YAHOO!: Food and Drink You Must Try in Croatia

Croatia has ranked a respectable 7th in Yahoo!’s ranking of 48 European nations by food and drink…

As with most ‘ranking’ lists floating around on the internet, the list is incomplete and just an opinion a couple of people – although Yahoo! does have a massive global audience. So what was the criteria?

“The biggest factor had to be the indigenous cuisine (in other words, Ireland doesn’t get extra credit just because Dublin has a spectacular Indian restaurant), the food and drink culture within its cities and towns, and the variety that exists within each place. Sure, some countries may cook up one thing extraordinarily well, but what else can they do? As my Grandfather used to say, just because you can juggle doesn’t mean you can dance. Gastronomically speaking, we want the places that can juggle AND dance. And maybe cook too,” Yahoo! wrote.

So this was the assessment on Croatia and its food and drink.

7. Croatia
The mix of influences here — whether they’re Italian, Mediterranean, French on the coasts, or Slavic in the interior of the country — helps set up a delicious mish-mash of foods. They have fantastic olive oil, and the oysters in the small town of Ston are considered some of the best in the Adriatic. Their Babić, Malvasia, prosecco, and Vrbnička žlahtina wines used to be underrated, but are getting more international cred each year. And, perhaps their most famous dish — roasted lamb “under the bell” — is worth the hype, considering the meat cooks from both sides (with a domed clay bell covered in hot charcoal on top, and a coal BBQ below) slowly in its own juices.

The Top 5 Ranked European Nations by Food and Drink:
1. Italy
2. France
3. Spain
4. Georgia
5. Germany
7. CROATIA

(photo: Tim Ertl)