For thousands of years BC the tribal communities centred round Vučedol used an extremely precise calendar which enabled them to engage effectively and successfully in agriculture.
On the island of Vis there are traces of grape vine which have been cultivated from pre-Christian times, right up to the present day.

The oldest coin to be found on the island of Hvar bears on the reverse side a depiction of a bunch of grapes, and on the obverse side the image of Homer – the poet who extolled their virtues in verse.
Officers of ancient Rome gladly became gourmands once they discovered the riches of the Cetina region bequeathed to them by the gods: trout, river crabs, frogs, game and fertile land. Instead of the usual temporary camp they created a permanent settlement on the hills along the Cetina River.
A thousand years ago, top quality chefs, who were equally expert in Oriental and Western cuisines, were a key element of the crews aboard the ships of Dubrovnik which sailed the Mediterranean and the oceans. From Istria to Konavle, Croats have been safeguarding dozens of centuries-old olive trees which still bear fruit to this day. Roman emperors planted olive groves in Istria because they considered the area as being the best for cultivation of superior olives.
Also, recipes from the Viennese court were being prepared by cooks attending to the gastronomic needs of the nobility and other wealthy households in northern Croatia.

Napoleon’s cooks introduced many of their culinary secrets to their Croatian counterparts, and they are still with us today – the mustard and bermet, i.e. vermouth, of Samobor being two of the most famous examples. It has to be pointed out, however, that those French cooks did not find any absence of culinary skills, indeed quite the contrary; in most cases the local population simply added a “French touch” to some of their existing recipes. For instance, mustard is mentioned in Gazophylacium, the famous Latin-Croatian dictionary by Ivan Belostenec, completed in 1674.
Italians have managed to convince a good part of the world that hundreds of their regional dishes deserve a place at the peak of world gastronomy. However, at the beginning of the last century they themselves claimed that the best Italian dishes are prepared in Dalmatia, where a great culinary tradition makes use of first-class ingredients. In the course of its travels from Persia, via Turkey to Croatian lands, a journey which took thousands of kilometres and hundreds of years to complete, the recipe for ćevap or kebab was being constantly improved until it reached absolute perfection. And all that together with many other great dishes and culinary procedures.
Hungarians who came to settle in Podravina, Međimurje, Slavonia and Baranja are masters of dishes prepared in small cauldrons, delicacies which represent the essence of the identity of Hungarian cuisine.

Today’s Croatia, a small Alpine, Pannonian, Danube-basin and Mediterranean country, grows all the same types of grape that are grown in the much larger France! Also, in small Croatia more varieties of the most highly valued truffles can be found than in that same France, including the white Tuber magnatum (pico), which is most sought after. For years now micologists have been trying to compile a definitive list of edible fungi that are autochthonous in Croatia, but the task is so extensive that they have yet to complete it. The Croatian Adriatic is not renowned for its great quantities of fish, crabs, shellfish and molluscs, but it is renowned for its rich variety of seafood. Indeed, it is claimed by many that some of that seafood, such as scampi and oysters from particular localities, are the best in the world. Those are subjective assessments; objective scientific findings have quite definitely shown that the concentration of elements in the Marasca black/sour cherry, grown in the surroundings of Zadar, make it superior to any other type of black/sour cherry in the world - which is more than amply proved by Maraschino, the famous liqueur of Zadar.
The varieties of small Mediterranean breeds of sheep scattered across the Adriatic islands, throughout the coastal areas and coastal hinterland, are in themselves a source of ultimate culinary pleasures and an excellent paradigm of the peaks of Croatian gastronomy: those breeds are small, some of them even the smallest in the Mediterranean, and their milk yield is equally small due to meagre but exquisitely aromatic grazing. On the other hand, however, their meat, milk and the cheese produced from it are delectable indeed.

Croatia cannot compete in quantities and yields of fruit, vegetables, fungi, fish, crabs, meat, cheese or honey with the large world producers. But then, it has no need to. The incredible variety and surprising quality of ingredients, food-stuffs, dishes and processed products offered by these climes and tradition are in themselves a world monument of culture with which one must become familiar, nurture, preserve, respect and above all savour and enjoy.
Hence, the Croatian National Tourist Board will make it an ongoing project to systematically research and present Croatian national gastronomy to the world public in the deeply held belief that, alongside natural attractions and cultural heritage, it is the country’s national gastronomy that represents an outstanding Croatian attraction. It is not enough to learn about it only in its summer version – all four season offer equally exquisite gastronomic experiences.
It can be safely said that Croatia is, so to speak, “on the boil”; agricultural experts and strategists of food production are undertaking a comprehensive inventory, and preparing a national strategy for the country’s road to the European Union. All edible treasures must be listed, described and protected as much as possible so as to ensure their survival within the strictly applied European rules. This is a massive task of invaluable significance; a high percentage of Croats fear that Brussels bureaucracy would not look kindly upon the ancient habits and customs practiced by thousands of small family producers, the very ones who enable Croats to enjoy hundreds of superb dishes prepared throughout our country.

Preservation and advancement of that wonderful heritage of our forefathers is, for Croats and the numerous national minorities who have lived here for a long time, a task which carries with it the very significance of survival. From the holdings of our farmers, from our meadows, forests, streams, rivers and the sea, in every season of the year there arrives to the Croatian markets a myriad of produce and products: fruit, vegetables, wild edible plants, herbs, fungi, fresh and saltwater fish, shellfish, crabs, molluscs, snails, frogs, game, fresh meat, sausages, salamis, hams and proscuittos, breads, rolls and cakes; and they never fail to surprise gourmands and connoisseurs from all over the world. Not by quantity – Croatia is, as we have said, a small country – but with their incredible variety. Amidst this wealth of choice one can select foodstuffs and dishes that stand shoulder to shoulder with the finest in the world, forming the basis of our national gastronomy which the world has yet to discover in its full glory, aroma and flavour. Bearing in mind its real potentials, very little is indeed known in the world about Croatia's gastronomy. This is why we are working on a strategy.
Croatia will not amaze anybody with the quantities of food produced here. In the Croatian waters of the Adriatic there are relatively small numbers of fish and other sea creatures. But it is the story of the Adriatic which is typical of Croatia’s gastronomy: neither the sea nor the seabed is overcrowded by massive numbers, but the variety of species living here is quite something. From a culinary standpoint this wealth gains another, yet more distinct quality: the frutti di mare of the Adriatic are deemed to be among the most delectable in the world. Pilchard, sand smelt, anchovy, tuna, dentex, gilthead, John Dory, red mullet, scampi, sea spider, lobster, oyster, scallops, calamari, squid... In the right hands all of them can be transformed into a feast fondly remembered with pleasure even by introduction those who have enjoyed feasts all over the world.

Croatia neither can nor should compete with the large food producers. Here, the holdings are fragmented; fields, barns and fishing boats are small. This situation, which for decades has been a serious national problem, is now proving to be a first class potential. In Croatia, chickens do indeed peck in courtyards, eating what nature provides; here, sheep do graze aromatic herbs; tuna fish feed on live pilchards in clear seas, and in forests wild strawberries happily grow in the company of mushrooms – until bears discover them and have themselves a feast...

Viewed against water resources throughout the world, Croatian waters, fresh and salt, standing and running, surface or underground, are all well preserved. The soil is not contaminated with heavy metals, nor is it exhausted by over-intensive agriculture. The air is considerably cleaner than in the majority of other European countries, and people are being brought up, and are therefore accustomed to, a traditional cuisine of first-rate nutritious properties, not only in the Mediterranean part of the country but in its vales in the north and in the mountain area extending between the coastal region and the Pannonian plain.

To savour a pogača (round, unleavened bread) made from ancient varieties of grain from Međimurje, salted by salt harvested on the Dalmatian islands is in itself a gastronomic experience fit to start a culinary feast in Croatia. An experienced connoisseur can follow the intricate paths of Croatian cuisine, and they will lead him from the rural origins, via folk tradition, to the intelligent concepts of brilliant young cooks in their fine restaurants. What a challenge for a palate worthy of its name!

Some twenty years ago Ivan Focht, philosopher, aesthetic of music, biologist and a passionate mushroom expert, wrote to his friend: “music and mushrooms came to us from the heavens.” Back then this was a romantic confession of a scientist at the end of the road; today, it sounds more like a touristic slogan. In the forests of Gorski kotar and Slavonia, alongside rivers, in the meadows of Lika, on islands, in Istria, in short, everywhere, there exists the mysterious world of mushrooms which is an inexhaustible source of discussion and pleasures to both mushroom experts and gastronomes. At a time when mushrooms in Europe are being threatened by the destruction of their habitat, and when some species have long disappeared, Croatia seems more like a botanical garden, a protected oasis which everybody can enjoy. Everybody, from tourists and mushroom experts to scientists and ecologists. And long may this remain so.

Cep (Penny Bun)

When one makes mention of the mushrooms in Croatia, most people will automatically think “Penny Bun.” The cep is a mushroom that comes to everybody’s mind with its shape, divine fragrance, majestic cap and charming plumpness. It has always been a most cherished mushroom in Croatia, one that anybody can recognize despite the fact that there are some 30 similar varieties in the same family, some of which are listed as protected plants. Ancient tradition has it that should you ever chance upon a lone cep, you should ask it quietly, “where is your brother?”, since they invariably grow in pairs. There are several methods used in their preparation. In Zagorje they are best served with eggs: a spot of pork fat, some sliced onion, sliced cep added and gently cooked. Eggs are then blended into it and the mixture fried to a soft texture. Another highly popular, delicious recipe is Penny Bun soup, always with the addition of smetana and vinegar. Mushrooms of all types are often grilled over live coals, but it is the Penny Bun which is by far the best when cooked in this way: simply dipped into melted butter and placed on a grill. When done they are sprinkled with salt and a few drops of a fine alcoholic beverage and served with rye bread and a slice or two of prosciutto or ham gently fried over the fire. It may be widespread, and indeed common, but the Penny Bun still remains one of the best and most highly regarded of mushrooms. In the region of Gorski kotar there is a place called Ravna Gora, where a “Day of mushrooms” is organized on an annual basis: mushroom hunters spend a day together looking for Penny Buns which, needless to say, are consumed with great relish at the end of the day.

Chanterelle

Should you chance to meet a peasant on the edge of a forest and were to ask him if there are any mushrooms there, you will make a mistake. Not because the man is secretive about his find, but because for him the word “mushroom” carries a different meaning. Only an edible mushroom with which he is familiar is a real mushroom, and this is limited to about ten varieties that form a part of traditional popular cuisine. Those mushrooms that rural folk do not know, or which are not edible, are simply not regarded as mushrooms.

Agaric

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 Korčula 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 Međimurje 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, 600g morel found.

Among the most successful revivals of ancient agricultures is the regeneration of olive production. There are olive groves extending from the westernmost areas of Istria, down the length of the coastline, including islands large and small, down to eastern borders of the Dubrovnik region, with new groves being planted every year. Young experts are winning prestigious acclaims both at home and abroad, for their oils, like that produced by multiple prize-winner, Sandi Chiavalone from Vodnjan, being at very peak of the Mediterranean olive growing industry. And it has been proved that the best olives oils in Croatia come from relatively small olive groves, where literally every tree receives special attention and care. Certain customs and practices, like washing the olives in the sea, make Croatian olive oils even more special. The most common and widespread varieties in Croatia are indigenous: buža and oblica. Although the practice of mixing different varieties is common, domestic olive growers recently began supplying a variety of oils, and this is where the indigenous varieties come into their own. The best oils are often on offer in prestigious wine boutiques.

Among purist connoisseurs an increasingly favoured hors d’oeuvre is fine olive oil, freshly baked top quality bread and salt, nowadays becoming ever more popular even in exclusive restaurants. Possible additions to this magnificent simplicity could be capers and highly appreciated fillets of salt-pickled fish in olive oil, with few drops of good wine vinegar and a few slices of onion. Marinades made with raw fish in top quality olive oil, in particular anchovies, sprinkled with the juice of home grown lemons, are especially popular in the Split and Zadar clusters. Baking is the old, traditional way of releasing the bitter elements from olives. The baked olives are then kept in olive oil and aromatized with Mediterranean herbs, primarily rosemary, which is also the best way of enjoying them. Another old custom is being revived, this time among bakers: pieces of olive are mixed into bread dough, the result being deliciously piquant bread. Green and black olives are used to produce a spread, usually for bread, but smart chefs use it as a condiment for filleted fish and a variety of meat escalopes.

Every town of any size in Croatia has at least one marketplace to which the rural homesteads from the surrounding areas bring their fresh produce. As recently as the end of last century it seemed that cheap food of dubious quality, arriving from the world markets, would spell curtains for the small producers of quality products. Instead, it has become apparent that the number of people willing to pay more for fresh local products is steadily growing.

Alongside enduring treasures, like fresh cottage cheese and cream, free-range eggs, or grincajg (from the German Grünzeug) - bunches of root vegetables and greens for traditionally prepared soup, ever increasing numbers of customers are seeking indigenous types of fruit and vegetables, wild edible plants, forest mushrooms and many other foodstuffs, the high quality of which can be ensured only by small breeders and grower-gatherers. One of the permanent tasks of the nationwide care for our gastronomy is the need to preserve such markets, to safeguard small grower-gatherers and breeders, as well as the country’s traditional dishes.

There is practically no good food which Croats would not prepare on a grill (roštilj) in the continental part of the country, or rather on a gradele - its counterpart along the coast. And preparation is equally varied everywhere. All the better parts of meat are grilled, the meat coming from practically all kinds of animal: poultry, pig, yearling beef, beef, lamb, kid, game small and large, snails, frogs, fish, crabs, shellfish, molluscs, and even vegetables and cheese. Bread itself is improved on the grill to keep hunger at bay until the main attractions are ready.

Traditionally, the grill is tended by men who like to boast of their skills in this department, everyone having some special nuance or personal method which sometimes goes into meticulous detail, like the selection of the right kind of wood and, of course, the heat of the live coals. Highly sought after is dry grape vine, while some grill masters 52 croatian Gastronomy beans, chickpeas and lentils form collect veritable boutiques of different dry woods, which are then the basis of many ordinary dishes. further enhanced through the addition of aromatic plants, such as rosemary sprigs. Generally speaking, grilling is best when done over plenty of live coals which produce a gentle heat, whereas grilling over a fire is regarded as barbaric, or at least demonstrating a certain lack of good taste and manners.

The majority of gourmands regard food prepared under a peka as the ultimate in grilled dishes. This simple accessory – a simple domed lid – can be made of metal, thinner or thicker, often of cast iron, but true connoisseurs are particularly appreciative of the earthenware peka. Food cooked under a peka, be it in a fireproof pot or directly on a stone slab, comprises meat with vegetables, usually veal, lamb and yearling beef, covered with potatoes and other vegetables. Larger poultry is also prepared in this way, and in the mountainous part of the Kvarner region. Even if catering establishments provide only bread baked in this way, their ratings are usually elevated.

Although somewhat less varied than grilling, the spit also allows for the preparation of many dishes: from small ones for poultry to massive ones for oxen. Spit roasting is common all over the country and is the main feature of catering establishments along the arterial roads, where spits function as a form of live advertising. Most commonly spit roasted are suckling pigs, lambs and, less frequently, kids. This is a very ancient method of preparing food, being imported to these parts from the East. But in the good old days it was not young animals that were spit roasted, because the scarcity of meat dictated that an animal should reach its full adult size before being slaughtered. Traces of this ancient tradition are still seen in Croatia in the custom of spit roasting oxen, particularly for popular festivities.

Central parts of the Slavonian region are renowned for their masters of spit roasting an ox. However, folks from certain large villages in Slavonia, such as Gundinci, prefer a heifer since they know from much enjoyed experience that its meat is considerably juicier. Gentle heat and good meat are the keys to every successful spit roast. Bearing in mind that there are practically no spices involved, the genuine quality of meat is necessarily a major factor. Spit roasting is always a slow process, its rotation being slow and steady. It takes an experienced cook to salt an animal for the spit, while during roasting it is basted only with oil, or melted pork fat, and sometimes with stock, wine or beer.