Croatian Food...Who Would Have Thought?

Signing up for this adventure, we obviously anticipated active sports everyday, but little did we realize the food adventure we would undertake as well! Just when you think the meal you have eaten is the best ever, the next one is better than the last! Needless to say, we have been eating VERY well! Many foods have been traditionally made by locals we have been visiting and/or staying with.

Dessert in Zaton, near Dubrovnik in Croatia. The bottom layer was lemon. The middle layer was a mixture of raspberries and blackberries. The top was whipped cream with jimmies. A refreshing slice to enjoy in the Mediterranean climate!

This was a dessert made from a bean that tasted like chocolate. The name escapes me at the moment, but I will check with others to find out.

Another homemade meal made by Ivandor and his wife near Biokovo Mountain on Bosnia and Herzegovina. Made in a traditional Dutch oven. Chicken with potatoes. This chicken just fell off the bone because it was so tender.

Tuna steak. Definitely fishy. For the record, Renee had to lay this one to rest under her napkin ;)

Black Risotto. In other words, this is rice with squid. The black is the ink from the squid. This was actually quite tastey. Right before I took a bite, Renee was so kind to point out that I was just about to eat a tentacle. Sure enough, I looked a bit more closely at what I was about to put into my mouth, and you could see the suction cup! Needless to say, I flipped it over and stirred it in with the rest of my rice before I attempted to eat it again!

We were in heaven with all of the gelato stands! As you can tell, they make it very difficult to walk by without a sample! Not to mention, there might be 3 or 4 gelato stands on every block! Have no fear, we have done lots of sampling ;)

Homemade Rakia. This was Mario's version.

This is Mario. He prepared our lunch for us after our strenuous hike in Paklenica National Park. This meal was chicken and veal prepared in a traditional Dutch oven under ashes. It was cooked for over 2 hours and worth every second! We ate this lunch on the ridge of a mountain with a gorgeous view from our table. Also, note Renee with her Rakia overlooking the ridge. This was our view from our table.

Gnocchi served with a white sauce that was to die for. Gnocchi is a potato based pasta.

Most fish served here in Croatia is served whole - thank goodness I went to Canada before this trip to learn how to filet the bones out! This was served with Swiss chard.

This was one of our first adventures - anchovies! Talk about great date breath! We ate these bad boys with rye bread and onion. Definitely on the saltier side, but tolerable nonetheless.

In Croatia, there is not a wide variety of beer, but the beer they have is quite refreshing. One of our favorites is Karlovacko (found nearly everywhere). There is also Ozjusko, Pan, Bavaria, and Lasko.
This meal was served before we went river kayaking. Everything here was made and produced by 3 brothers on this tiny plot of land. We ate homemade prosciutto, cheese, french fries, wine, rakia (VERY potent brandy served with every meal here), pizza and spinach calzone type foods. Everything was delicious!

Every meal is served with delicious versions of homemade bread with a salad (has been cabbage, tomatoes, and cucumbers usually but it depends upon the season). The beans were served cold with vinegar and were absolutely delicious!