Our Adriatic sea has an abundance of fresh fish, many of them so tasty. However without a doubt my favorite is the scorpion or as it is called here skorpion. It is a handful to clean but the taste of the delicate white meat is worth the effort. If you are visiting Dubrovnik and the fish is offered, please do not hesitate.
Scorpion fish
Photo credit: Milan Kovac
Spring is upon us, the season of rebirth, renewal and rejuvenation. The sun is shining and buds have begun to appear on the trees as the flowers blossom. The air is perfumed with the sweet fragrance of the hyacinths growing profusely in our neighbor’s yards. The Stradun is bursting with locals strolling and greeting friends as they pause for a leisurely coffee at the outdoor cafes which have opened again after the extensive winter hibernation.
Stradun cafe culture
Easter Sunday, is a time for ancient customs to be celebrated. Hand woven palms adorn homes and the aroma of Pinca, the sweet Easter bread baking is in the air in anticipation of the Easter Sunday family luncheon. Hand painted eggs decorated with the precision of an artist creating a masterpiece are given to loved ones and the frequent phrase heard is Sretan Uskrs (Happy Easter).
Psanica is a decorated Croatian Easter egg originating from an ancient Slavic custom which dates back to pagan times. The name is a derivative of the Croatian word which means writing. This year Krizevci, a town in Northern Croatia, presented the village of Orebic with a giant egg which was created by artists from the School of Naïve Art. This is an artistic technique often characterized by a childlike simplicity in its subject manner and the artists are thought to have very little training which is often untrue. The egg has been painted depicting vintage traditional motives depicting scenes of Orebic which is known as the sea captains’ town. I know it well because it is the birthplace of my mother, Tera Mrgudic Sosa, with her family tree traced back to 1642. Sretan Uskrs
Orebic sea captain
Our Lady of Angels Church
Orebic national attire
Vintage sailing ship
Giant egg photos by Carol Saric
This past month we have been harvesting olives, it is a sight to behold. Soon I will be cooking with freshly pressed homemade oil from the village of Ston.
Olives waiting to be harvested
This past Saturday our local hotel chefs and restaurateurs prepared exquisite culinary treats of many Croatian delicacies. It is time to celebrate our heritage; in recognition, high season is at this time a pleasant memory. Stretching more than 300 meters on the polished limestone Stradun massive varieties of local food, Dalmatian wines and delectable desserts covered the white linen covered table. The cost of the extravaganza is 30 Kuna ($5.00) with the proceeds donated to local charities.
Residents on the Stradun
Klapa Kase, a local singing group, delighted us with traditional songs in the plaza in front of Sveti Vlaho. Our magnificent Lindo dance troupe performed as the golden sun began to set over the Adriatic. It was a unique time to treasure, reminisce and be entertained.
Maro & Baro surrounded by candied almonds
As many people relaxed for the first time after months of continuous work, the stories were as pleasurable as the food. Many had made new friends from far off lands hoping to visit them someday. There were tales of many travelers who had discovered Dubrovnik for the first time and had asked interesting questions of our history and culture. However, one American tourist won the grand prize when she questioned her tour guide, “Where do they put the wall during the winter months?” She was under the impression the old part of Dubrovnik was a movie set.
Dalmatian canapes
The tourists and travelers will return and we will be regenerated and ready for them when the season begins again with gusto in April. Come to Dubrovnik, spend time with us…the movie set will still be here as it has been for hundreds of years.
Finale of a perfect day
Rozata, Dalmatian custard similar to flan, is another of my favorite desserts. This delicacy is often available in many of our restaurants and there are multitudes of recipes online, but you must be careful to get the genuine recipe. Most local families offer a variation, adding raisins and/or nuts. The modern variations include vanilla and other extracts; however, it is not a genuine Rozata. I prefer the basic version and want to share it with you.
Rozata, a traditional Dubrovnik delicacy
Rose Liqueur (Liker of ruze)
Rozata derives its named from our unique Dubrovnik liqueur Rozalin (Rose Liqueur) which create a very special aroma and taste. Croatian made Rozalin is not available in the USA commercially, as much of it is homemade. One of my cousins lives in Orebic and still makes it using our family recipe handed down for generations. As the name implies, this amber liqueur is a product of rose hips, the fruit of the rose plant. We do not often see the pods these days, as gardeners tend to trim the faded blossoms to encourage more flowers.
Do take heed, if you are planning to wear your tiny weenie bikini this year, do not indulge in this wonderful delicacy often. Many of our Dalmatian recipes are not low in calories.
Decisions, decisions……Enjoy!
Rozata recipe
8 eggs
8 Tbs sugar
l liter milk
2 Tbs rum
2 Tbs sugar
Grated zest of one lemon
Preheat the oven to180C(350F).
To make the topping, spread 2 Tbs of sugar evenly over the bottom of a flan mold. Heat the dish until the sugar melts to a golden brown syrup, cool until fully hardened.
Beat eggs with sugar until they are foamy, add lemon zest, rum and milk and mix gently.
Line a roasting pan with a damp kitchen towel. Place baking mold on towel, inside the pan and fill with water to reach halfway up the side of mold.
Bake in preheated oven 45 minutes until set, cool completely. To serve, invert the Rozata on to a rimmed serving plate.
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