dubrovnik info

Local Flavour
Local dishes
Despite Dubrovnik having centuries-old trading connections
across the globe, the cuisine of this region is very much
based on the gifts of nature in this part of the world. Classic
Dubrovnik cuisine is seasoned with parsley, garlic, olive oil
and lemon, and perhaps a touch of rosemary or bay leaf if the
chef is on the adventurous side. A true Mediterranean experience,
you might say.
This tendency to eschew more exotic ingredients can be a
double-edged sword. On the one hand, the city’s menus can
seem somewhat repetitive. On the other hand, what you eat
is fresh, natural and, in the better restaurants, local. The simplicity
of the preparation lets the flavours of high quality ingredients
do the work. It’s hard to beat a good piece of meat
or fish grilled over charcoal with a salad freshly picked from a
hinterland garden.
In defence of simple cooking, experiments with “imaginative”
cuisine can be like playing Russian roulette. In anything but
the most skilled hands and pedantic husbandry the result
can be disappointing. For example, in Provence, as Financial
Times food columnist Rowley Leigh complained bitterly in
summer 2012, it’s hard find an authentic bouillabaisse or ratatouille
these days. Peasant food gains elevated status and
loses its guts. Croatian food is still unfashionably plentiful and
full of flavour, and all the better for it.
So, what can you eat in Dubrovnik if you’d like to escape the
grilled fish – grilled meat – pasta trinity? The best answer is
the same as anywhere: the same as the local people eat at
home.
Let’s start with the basics. Šporke makarule is the local version
of everyone’s favourite: spaghetti bolognaise. However, with
hand-made pasta, small chunks of beef (not mince) and fresh
tomatoes, it becomes something special. You’ll see big vats of
the stuff served on the street at Carnival time in February. But
even on the hottest day, add a crisp green salad and you’ve
the perfect lunch.
A more special dish served throughout Dalmatia is pašticada.
There are many variations, but generally a lean piece of beef
is studded with carrot, garlic and smoked bacon and marinated
in wine, oil, vinegar with perhaps a little orange and
lemon. It’s cooked in a rich sauce, sometimes with prunes,
and served with soft gnocci.
A winter warmer that truly displays the spirit of the region is
konavoska zelena menestra. A selection of cured meats (pork,
mutton, sausage) is cooked up with winter greens and potato.
When finished, the meat is served on a plate and the
smokily scented veg dished up with a little of the soupy liquid
and lashings of olive oil. This dish dates from the 16th century;
for added historical effect substitute barley for potato.
Fast forward to springtime when broad beans are ready for
picking: try them cooked with smoked mutton, garlic, parsley
and bacon fat.
To get a little more exotic, consider an excursion northwards
to the Pelješac peninsula, where you can treat yourself to
Ostrea edulis, otherwise known as the finest oysters in the
world, prepared in a million different ways. While you’re there,
look out also for butarga (dried flathead mullet roe); there are
a couple of families here who still prepare this rare delicacy.
Further north still, the Neretva river estuary is home to all
kinds of aquatic life and a magnet for culinary adventurers.
Fancy a plateful of snails cooked over an open fire? Eel
cooked in a rich brudet sauce? Frog risotto, perhaps? It’s the
perfect end to a watery day’s safari.
To accompany your traditional-style meal you’ll want a
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