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Motovun: city with soul and city of taste

Motovun is located in central Istria and it is one of Istria’s most beautiful settlements. Motovun is a best-preserved medieval village, surrounded by truffle-rich forest, which provides the key ingredient for top local restaurants here. Motovun delicacy is a truffle. Where you can taste it and what you can visit in Motovun read below.

About truffles and muzzles

Truffles are neither an animal species nor a mineral, as it was believed in the past. Truffles are a variety of edible fungi growing underground, mostly besides roots of trees. Hidden underground just like a real treasure, they usually grow from the size of a cherry up to the size of an apple. The valuable nuggets in the past allegedly used to reach Gods and witches, while today anyone can enjoy it.

Truffles are picked solely after they are ripe. The search by a professional truffle hunter, while the truffles are found by trained dogs with a subtle sense of smell. After the dog indicates the truffle position by digging with his paws, the truffle hunter carefully digs out the fungi taking care not to damage it. The most famous finding site in Croatia is the valley of the river Mirna in Istria where is Motovun.

Exotic taste

Truffles can also be described as gourmet fungi because their fragrance is tart, intensive, earthy securing a unique flavor. It is not easy to do describe the truffles aroma, but they can make with pate, meat and even chocolate. The gourmands agree that truffle is the pinnacle of gastronomy, but have not yet agreed whether it is a food or a spice.

Motovun city with soul and city of taste

Taste the treasure of Motovun

Truffle hunt before you eat it – you can join an experienced guide from Motovun-based firm Miro Tartufi, plus dogs Bela and Nera, and find these precious fungi while exploring unspoiled greenery.
Enjoy an intimate meal at Pod Voltom – is the most prominent restaurant in town but also the most romantic. The menu is, of course, Istria-focused, truffles with many dishes, maneštra soup, fuži pasta, game, and asparagus, while the wines come courtesy of Arman, Kozlović, and Matošević.
Restaurant Zigante – Restaurant Zigante was opened to present guests the possibilities of using truffles in culinary art and it is the first Croatian restaurant specialized for dishes with truffles.
Feel the ancient time – The Mondo Tavern is located on a slope outside a large gate in the beautiful medieval town of Motovun. The ambiance exudes romance and is reminiscent of ancient times, and you will be greeted by a rich menu. In addition to truffles, you can taste other Istrian delicacies.
Traditional dishes from the area in restaurant Pod Napun – A great choice on the approach to the outer gate, this intimate and friendly restaurant has a terrace with sweeping valley views.
Konoba Dorjana – the Konoba Dorjana is all about pairing what’s in season – wild mushrooms, asparagus, snails, truffles – with a suitable staple, polenta, pasta, and so on. Everything there is like you are home, no fuss, no formality.

After tasting truffles, you can take a walk and visit the natural beauty of Motovun

Motovun has many vantage points from which you can see the highest mountain in Istria, Učka, as well as the sea near the town of Novigrad.
Lovely hidden gardens – Town Walls takes only 10 minutes but visiting the walls does give you the chance to peek into some lovely hidden gardens, as well as access to an exhibition of local landscape photographs housed in the tower above the outer gate.
Just outside Motovun, “Motovunska šuma” is a small area of forest protected by Natura Histrica, the same body responsible for Brijuni National Park and Učka nature reserve. Feel the peace and breathe.
Vespa tour Ista – Soak up the nature and historic sites of the unique Istrian hilltop towns. Make a lovely photo and enjoy the wind in the hair.
Bring your memories home – Motovun has many little boutiques and galleries where you can buy souvenir or truffle products.

If you go to Motovun in summer you can enjoy in Motovun film festival. It is primarily dedicated to the films from small cinematographies and independent productions. Motovun wants to be a small festival – in everything except in its ambitions and quality. Motovun film festival is a festival with a soul.

Feel Motovun because there is so much to show. Try Motovun and enjoy Motovun.

18th October 2019/by Korisnik_c2c

Best Burgers in Zagreb: Top 5 Food Places to Enjoy a Good Burger

Food & Drinks

The world is experiencing burger inflation with the Organic – no GMO food preference in full force making restaurants to craft their own burger recipes in competition with the big McDonalds and Burger King. Zagreb in Croatia has not been left behind in all these; if you’re looking for tasty burgers with fresh steak and salads, here’s what to take a bite of.

Bacon Burger at Kelly’s Grill & Bar

This fast food restaurant located 3.1 miles from Gornji Grad is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It serves great medium-sized burgers prepared with fresh ingredients. Pricing is reasonable, burgers served with soft, delicious fries and good sauce goes for 45kn. The ambient is unashamedly laid back with big tables and a chalkboard displaying the menu. The service is excellent, the bacon is juicy well-seasoned and cooked, and you can wash it down with a couple of drinks too. You can get other burgers such as the mushroom burger and cheeseburger. You can find out more about it on their Facebook page Kelly’s Grill & Bar.

Vegetarian Burger at Burgeraj

Craving for that American style burger? Step into this restaurant at Preradoviceva Street 13 for a taste of their homemade burger and wash it down with Fentimans juice. Burgeraj is a twist of the Zagreb slang “Purgeri” – meaning Zagrebian. Get a feel of home in this living room like a restaurant. Feel the juicy burger explode in your mouth as you take in the view of the city through the restaurant’s large windows. The restaurant makes use of handcrafted leather stools. Wood and metals to achieve a minimalistic décor.

The vegetarian burgers in this restaurant are some of the burgers in Zagreb. They’re prepared from fresh local ingredients and served with free potato chips toppings. For 35-47kn, you can get homemade burger varieties such as caramelized onion burger, pepper jam burger, bacon burger. See more about this food place on their Facebook page Burgeraj.

Brewbites Jalapenos-Garlic-onion Cheeseburgers

It’s located at the center of the city – 10 Gajeva street. You can enjoy meals while watching sports on the mega-screen. It’s a cozy place with excellent service from friendly staff. The Burgers here are of American style too. The fan-favorite is the one combining the world’s top foods into a juicy burger and served with soft potato chips. Brewbites makes use of local organic ingredients with no additives.

The Jalapenos-Garlic-onion burger is rich in nutritional contents such as calories, fats, carbohydrates, proteins, and sodium. The diced onion, glaze and jalapeno pepper make the meat moist and go well with the sauce. A taste of this and you will be asking for the recipe. See their Brewbites Zagreb Facebook page.

Papa’s MOM’s Favorite Burger

Located at Tuškanac 1, Zagreb, Papa’s burger bar makes use of local recipes to give their burgers a “Croatian” taste. Get a good-sized burger here with bacon and cheese at reasonable prices. The beef in the burger is up to 180 g – making the portion descent sized.

The fan-favorite burger is the MOM’s FAVORITE BURGER. It is prepared by grilling together top foods such as beef, fresh cucumber, lettuce, tomato, cottage cheese, and sauce. This burger is 100 % beef Pattie and served with free mayo, ketchup, and soft, crispy potato chips. Water it down with Brooklyn Beer while relaxing on the cool terrace.

Bistro ŠalŠa’s yogurt-dressed meat burger with bits of green salads

This speakeasy bar is the hidden gem of Tresnjevka – western part of Zagreb and offers some of the best burgers in Zagreb. Their burgers are large-sized with soft-tender meat and tasty sauce. The burgers are offered at mid-range prices – around 50kn. The ambient is excellent; you can sit and eat from the balcony.

Their burger range is limited; they offer three types of burgers with homemade buns and juicy patties. Their fat-meat burger with bits of green salads has it all. It contains 200g of steak, lettuce, fresh tomatoes, fried paprika, onions, local cheese, and pickle. It is served with soft, delicious potato chips prepared with a homemade recipe. There are plenty of crafty drinks such as Nova Runda to wash down the burger. See their Facebook page for more info.

The above-mentioned burger places are just a few among the many burger places you can visit for a taste of delicious, fresh burgers. There’re plenty of bars and restaurants around Zagreb making use of their crafted burger recipes to treat folks to tasteful delights. Be sure to check in.

Booking.com

28th May 2019/by Korisnik_c2c

Top 10 Red & White Croatian Wines You Don’t Want to Miss

Food & Drinks

If you enjoy tasting high-quality wines during the dinner or while having a good conversation, you’ll love our list of the best white and red Croatian wines! Make sure to try at least one of the wines from our list while on your trip through Croatia. You will not be disappointed!

These top wines were selected by the professional sommeliers, so you are in good hands.

Top 10 Croatian red wines

Take a look at our list of the best Croatian red wines and enjoy the rich flavor and pleasant aromas and scents.

1. Clai Brombonero

This spectacular elegant red wine made in Buje, Istria, is full of dark berry fruit, mineral and slightly smoked ripe tannins. It has 15% of alcohol which is perfectly incorporated in the aroma. This wine is made by Giorgio Clai, Istrian winemaker that doesn’t use any kind of pesticide or artificial fertilizers in his vineyards and keeps all the wine production completely organic.

2. Medea Punta Greca

The second place in the top red wines list goes to another Istrian wine – Medea Punta Greca. The fragrant fruit flavor dominates this wine with a magical scent from the Mediterranean herbs. Fragrant notes of vanilla, tobacco and precious wood make this wine worthy of the second place.

3. Veralda Istrian

This wine comes from the same location as Clai Brombonero, from Buje in Istria. It is made from an indigenous Istrian variety – the Refosco. You’ll be intrigued by its intense deep red color and a smell that reminds of raspberries and tobacco leaves.

4. Korak Crni Pinot

Pinot is one of the most challenging and demanding sorts which makes it a very respected grape. This light red wine has a magnificent rich taste that reminds of sweet grapes. It is made in continental Croatia, Jastrebarsko to be exact. The smell and texture of this wine will surely impress you.

5. Saints Hills Dingač Sveta Lucija

Saint Hills Dingač is another high-quality wine produced from Plavac Mali grape in Pelješac vineyard. It is great in combination with grilled and spicy meat dishes as well as spicy fish.

6. Gran Teran Coronica

What makes Gran Teran special is the fact that it is not made every year but only when the grapes are considered suitable. It is completely made of Teran grapes from the vineyard in Umag, Istria. It tastes like berries, cinnamon and clove, with a smoky aroma. It fits great with smoked meat and venison dishes.

7. Babić Gracin

Babić grapes are great at keeping the ideal flavor despite the summer heats. This wine has a higher ratio of acid which fits great with a high ratio of alcohol to make the wine extremely smooth and powerful. This top-notch wine is made in Primošten.

8. OPG Sladić Lasina

This wine is very gentle and elegant, with a rich fruit aroma. It has a ruby red color and a wide variety of complex fragrances for you to enjoy. The wine is made in small village Plastovo, in Dalmatia.

9. Rizman Tribidrag

Tribidrag is a grape sort that is present in Croatian history from the 15th century. It is an established and respected wine grape variety that many famous Croatian artists favorited. This grape grows on the vineyards on the island of Rab.

10. Ciblić Dingač

This wine is made of Plavac Mali grapes and comes from the vineyards of Pelješac. It is a premium quality wine with intense flavors of dark-skinned ripe berries, crowberries, roasted spices and spicy oak. Light and elegant wine with high acidity that suits great at a relaxing dinner with your family or friends.

Top 10 Croatian white wines

If you prefer white over red wine, then we’ll let you enjoy this list of the best Croatian white wines.

1. Graševina Velika Berba

Graševina Velika Berba is a dry, fruity and complex wine with big character. It stays in the bottle for 6 months or more which allows it to mature into a perfectly flavored wine full of extraordinary aromas. This wine suits well with white meat, fish and cheese.

2. Coronica Malvazija

Coronica has wonderful floral flavors, with acacia and almond aromas. After 10 minutes in a glass, you can also feel peaches and apricots. It is lightly creamy and the flavor lasts for up to 45 seconds. This wine is a great choice and suits perfectly with flavors of oysters and asparagus, sardines, raw shrimp and white fish. This wine comes from the west of Istria, the village called Koreniki.

3. Traminac Iizborna Berba Bobica

Traminac wines have been collecting global awards for several years now and it’s no wonder – this wine fascinates with its intense smells of roses and dry tropical fruits mango and papaya. The taste is dominated by the fruit and honey aromas. This wine will delight you with its great ratio of sugar and acidity.

4. Tomac Rizling

Tomac wine has a rich herbal aroma, with grape and lime flavors. A great ratio of acidity and sugar makes this eccentric elegant and complex wine that you’ll surely enjoy. We recommend you taste this wine with sushi and sashimi, raw shrimps, lobsters, crabs…

5. Bolfan Sauvignon

Bolfan wines are made with 100% natural method of wine growing, which, according to the winemaker Tomislav, is the reason this wine is so loved and wins a Decentet World Cup award year after year. This wine is produced in Zagorje, central Croatia, and its fruity aromas and flowery fragrances will not leave you indifferent. You’ll love the complexity of the notes including nettle, green peppers, parsley and celery.

6. Tomac Sauvignon

Tomac Sauvignon is a medium acidic, refreshing wine with notes of baked apple, nectarine, frangipani and flint which ends with a savory, chestnut note.

7. Pošip Nerica

Pošip Nerica is a Dalmatian wine that will tickle your senses with its refresh citrus elements that remind us of grape. After a few minutes in the glass, the wine will release rich scents of polish flowers and peaches. This wine will win you over with its elegance and freshness.

8. Domaine Koquelicot Belaigra Chardonnay

Domaine Koquelicot is a wine made in Gračišće, Istria, by two wine lovers that buy grapes from Istrian vineyards and process the grape in a rented basement near their home. The result of this are stylish and different chardonnay wines with orange peel, vanilla, apricot and caramel notes.

9. Malvasija Kuća Glavić

Malvasija by Kuća Glavić is mineral, light and elegant wine from Konavle, a small region southeast of Dubrovnik. While sipping the wine, you’ll notice wonderful aromas of rosemary, dry flowers, lemon peel and ripe melon.

10. Millenium Tomac

Millenium Tomac is distinguished by its freshness and liveliness. The scent reveals a combination of fruity aromas, the taste is sparkling, light and dry. This wine is a composition of 70% of old wine sorts and 30% of Chardonnay.

I hope you enjoyed our list of top Croatian wines and that you will take our advice and have a teste of at least one of these extraordinary wines!

So, next time you’re in a restaurant in Croatia, make sure to check out this wine list, our list of the best Croatian delicacies and call the waiter. Bon appetit!

Booking.com

29th November 2017/by Korisnik_c2c

Top 10 Croatian Delicacies

Food & Drinks

A wise man once said that love comes through the stomach and a lot delicacies are commonly thought as an aphrodisiac. Food should be fun and preparing dishes should be made with love. And Croatians surely do love food because for them food is everything! So, we decided to show you the best of it, directly from lovable Croatia. Relax and let your senses go crazy…

Lamb or “Janjetina”

If you’re thinking about visiting island of Cres, Pag or any sheep-raising region of Croatia, you will probably notice several restaurants advertising roasted lamb. It’s a typical traditional dish in these parts that roadside taverns began serving decades ago. It is served with potatoes, rosemary, laurel, olive oil and other local vegetables, such as onion, carrot, tomatoes and salad.

One way of preparing lamb that’s typical for Istria is to bake it slow underneath a peka – a metal lid that is covered with hot embers. Croatians are proud of this delicacy and if you’re feeling really, really adventurous you should order lamb’s head. Sometimes it’s on the menu, sometimes it isn’t. Croatians will tell you that this is the best part of the lamb – they consider the cheeks, tongue, brains, and eyeballs as special delicacies. We didn’t try that head yet, but our relatives guarantee that roasted lamb is definitely the food of gods.

Prosciutto or ‘Pršut’

Pršut is Croatian way of preparing home-cured ham. It is often served on a tray together with cheese (often it is paški sir – the most famous chesse from the island of Pag). Dalmatian pršut (as the name says by itself from the Dalmatia region) is the latest Croatian product to receive the EU geographical origin label from the European Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. So, we recommend you to try it as soon as possible, and surely with a glass of any delicious Croatian wine.

Greaves or ‘Čvarci’

Croatia’s answer to pork cracklings (or greaves) simply is called čvarci, and we all know that it means fried pig’s fat. To prepare čvarci, fat is cut into small blocks and fried in more fat. Slightly crispy on the outside, čvarci have a buttery texture and taste. Traditionally, they are a winter snack. You can find them at grocery stores, but it’s best to buy homemade čvarci from the market.

Cuttlefish risotto or ‘Rižoto od sipe’

Probably you’re familiar with risotto – slow cooked rice dishes – but you’re very lucky if you know what black risotto is. This Dalmatian delicacy gets its black color from the ink of cuttlefish. This meal is prepared by removing the sacs of ink from the cuttlefish and adding it to the rice. If done well, the ink gives the risotto a rich delicious creamy taste that shows true nature of the Mediterranean dish. We assure you that it tastes better than it looks!

‘Štrukli’

Strukli - Croatian food — Photo by Marcel / CC BY-SA

Štrukli is a pastry and cheese dish which is common in Zagreb and Zagorje hills. It is made and served in two forms: boiled štrukli are large parcels of dough filled with cottage cheese and baked štrukli means the dough and cheese are baked in an earthenware dish. Either way, the luck is on you because this dessert will bright up your day!

Shrimps or ‘Škampi’

Shrimps are usually served whole and you have to crack it with your fingers to open. It is a recognizable and traditional way of cooking fish dishes in Croatia – directly from the sea to your table! In restaurants and taverns they’re often served as a part of a sauce meal called buzara, made from garlic and white wine. It is a meal fit for any king!

‘Smokvenjak’ cake

Smokvenjak is a traditional Dalmatian fig cake and one of a kind nutritional bomb. It is prepared according to the unique recipe made with dried figs, almonds and homemade herb-grappa called travarica. It originates from the island of Cres, and it’s popular throughout Dalmatia. This traditional meal of farmers and shepherds is eaten with bread, cheese, olives and even other dried fruits. We know you’ll love its round-shaped look and that bittersweet taste!

Cabbage rolls or ‘Sarma’

Sarma is a dish made from cabbage leaves filled with pork or veal meat, rice and bacon. It is a traditional meal of the whole Balkan, but we must recommend a special sub type called Arambašica, a version of sarma found in the Dalmatian hinterland that contains more meat and less rice than usual sarma. Some call it a queen among the meals, some call it winter’s gift, and we will leave it to you to judge because we all love sarma. Because here in Croatia, sarma is life!

Rab cake or ‘Rabska torta’

It is believed that Rabska torta (Rab Cake) was served for the first time in 1177 when Pope Alexander III was overtaken by a storm as he was crossing the Adriatic. In order to enhance this unexpected ceremony and to express their respect, nuns of the Benedict order served him this special flavour cake. Its main ingredients are almonds and Maraschino liqueur, and it is traditionally baked in the shape of a spiral, although today the most popular way is heart-shaped version. Its taste will surely make you fall in love with the whole of Croatia.

‘Rožata’

Rožata is an essence of Dubrovnik by its taste and looks. It is a custard pudding similar to flan and crème brûlèe and, by now, there is a number of modern versions recipes. We recommend you to try it in Dubrovnik and only there because who knows it better than the locals that made it and preserved it for centuries. It is made of eggs, lemon peel, sugar and milk – a light and sweet dessert to make your senses go crazy!

So, when we talk about Croatians, one thing comes to mind – if you’re what you eat, Croatians are definitely one great bunch of health and happiness!

Booking.com

15th November 2016/by Korisnik_c2c