Guide to eating in Croatia’s Slavonia region

(Photos: Vedran Bošković)

Croatia’s eastern region of Slavonia has a host of delicious must-try specialities, of course they go best paired with top local wines.

Starting with an old breakfast tradition, bread with lard and a little spicy ground paprika is favourite in the area and is one of the first things you need to try.

You should also give trout pate a go, and the  simple but delicious combination of eggs, flour and sour cream better known as cicvara. 

Cicvara (Photo credit: Vedrarn Bošković)

Bread with lard and paprika (Photo credit: Vedran Bošković)

Kulen, čvarci, slanina, sausage, are unavoidable, and there are also fragrant bread rolls with čvarci and local čvarkuše.

Čvarkuse (Photo credit: Vedran Bošković)

Dried meats – kulen, čvarci, slanina… (Photo credit: Vedran Bošković)

For meat lovers 

The hearty Čobanac is a real hit among gourmets. The longer the meat is simmered in a cauldron over an open fire the better. Real connoisseurs say – at least three types of meat go into a good čobanac, and the cauldron should be twice as big as the amount of food in it.

The piquancy is given by ground red pepper, the fineness of top quality white wine, of course from the surrounding vineyards.

Čobanac (Photo credit: Vedran Bošković)

Dried cooked meat with žganci is also recommended, and lovers of roast should not miss the podolca under the baking lid. It melts in your mouth.

Dried meat cooked with žganci (Photo credit: Vedran Bošković)

Podolac under the bell (Photo credit: Vedran Bošković)

Only in this region 

Only here you can try čobanac in a sandwich, a modern street food version of this dish, and this area is also known for its traditional wine kebab. No, it won’t remind you of kebab in shape or taste, but it’s licking your fingers. Two kinds, meat, smoked bacon, onions and peppers in a pork wrap grilled.

Baron Trenk steak is veal or pork stuffed with Slavonian ham, boiled eggs and ajvar, stewed on red onion with mushroom sauce. Pure pleasure.

Baron Trenk steak (Photo credit: Vedran Bošković)

Fancy fish?

What is čobanac for meat lovers is a good Slavonian fiš paprikaš for fish lovers. Couldron, open fire, at least two types of fresh fish, wine and red pepper… Real masters know the secret of good fiš paprikaš.

Fiš paprikaš (Photo: Vedran Bošković)

After the spicy overture, choose smoked carp, fried catfish, perch or grilled trout with excellent texture and great taste.

Trout on the grill (Photo credit: Vedran Bošković)

Trout pate (Photo credit: Vedran Bošković)

Something sweet

Tačkrle filled with the finest plum jam, shredded cheese, bazlamača in sweet or savoury version. Maybe šnenokle, dumplings with plums, strudels… Just the perfect ending. 

Bazlamača (Photo credit: Vedran Bošković)

Tačkrle (Photo credit: Vedran-Bošković)

Wines

Here Graševina gives top results. From young and fresh to aged and predicate, a sensation for a refined palate. In three vineyard areas: Kutjevo, Požega-Pleternica and Pakrac, there are about thirty wineries, so Požega-Slavonia County is ideal for wine tours.

(Photo: Borna Subota)

More about the gourmet offer of Golden Slavonia here. 

(Photo credit: Borna Subota)