Gourmet tour through Istria: Feasting in the land of milk and honey

Between gourmet restaurants and home cooking

Istria, the large peninsula in the north of Croatia, attracts visitors with its gourmet restaurants and excellent home cooking. The region supplies top-quality products. Be it meat and truffles, wine and olive oil from the hinterland or fresh fish and seafood from the Adriatic. CC author Kiki Baron feasted her way through.

You either love them or you despise them. For me, the smell of fresh truffles alone triggers memorable gourmet experiences - just like my last trip to Istria. The Croatian peninsula is slowly but surely slipping into the limelight as a gourmet destination. Its culinary treasures are endless, so to speak. Apart from the habitat of black and white truffles, fine olive oils are also produced here, as well as organically produced top wines. Restaurants on the coast also serve fish and seafood that comes straight from the cutter to the kitchen. Not forgetting oysters from the Limski Fjord, an inlet that meanders 10 kilometers deep into the hinterland.

On my journey through Istria, one culinary highlight literally follows the next, starting with Karli Tartufi in Buzet. The wooded hills and mountains are the habitat of the precious Istrian mushroom tuber. A stone's throw from the eatery, museum and store, the owner of the company has reserved a piece of forest for visitors. Here we are allowed to go truffle hunting without a license. Two dogs chase ahead. Noses to the ground, they feel their way through wild bushes, sniffing excitedly under rotten branches and around trees. It doesn't take long for poodle-bobtail mix Sunny to stop, dig his snout into the damp ground and start digging. Now it's time to be quick, because dog paws and animal mouths could damage the suspected truffle. TV chef Johann Lafer, who accompanies me for part of my trip, digs carefully with a small shovel, brings the black tuber to light and beams like a honey cake horse. Wow, it's the size of a child's fist and enough to coat an egg dish, stirred in a heavy iron pan after the hike, with a thick layer of the sliced delicacy. A deluxe feast. Each of the ten portions for our truffle-hunting troop is worth around 50 euros.





Around Motovun, a medieval town high on a hill, stretches the vineyards of several award-winning wineries, including Tomaz and Fakin. Tomaz impresses with its stylish wine bar. The view from the terrace is fantastic and the tasting bites are delicious. They come from regional producers: ham, pancetta, cheese. Many winegrowers and olive oil producers offer rustic snacks to accompany the tasting. At the Fakin Winery, I drive through the vineyards in an off-road vehicle with employee Lucas. Grown organically on soils rich in slate and limestone, the main varieties bottled are the typical Istrian Malvazija and Teran. The first is white, the second red. Marko Fakin started wine production with three hectares on his ancestors' land, was named best young winemaker in 2011, gradually expanded the vineyards to 40 hectares and has since won numerous awards.

In a jeep through the vineyards

My next stop is the beautiful Kabola estate in Buje. A stately manor house from 1912 serves as the residence of the Markezi winemaking family. It also houses a wine cellar, wine store, store and taproom. The sky is blue, there is no breeze and I can hear nothing but the chirping of birds. And the gurgle in my glass as Ana Markevi pours me the liquid specialty of the house - Amfora Teran. A wonderfully full-bodied red, aged in a traditional amphora, with aromas of vanilla and chocolate.





I could carry on sniffing, but the rental car is calling. I have a reservation for lunch at Konoba Morgan. Konoba is the name given to country inns in Istria that are run by families. Everything on the table is homemade and seasonal. However, this country inn has developed into a veritable boutique hotel with five beautifully furnished rooms and a pool. I take a look in the kitchen. Owner Ana Morgan is personally at the stove. Veal cheeks are sizzling over a low heat in a cast-iron pot called a peka. The appetizing aroma wafts out onto the terrace. The menu is Michelin-class.

As a prelude, I let a kind of foie gras of deer liver melt on my tongue. In Istria, you are spoiled for choice when it comes to konobas with excellent home cooking. Located in the heart of the peninsula, they focus on meat dishes. For example, Konoba Doma in Sveti Petar u Šumi with its own pig farm and butcher's shop. Pasta with fresh truffles is also on the menu in almost all country inns. Black ones are available almost all year round, while the white ones are in season from the end of September to January. The quality and price are on a par with the Alba truffles in Italy. Another hot tip is Alla Beccaccia in Valbandon near Fažana. Delicious traditional dishes include veal shank, lamb in a pot and wild boar ragout.

On the coast, however, with its historic harbor towns, fine cuisine from the Adriatic is the order of the day. The most famous fish restaurant in Novigrad is called Damir & Ornella. For 25 years, patron Damir Beleti has attached great importance to the very best seafood, which he also likes to serve as sashimi. Daughter Matea fillets freshly caught turbot at my table. It is served with wild asparagus. I drizzle a few drops of the finest olive oil on the scallops. A mango cream scores highly as a side dish. A few kilometers further south, in picturesque Pore , Divino is my choice, also a first-class fish restaurant. A real eye-catcher. The main course is sea bass. Cooked in a salt crust, it tastes tender and succulent.

The Limski Fjord stretches out on the way to Rovinj. I head for the wooden hut on the long jetty. Emil Soši's oyster farm rests in the water. The young Croatian is the last person in the country to cultivate the flat European oysters. With their round shells, they are more attractive than the often crippled deep oysters. They grow more slowly, the meat is firmer and tastes slightly salty and nutty. Emil opens a dozen for me. A real treat for oyster fans like me! Rovinj, the most charming little town on the coast, also offers a culinary pampering program. Chef Jeffrey Vella leads the way at Cap Aureo. His restaurant is located in the luxurious Grand Park Hotel of the Maistra Group. His signature menu is called "The Journey". It plays with the best Istrian produce, primarily fish, vegetables and fruit, in small courses. The Monte has been awarded a Michelin star. Which is to be taken literally. Because on the ancient steps to the highest point of Rovinj, I start to sweat. The restaurant just below the basilica is hidden in the house where chef Danijel Đeki was born. There are three tasting menus to choose from, each with six courses. I found "Red" very original. Starting with sea urchin pearls on egg yolk cooked at 64 degrees and potato foam. Next, I have to choose one of the five main products, which is then served in three dishes in a creative way. I choose langoustine. It could also have been tuna, octopus, eggplant or quail.

Goes down like oil

A visit to an olive oil producer is the final highlight of my culinary journey.
highlight. Although the word about excellent Istrian extra virgin has spread all over the world, it has not yet really arrived in our local fine dining restaurants. Basically, cold pressing is based on different olive varieties such as Buža, Rožignola, Istarska Bejelica or Leccino. They are either bottled as a single variety or as a cuvée. Like wine, each oil has different flavors and goes well with one dish or another. The best olive oils in Istria include Avistria from the Austrians Rudolf and Beatrix Nemetschke, Beli from the family of the same name and Chiavalon. The brothers Tedi and Sandi Chiavalon are the producers with the most awards. They also supply the Saudi royal family and the chefs of the "Jeunes Restaurateurs d'Europe" (JRE) association, among others.

I spend the afternoon with the friendly Tedi. He shows me the gentle production technique before we sit down for a tasting. I could write a book about what he tells me about his organic farm with around 34,000 olive trees. Apart from the different nuances of the oils, what sticks in my mind is the incredible passion with which he drives the company forward. Chapeau, I can only say. As a souvenir, they will bring back memories with every drop.

Enjoy -Restaurants

Novigrad

" Damir & Ornella "
For 25 years, Damir Beletić has been one of those hosts in Istria who focus on the quality of freshly caught fish and serve it raw. In season, he also likes to serve wild asparagus.
www.damir-ornela.com

Poreć
Spinnaker
Located in the Valamar Riviera Hotel, the restaurant under the aegis of Goran Hrastovčak is one of the best in Istria. His "Istrian Fables" menu features classic regional dishes, while "Modern Tales" is more playful - with lobster ravioli or tobacco-smoked gilthead bream, for example. The sweet compositions by patissière Dragana Kovačević, such as the chocolate truffle variation, are tempting.
www.restaurantspinnaker.com

" Divino "
One of many terrace restaurants on the promenade, but the best when it comes to fresh catch from the sea. The "Royal Divino" platter with crab, mussels, oysters and seafood salads is a feast for the eyes. The grouper stuffed with scampi on a truffle sauce tastes extremely delicious.
www.divino.hr

Rovinj

Agli Amici
Overlooking the marina below the Grand Park Hotel is the first Croatian restaurant with two Michelin stars. It is an offshoot of Emanuele Scarello in Udine. Chef Simone De Lucca's menu combines artful presentation with innovative Friulian cuisine. An eye-catcher: grilled octopus, shaped like a flower mosaic.
www.maistra.com





' Cap Aureo '
The Grand Park Hotel's fine dining restaurant offers Mediterranean tasting menus called "The Journey" with a focus on fish, vegetables and fruit. Head chef Jeffrey Vella and patissière Maša Salopek, named "Pâtissière of the Year" by Gault&Millau Croatia, combine vegetarian innovation with the highest level of craftsmanship. And there's a dream view over the old town of Rovinj. www.maistra.





Monte
The climb up to the basilica will make you sweat. But the food in the Michelin-starred restaurant run by Danijel Đekić, his wife Tjitske and their sons Ilja and Simon is well worth the effort. There are three menus to choose from - "Red, Green & Blue" - which play with the best seasonal produce in Istria in an avant-garde way. You choose a main product and have it served in different ways.
www.monte.hr

' Puntulina '
The Pellizzer family's restaurant is one of the most atmospheric addresses on the Istrian coast. Located directly on the cliffs below the old town, you can dine here on rocky plateaus overlooking the sea. Here, too, the focus is on freshly caught fish and seafood, and the ricotta ravioli in truffle sauce is delicious.
www.puntulina.eu





Pula

Sophie
It doesn't always have to be fish. The elegant restaurant in the Grand Hotel Brioni specializes in matured meat. And what meat! Whether it's Wagyu steaks, American beef or Istrian Boškarin, every cut is of premium quality. Served with hand-cut fries.
www.grandhotelbrioni.com

Konobas - country inns

Konoba Morgan, Brtoniglia
Hostess and chef Ana Morgan serves game dishes with her personal signature, sometimes as ragout, sometimes braised, sometimes wild boar or venison, usually hunted in season. Special highlights are dishes from the peka, a cast-iron vessel with a bell-shaped lid that is placed in the embers to cook.
www.morgan.hr

" Konoba Doma, Sveti Petar u Šumi "
An Istrian inn as it is written in the book. Rural-modern style, with its own pig farm and butcher's shop. Whether sausage or ham, ribs, steaks or roasts,
you can taste the art of craftsmanship in every piece of meat.
Kranjci 18, Sveti Petar u Sumi, T. +385 91 570 01 71

" Alla Beccaccia, Valbandon near Fažana "
The owner couple Kolić, Annamaria as chef,
Ivor as sommelier, have turned this pretty konoba with terrace into a Michelin-recommended address. Dishes such as marrow bones with toast, veal shank or beef fillet shashlik are well worth the journey.
www.konoba-allabeccaccia.com

" Konoba Bušćina, Umag "
Deep in the Istrian hinterland, almost on the Slovenian border, hides the cozy cult restaurant of chef and co-owner Dino Vidonis. His down-to-earth cuisine
with product quality and tradition. First and foremost, slow-cooked dishes in the peka, such as lamb with potatoes and vegetables.
www.konoba-buscina.hr