Gourmet Food in Istria you just have to eat (and where to find it)

You guys, I’ve been looking SO much forward to eating my way through this post and sharing it with you. Last year, I wrote a post about how much I love Croatian food, but it included both Istrian and Dalmatian food. This guide is dedicated to the gourmet food in Istria, which is quickly becoming one of my favorite cuisines in the world.

Istria is best known for its olive oil, wine and truffles. Before visiting Istria last summer I had never tasted truffles or quality olive oil and now that I’ve had it, it’s difficult to go back. I spent all last week indulging in 4-5 course meals twice a day. No wonder I gained 3 kg.

Are you hungry for the food in Istria? Here’s your guide to the most delightful dishes.

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Food in Istria – Seafood

The peninsula of Istria is nestled in the Adriatic Sea so it’s no wonder that seafood features so prominently in its cuisine.

The best seafood I’ve had in Istria is fresh oysters (from Lim Fjord), crab claws, grilled fish, sardines and octopus. Some of these delights are seasonal, but if you visit in the spring (April or May) you can have all of the above. The quality and freshness of Istrian seafood is top-notch.

Bacalao cooked with potatoes and vegetables

Octopus salad with potato, bacalao, raw scampi and raw sea bass

Crab claw – one of my favorite dishes!

Adriatic sea bass with baked polenta and fried vegetables

Octopus salad with wild asparagus and cherry tomatoes

Octopus, crab, bacalar, sardines, smoked salmon and cod patée

Brancin (Adriatic sea bass) and breaded orata (sea bram)

Where to find great seafood

• Vrsar: Trost
• Rovinj: Puntulina, Kantinon
• Bale: La Grisa
• Pula: Hotel Amfiteatar Restaurant

– WILD ASPARAGUS –

I visited Istria in the spring, just in time for the wild asparagus season. That means many of the dishes contained asparagus, including soup, octopus salad and purée. I’m not an asparagus fan in general, and the sort we have in Denmark both tastes and looks different.

But Istrian asparagus? Keep them coming.

Wild asparagus soup with parmesan topping and olive oil

– TRUFFLES –

My favorite food in Istria is truffles and I can’t get over how exquisite they taste. Croatians add truffles to almost any dish and so far I’ve tasted cheese with truffle, pasta with truffle, scrambled eggs with truffle, chocolate, wine, beer, patée and sausage with truffle.

You name it, they add truffle.

Istria is truffle heaven and its capital is Buzet, which is the countryside. I’ve had the best truffle meals in this area (I’m looking at you, Motovun and Hum), probably because those dishes were home-cooked and local.

Black truffles

Chicken liver pate and cod pate with truffles

Cookies, honey and chocolate – all with truffles

Cheese, sausage and patée with truffles

Home cooked pasta and creamy polenta with truffles in a cheese basket

Pork medallions with truffle, gnocchi with cottage cheese, zucchini and sesame ball, cauliflower purée and truffle sauce

Where to find truffles

• Motovun: Konoba Mondo and Palladio
• Hum: Humska Konoba
• Buzet: Natura Tartufi
• Bale: La Grisa

– PRSUT –

Prsut is another essential part of traditional Istrian cuisine. This home-cured, salted ham is cut in thin slices and served as an hors d’oeuvre. It usually comes with cheese, sausages, wine and olive oil.

Pancetta, carpaccio sea bass, octopus salad, cod patée, anchovies, pork and porklion

Fried prsut

Salty, dried prsut

Prsut with truffle cheese, olives and pickles

Where to find great prsut

• Rovinj: Kantinon
• Zminj: Puli Pineta
• Hum: Humska Konoba

– CHEESE & POLENTA –

On my first trip to Croatia, I noticed that cheese plays a major role in the cuisine. Just like truffles, cheese is added to most Istrian dishes. My favorite Istrian cheese is truffle cheese (obviously) and sheep’s cheese.

Another interesting Croatian side dish that I have discovered is polenta. It’s made from cornmeal and is used in many local Istrian dishes. I’m particularly taken with grilled polenta.

From the left: young cow cheese, zminjski sir cheese, Istrian cheese, truffle cheese and full fat cheese

Nadeva with wild asparagus and prosciutto

Octopus stew with polenta

Where to get great cheese dishes

• Rovinj: Kantinon
• Hum: Humska Konoba

– FRESH PASTA –

Ah, home cooked Adriatic pasta. Forget about calories and the low-nutritious stuff you buy at the store, because this pasta is amazing. It has a different consistency than the dry variety, and it’s more filling and substantial thanks to the texture.

Home-cooked Istrian pasta has a life of its own and you can easily eat it with just truffles or herbs, although it does taste heavenly with Istrian ox or shell-fish.

Pasta with meat and cheese

Vegetarian pasta with garlic and parsley

Pasta with Istrian ox, cheese and rucola

Pasta with shrimp and scampi

Where to find great homemade pasta

• Rovinj: Puntulina
• Vodnjan: Vodnjanka
• Zminj: Puli Pineta
• Motovun: Palladio and Konoba Mondo

– GNOCCHI & RISOTTO –

Food in Istria is inspired by Italian cuisine so you’ll see plenty of gnocchi and risotto on the menu. A local variation of gnocchi is stew with meat, which I highly recommend.

Gnocchi with wild asparagus and cheese

Tortellini with bacon and cheese sauce

Meat stew with gnocchi (and probably cheese)

Risotto with clams

Where to find great gnocchi and risotto

• Rovinj: Kantinon
• Zminj: Puli Pineta
• Vrsar: Trost

– LOCAL MEATS –

Although seafood is the star of Istrian meat, there are some great alternatives, especially further inland. While poultry isn’t a major hit in Istria, there’s a wide range of pork, sausages and Istrian ox, also known as boskarin.

The sausages (the non-fried) are fat, well seasoned and flavored – they go well with wine and cheese!

Boskarin – it tastes like roast beef and is SO delicious

Pork sausage and pork chop with wild ridiccio

Where to find local meet dishes

• Zminj: Puli Pineta
• Fazana: Alla Beccaccia

– DESSERTS & SWEETS –

Somehow after four dishes, there was always room for desert. Can you blame me? ↓

Aside from a great variety of classic Western desserts such as millefoglie and chocolate cake, Istria has it going on in the sweets department! You know how I said that olive oil is a big part of their cuisine? Well, in Istria they serve ice cream…. with olive oil. Naturally, I was skeptic, but seriously guys, it turned out to be a major foodgasm!

Also, Croatians like to add cheese (no surprise there) to ice cream and cakes. Again, I was reserved, but quickly turned over. What a treat.

Chocolate lava cake with pistachio

Krostule (deep fried pastry)

The best tiramisu I’ve ever had

Chocolate fudge cake

Cute Istrian cookies

Ice cream with polenta and local honey

Cottage cheese cake, dark chocolate with apple, creme brulee with caramel and honey with nuts

Millefoglie cake (a million layers)

Where to get the best dessert

• Zminj: Puli Pineta
• Vrsar: Trost
• Rovinj: Puntulina and Kantinon
• Bale: La Grisa
• Pula: Hotel Amfiteatar Restaurant
• Motovun: Konoba Mondo
• Hum: Humska Konoba

– ISTRIAN OLIVE OIL –

Did you know that Istrian olive oil is often awarded as being one of the best olive oils in the world? I can honestly say that after tasting it, I bought three bottles. There’s something about the taste; it tastes like freshly cut grass and has a peppery finish.

Olive oil tasting at Brist

The best olive oil producers in Istria

• Brist is my favorite. I’ve visited Paul and Lena’s shop in Vodnjan twice already and their extra virgin olive oil is top quality
• Olea BB

– WINE AND DRINKS –

Just as the food in Istria is amazing, so is the wine. And the perfect way to discover new wines is to visit one of the many wineries. The local wine is high quality, particularly Malvasia, a white wine in both an aged version and a fruity style, and Teran, a rich, earthy red. I prefer sweet white wine and was pleased to discover muscat wine, which has a sweet floral aroma.

Wine, olive oil and amazing food – this week has been absolutely amazing and I’m not one bit upset about the extra weight I put on during my stay. In Istria, food equals relaxation, comfort and enjoyment. It’s a gourmet getaway, and I’m already excited to return.

Great Wineries and Distilleries

• Sisan: Trapan Wine Station
• Motovun: Tomaz
• Labin: Negri
• Buzet: Aura Distillery

Wine tasting at Trapan

Cheers – Salute – Skål – Zivjeli!

Liquor tastings at Aura Distillery

Liquor with truffle

Many thanks to Visit Istria for hosting me in Croatia. Whenever I travel, there will always be full disclosure about whether my stay was hosted by a tourism board. And even if I’m on a press trip, my view will never be swayed one way or the other.

Now over to you. Would you try the food in Istria?

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