintage year, its color varies from straw to golden yellow. Its scent primarily reminds of the locust flower scent. The contents of its main components make her an average to-full bodied wine, its volume of alcohol ranging from 11.5 to 13.5 with delicate bouquet and fresh taste. It complements most superbly the entire variety of the Mediterranean cuisine. The Istrian counterpart of malmsey is teran. Teran and its subtype refosc are both considered the pristine, indigenous wines of Istria. We tend to call the red wines black, mostly because of teran’s intense, deep, ruby color. The local farmer gently whispers, its color is similar to hare’s blood and it can be drunk like milk. Its bouquet is fruit-like and its special taste is easily recognized. It is in excellent harmony with heavier, more caloric dishes, such as local stew, sauces and venison. A great many connoisseurs of Istrian wines will tend to rank the highest the Istrian muscatel or, to be more specific, the muscatel produced in and around Momjan, owing to it’s gold-like color, intense bouquet of wild clove pink and it’s exquisite aroma. Dry and sweet. Worthy complement of desserts and many other delicacies. Even aphrodisiac power has been attributed to it.
OLIVE OIL
Hardly anything can be compared to this opaque, darkish fluid; it is absolutely unique. A hall-mark of the Mediterranean, associated with the notion of healthiness, gastronomic delight and with a serene, untroubled old age in particular. It has been outpouring murky and imperious ever since, uncommonly bitter in taste, yet of an exceptional aroma, making it an admirable companion of many superb dishes. The most valued vegetable fat in a human diet. A body care product, a cure for diverse ailments, regarded by many as panacea, the elixir of life. A divine fruit. A flowing gold. What is concealed beneath these supernatural praises? Olive-tree! The edible oil! The oil of gods and mankind alike. Olive-oil. The oil of charitable deeds and anointment. The queen of all trees. A mythological and biblical plant. The olive-branch, an emblem of peace. A Christian rite and feast: olive-branches before the forthcoming Easter Sunday. An all-cure, a touch and a hallmark of Istria.
As stated by the Greek mythology tales, the olive-tree has been created in the following way: in her contest with Poseidon, god of the sea, Athena cast a drop of water on the cliff and immediately an olive-tree grew therein. Throughout the past centuries Istria has been determined by the olive-tree. We owe the first historic manuscripts related to our peninsula and dating back to ancient Greeks and Romans to this very olive-tree and to olive-oil, respectively. Believe it or not, olive-oil produced in Istria was considered then as the most exquisite oil of the Empire which all other existing sorts had been compared to. Marcus Valerius Marcial (40 – 103 A.D.), the most renowned epigrammatist of ancient Rome, a Spaniard by birth, left a pleiad of scripts exalting Istrian olive-oil. Chanting praises to his native Cordoba, he exclaimed: Uncto Corduba laetior Venafro, Histria nec minus absoluta testa. Cordoba, thou art more fertile than the oil-rich Venafro, absolute like the olive-oil from Istria.
Apart from many written testimonies, there is also plenty of material evidence: remnants of diverse ancient oil manufactories along the entire western coast of Istria, particularly on the Brijuni archipelago, in the towns of Barbariga, Poreč and Červar Porat. Close to these, real industrial areas intended for the amphora manufacture had been set up. It is only natural that large olive-groves were planted aside, namely the indigenous local sorts (bjelica, karbonera, buža, etc.). Nowadays, it seems like we have to start all over again. We dispose of unrivalled legacy, apparently excellent climate conditions and soil structure, favorable geographic position, skills handed down from our ancestors, knowledge and properly qualified personnel; nevertheless, we seem to lag behind the latest worldwide trends and attainments in the field.
We need to take a step forward and face the challenge of planting olive-groves consisting of selected, autochthonous sorts, producing top-quality olive-oil, accepting new growing technologies, as well as of constructing up-to-date oil plants.
ISTRIAN TRUFFLE
The culinary chefs agree upon one thing only: the truffle should be placed at the very top of the gastronomic delicacies list. The truffle is a mysterious and unique tuber, completely concealed underground. It does not dispose of a plant suspended above the ground and therefore, no human being is able to spot it, except for a well-trained dog tracing it by smell.
The land of our heart-shaped peninsula consists of two types of soil texture; the intensely red one in the coastal area and of the grey, clayish one in its central part. The truffle grows exactly in this grey soil, its epicenter being in the damp Motovun forest constantly moistened by the Mirna river flowing through its woods. To be more precise, it is mainly spotted in the County District of Oprtalj, by the townlet of Livade, and in the Buzet area, where Buzet has already been renowned as the TRUFFLE PLACE.
The white Istrian truffle is one of the most highly appraised truffle species in the world. For decades, it has been smuggled out of our country in order to enrich the taste of various European cuisines where its origins have constantly been kept in concealment.
This leaflet and these events are intended to prevent these shady activities in the first place and to enable you and us to consume this supreme delicacy in its homeland and at a considerably more reasonable price. Our intent is to demystify and dethrone its Majesty, the Truffle MAGNATUM TUBER-PICO, by making it available to a common individual and not only a pleasure to just a few well-to-do lucky ones.
And after all, what is a truffle really? Perhaps an odd looking potato-like bulb of highly unpleasant smell, but once you get used to it and its culinary uniqueness, you become its true and eternal admirer. You tend to get addicted to it as one does to any other worldly vice.
