This place of rugged and timeless beauty is the cradle of Croatian winemaking, and gastronomy. It's the region with the highest concentration of natural attractions and cultural-historical sites of global significance. From numerous UNESCO-protected areas to national parks. Born out of the inhospitable badlands, while connected to the world for millennia, Dalmatia sustains a culture where gastronomic traditions and virtuosity are sacred, and are a part of local, even personal micro-identities. Klapa songs (traditional a-capella chours) sing about it, more than often concieved in traditional konoba (cellars) and accompanied by “a sip of wine, bite of bread and a sardine”.
Moreover, Dalmatia is a tourist destination par excellence which reminds a lot of Provence. Among it's islands and harbours sail the largest and most expensive yachts. It's stone paved streets and beaches welcome global celebrities and guests from all over the world seeking authentic Mediterranean charm, and uncompromising hedonism. Also, it's a region of great contrasts. Numerous Dalmatian places are increasingly turning to sustainable tourism, aiming to build their brand as premium lifestyle destinations. As an addition to millennia-old traditions and heritage, some offer truly unique gastronomic experiences.
DALMATIA - BY THE GLASS!
The rocks, sea, sun and wind have created a plethora of indigenous Dalmatian grape varieties. Spectacular stone vineyards, framed by dry-stone walls and their extreme positions produce some of Croatia's greatest and most powerful wines. Deep and luscious reds are the prominent offering, the most famous being plavac mali, tribidrag (aka. zinfandel), and babić. It's a world of enchanting rosés, aromatic and sweet prošek and diverse whites too, from light and bright to very characterful ones like pošip. From some of the steepest, oldest vineyards cliffing off into the sea, many unknown and rare varieties emerge, almost growing from the stone itself. Many of them so obscure, made only by few winemakers in a small village or remote island. Grk from Korčula, vugava from Vis, and yet there are lasina, svrdlovina, gegić... obviously so numerous, it makes no sense to list them all.
An important part of the tradition is represented by liqueurs such as orahovac (walnut) or the famous maraschino - essential ingredient of many classic and modern cocktails. Besides that, some famous wines and wine regions of the New World, especially California, Western Australia and New Zealand, owe their current fame and status to numerous immigrants from Dalmatia –like the famous Mike Grgich— people of great vision and wines of great character, threaded together by stone and sea.
DALMATIAN CUISINE
Local gastronomy developed from the poor people’s cuisine and the picturesque cult of the marenda (brunch) all the way to the cookbooks of bourgeois and the nobles. Gastronomic traditions from antiquity and Venice to Central Europe and the Balkans pervade here. The most refined meat or seafood specialties compete for the attention of picky gourmands, along with goods baked on skewers or under the lid (peka). On the menu there can be creatures like sea-urchins, frogs, escargot, and even – dormouse – an ancient Roman delicacy. Throughout the region, aromatic aged cheeses like paški sir or savory and spicy sir iz mišine are highly appreciated. Dalmatian prosciutto, pancetta, divenice... these are the famous products of the karst hinterland, dried by the wind, quite often smoked.
Dalmatia produces some of the world’s best olive oils. Perfect enough to season delicious octopus or crab salads, various buzaras and brodettos. Add to that sweets and cakes for which almost every city has its own special recipe and a special occasion or holiday for which they are made. The art of cooking is a matter of personal pride and a subject of heated debate. Creative "marendini" are part of local legends and are often the subject of theatrical eulogies that celebrate life in this temperamental Mediterranean region.
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