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The Istrian cuisine was – only until recently – one of the best kept secrets of the Mediterranean. And every well-kept secret is the sweetest at the very moment it is discovered! Should we rummage through some old, dusty loft or crawl into a dark, damp cellar, looking for a chest in which a secret story about the glorious past of the Istrian cuisine is hidden, we will, almost certainly, remain empty-handed, slightly disappointed. The Istrian cuisine, thus, was not created in royal courts and perfected in gastro academies. Nor does it have its roots in romantic stories from the streets of poor neighbourhoods or from mysteriously deep and inaccessible forests. It is not – at least for now – pushed in the global market, diluting and risking its primordial quality. It does not compromise itself. Its goal is not to attain world glory and fan its aromas from small restaurants at every city crossroads, as is the case with its sister Italian cuisine. It is not characterised by the filigree meticulousness and surgical precision, boasted by, for example, the French cuisine. It does not feature either extreme, screaming spices of the east-Asian specialities, nor its unusual blends of ingredients. The Istrian cuisine was – only until recently – one of the best kept secrets of the Mediterranean. And every well-kept secret is the sweetest at the very moment it is discovered. So, it is this very time of year, dear visitor, that coincided with the time of discovery of this small gastronomic heaven. All that is famous in Istria is well kept, thus originally preserved! Always giving advantage to the sources of produce that surround them, the folk of this, for centuries downtrodden, neglected and mostly poor area, had to be extremely resourceful in creation of their meals, as they had no other choice! Scooping the earth in north-western forests, they used to come across unsightly lumps of a weird, almost repulsive smell – but they could not afford to be too fussy – to the great joy of today’s hedonists, they discovered truffles! Looking after meagre cattle, they chewed in the shade randomly picked thickish green blades, of which some had a very interesting, bitter-sweet taste – you have guessed, that was wild asparagus! In order to preserve raw meat during the winter months, they would coat it in sea salt and a large quantity of wild growing aromatic herbs and then dry it – and, in spring, they would eat dried ham, sausages and cured pork loin. They used similar methods with dairy products, out of necessity turning them into fragrant and tasty cheeses. When they cooked meat, they would add to the pot everything that happened to be found in the house or around it – dried vegetables, spices, strings of onions and garlic, olive oil and red wine – for the fear that an ingredient would go bad, they were producing perfect goulashes, meat sauces and meat stews… They would salt and dry fish, olives were kept in oil or vinegar, they made pastry of just flour, water and an egg or two, patiently cutting it and folding, producing pasta shapes called fuži, pljukanci, gnocchi and ravioli. Out of dire need, poverty and necessary resourcefulness, Istrians have, over time, filled one of the most impressive lists of gastro specialities in this part of Europe. Dear visitor, welcome to Istria to discover it for yourself! SEA A turquoise mirror of the sky Jadransko je more baš tu, u Istri, nekako doseglo krajnju točku svog putovanja u dubinu kontinenta - kao da je odlučilo zaustaviti se u svom pohodu tek kada naiđe na jsavršen krajolik. ISTRIA The magic of colours and fragrances under the patina of tradition Istria is something one looks at, inhales, smells, listens to and feels – those who live there are rediscovering and experiencing it every day; those who are not acquainted with it yet are dreaming and fantasising about it and those who have visited it at least once are always coming back to it
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Istarska kuhinja bila je - sve do nedavno - jedna od najbolje čuvanih tajni Mediterana. A svaka dobro čuvana tajna najslađa je upravo u trenutku kada se otkrije! Kopamo li po kakvom starom, prašnjavom tavanu ili se zavučemo u mračni, vlažni podrum tražeći škrinju u kojoj je skrivena priča o slavnoj povijesti istarske kuhinje, gotovo ćemo sigurno ostati praznih ruku, blago razočarani. Istarska kuhinja, eto, nije nastala na kraljevskim dvorovima i usavršena na gastro akademijama. Ne vuče korjene ni iz romantičnih priča sa ulica siromašnih predgrađa, kao ni iz tajnovito dubokih i nepristupačnih šuma. Ne gura se - za sada - na globalno tržište, razvodnjavajući i riskirajući svoju iskonsku kvalitetu. Ne kompromitira se. Cilj joj nije doseći svjetsku slavu i razmahivati svoje mirise iz restorančića na svakom raskrižju velegrada, poput srodne joj talijanske kuhinje. Nije joj svojstvena filigranska pedantnost i kirurška preciznost kakvom se diči, primjerice, ona francuska. Karakteristični joj nisu ni ekstremni, vrišteći začini istočnoazijskih specijaliteta, kao ni tamošnji neobični spojevi namirnica. Istarska kuhinja bila je - sve do nedavno - jedna od najbolje čuvanih tajni Mediterana. A svaka dobro čuvana tajna najslađa je upravo u trenutku kada se otkrije. Tako se upravo ovo doba, dragi posjetitelju Istre, poklopilo s vremenom otkrivanja ovoga malog gastrnomskog raja. Sve što je čuveno u Istri je dobro čuvano, a time i izvorno očuvano! Uvijek dajući prednost izvorima namirnica koji ih okružuju, žitelji ovog stoljećima ugnjetavanog, zapostavljanog i uglavnom siromašnog kraja morali su u stvaranju svojih jela biti izrazito kreativni, jer drugog izbora nije bilo! Zagrabivši zemlju u sjeverozapadnim šumama, nailazili su na neugledne grumene čudna, gotovo odbojna mirisa - no puno izbirljivosti nije moglo biti - te su na veliku sreću današnjih hedonsita, otkrili tartufe! Čuvajući malobrojnu stoku, u hladovini su grickali nasumce ubrane odeblje travke, od kojih su neke imale vrlo zanimljiv gorko-slatkasti okus - pogađate, riječ je o šparugama! Da bi sačuvali sirovo meso preko zime, uvaljali bi ga u morsku sol i veliku količinu samoniklog aromatičnog bilja i sušili - te bi na proljeće jeli pršut, kobasice, zarebrenjak. Slično su radili i sa mlječnim prerađevima, nužde radi ih pretvarali u mirisne i ukusne sireve. Kada bi meso kuhali, dodavali bi u duboki lonac sve što se u kući i oko nje našlo - suho povrće, začine, niske luka i češnjaka, maslinovo ulje i crno vino - u strahu da se namirnica pokvari, doblvali su savršene gulaše, šuga, žvacete… Ribu bi solili i sušili, masline držali u ulju ili octu, tijesto radili tek od brašna, vode i pokojeg jajeta, strpljivo ga rezali i savijali, dobivajući fuže, pljukance, njoke, raviole. Iz prijeke potrebe, neimaštine i nužne snalažljivosti Istrijani su kroz vrijeme nanizali danas jednu od najimpresivnijih listi gastro specijaliteta u ovom dijelu Europe. Dragi posjetitelju, dobrodošao u Istru na njihovo otkrivanje! MORE Tirkizno ogledalo neba Jadransko je more baš tu, u Istri, nekako doseglo krajnju točku svog putovanja u dubinu kontinenta - kao da je odlučilo zaustaviti se u svom pohodu tek kada naiđe na jsavršen krajolik. ISTRA Čarolije boja i mirisa pod patinom tradicije Istra se gleda, udiše, miriše, sluša i osjeća - oni koji žive u njoj svakodnevno je ponovo otkrivaju i doživljavaju, oni koji je nisu upoznali sanjaju je i maštaju o njoj, a oni koji su je bar jednom posjetili uvijek joj se vraćaju