Croatian Gastronomy - Nostromo

in rEcEnt yEars
thE numBEr of
rEstaurants in
croatia KEEpinG
pacE with GrEat
achiEvEmEnts
of hautE cuisinE
has BEEn
constantly
GrowinG.
smrčak, or morel - tradition has it that in the
villaGEs whErE folK Eat a lot of this BlEssEd
mushroom, BachElors arE fEw and far BEtwEEn
and women are always jolly.
Those mushrooms that rural folk do not know, or which are
not edible, are simply not regarded as mushrooms.
a G a r i c
A common and tasty mushroom, curious for the fact that it is
eaten on the islands. Islanders have always been oriented to
the sea and meagre soil, putting their faith in their boats and
their hoes. Mushrooms, however, seem to have escaped their
attention, rujnica, or agaric, being an exception. (Indeed, on
the island of Korèula the agaric is in fact called a “mushroom”,
since members of that family which are not eaten are
not regarded as mushrooms!). They are eaten on the islands
of Lastovo, Korèula and Mljet. This is a firm-fleshed mushroom
and is therefore suitable for a longer period of cooking.
The traditional dish on Korèula is mushrooms in sauce:
onion, tomato concentrate, potato, red wine, sugar and olive
oil, cloves, salt and pepper; and there you have a delicious
sauce. Fish is and was prepared in a similar way.
horn of plEnty (crna truBača)
The Horn of plenty is a mushroom which practically cannot be
mistaken for any other. Difficult to find, but when it is found
you realize you are surrounded by them, as if on a large, black
carpet. The Swiss call it “poor man’s truffle”, to the English it is
“Horn of plenty”, while Germans see it as a “deadly trumpet”.
Regardless of its name, however mythical or bizarre it may be,
it still smells divinely and is perfect when pickled, eaten cold
as salad, and is at its best when dried and ground into a powder.
This magic powder is then used as a spice, as that secret
ingredient that every mushroom expert and mushroom lover
simply must have in his or her kitchen.
morel (or smrčak)
No mushroom hunting adventure is more exciting than the
hunt for morels, and he who hunts the morel, this magnificent
mushroom, is a very special person. In order to be successful
he is prepared to do what other mushroom gatherers
do not do. This is a strange mushroom which likes those
places that other members of its family do not like, and is
gathered with great passion and with a certain inexplicable
feeling verging on sensuality. Every gatherer has his own
secret hunting grounds which he guards jealously. Spring is
the season which makes the hunter feel restless, and as soon
as he feels the time has come, off he goes, for if he is only
a few days too late there will be nothing to find. It is a true
pleasure to join the mushroom gatherers of Meðimurje or
Gorski kotar, who organize traditional events and compete
for the “Golden morel”, i.e. the largest and most beautiful
specimen. Last year, the first prize was won by a 43cm-high,
nEw olivE
GrovEs arE
sprinGinG up
alonG thE
coastlinE EvEry
yEar, and olivE
oils producEd
By younG olivE
GrowErs arE
winninG intErnationalrEcoGnition.
croatian Gastronomy
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