Gastro

Although it's technically not here yet, it's definitely in the air. I'm talking about spring in Zagreb, of course. All the usual signs are clearly visible. Longer, sunnier days, spring flowers in bloom, life back in the streets... And when it comes to food, is there such a dish or produce that just screams spring? What are the heralds of spring on a plate? The answer is not so clear-cut, but let's try to paint a picture.

Good news for samoborska kremšnita, one of the most popular desserts in Croatia – it has just been added to the Register of Cultural Goods of the Republic of Croatia! Hopefully, this is just a step towards its protection on the EU level.

This winter, all the foodies of Zagreb, me included, went crazy for the new sourdough panettone cake from Kroštula artisan bakery.

The artisan chocolate scene in Zagreb is stronger than ever before. Of course, the chocolate confectionery industry has always been strong here and good chocolate is highly appreciated.

Asian food, especially Asian street food is no big news here, same as in the rest of Europe. Zagreb has had its share of different Asian food establishments for decades now, yet a new wave of Asian street food has definitely been sweeping the city lately.

Advent in Zagreb as we know it is not happening this year, due to the obvious circumstances. One of the things we usually look most forward to at the Christmas market is winter street food. And in this category, the winner is always sausage.

You know how wine trends change, and every now and then some new style of wine gets so popular all of a sudden everyone is drinking it? It happened with rosé wines, then it was the sparkling rosés a decade ago...

As long as there have been restaurants, there have also been takeout and delivery services. At the moment, their business is blooming like never before thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic.

It's pretty obvious that Croatians like spirits – rakija (fruit, pomace or herbal brandy) is the first thing you'll be offered wherever you set foot. A lot of them will be homemade, because making your own brandies and liqueurs is a matter of national pride.

The culinary tradition of Croatia is rich and diverse, as it can be seen from very interesting dishes found on the list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Republic of Croatia. Yet, when you take a closer look, you notice that Zagreb and its surroundings are represented with one item only.