Istrian sweets: fritule, kroštule, pinca and more
The traditional sweets of Istria are simple, festive and closely tied to the calendar. What they are, when they are made and what to drink with them.
The Journal
Food & Wine
Agritourism in Istria: farm stays and family-run kitchens
What an Istrian agroturizam is, what you eat and how you stay, how to choose a good one and how to book, from a single dinner to a week in the countryside.
Hosting an Istrian dinner at your villa: a menu, a table and a plan
A relaxed menu in five courses, what to buy and where, how to set the table outdoors, and a timeline that lets the host sit down too.
Seafood in Istria: what to order and when
From grilled squid and scampi buzara to Lim Bay oysters and brodet with polenta: a practical guide to Adriatic seafood in Istria, with the seasons and the menu words you need.
Brtonigla and Momjan: wine villages of north-west Istria
Red earth and Malvazija around Brtonigla, grey hills and Muscat around Momjan. Two small villages near Buje that explain, in one day, why Istrian wine tastes the way it does.
Biska, medica and Istrian rakija explained
The small glass offered at the end of an Istrian meal can hold many things: grape brandy, herbal travarica, honey-sweet medica or biska, flavoured with mistletoe. A short guide to what is in the glass.
Fuži with truffles: an Istrian recipe for home
How to make fuži, the hand-rolled pasta of Istria, and dress them with butter and black truffle. A step-by-step recipe for four, with realistic quantities.
Boškarin, the Istrian ox: from working animal to delicacy
Grey, long-horned and once nearly forgotten, the boškarin pulled Istria's ploughs for centuries. Today it is a symbol of the peninsula and one of its most prized meats.
Olive oil tasting in Istria: how to visit a producer and taste like a pro
How to arrange a visit to an Istrian olive oil producer, what happens at a tasting, and the simple professional method for judging a good extra virgin oil.
Istrian cheese and honey: what to taste and what to bring home
Sheep's and goat's cheese from small dairies, acacia, chestnut and sage honey from the hills: a guide to two of Istria's quieter delicacies, and how to buy them well.
Istrian wine grapes explained: Malvazija, Teran, Muškat and Refošk
A clear guide to the grapes behind Istrian wine: what each one tastes like, how to read a wine list in a konoba, and what to drink with what.
Istrian maneštra recipe: the bean and corn soup of Istria
Maneštra is the thick bean soup that fed Istrian families for generations. What it is, how the versions differ, and a clear recipe with corn that works in any kitchen.
Istrian pršut: how it differs from other prosciutto, and how to serve it
No skin, no smoke, just sea salt, herbs and the bura wind. What makes Istria's dry-cured ham distinctive, and how to slice, plate and pair it at home.
Istrian wine roads: how to visit wineries and plan a tasting day
How Istria's signposted wine roads work, which areas to explore, how to book a cellar visit and how to plan a relaxed tasting day without driving after drinking.
Wild asparagus season in Istria: when, where and how to cook it
Every spring, Istrians head for the hedgerows with a knife and a bag. A guide to the season, the picking and the dishes that follow.
What is a konoba, and how to choose a good one in Istria
The word once meant a stone cellar for wine, oil and ham. Today it means a particular kind of meal. How to tell a real konoba from a tourist trap.
Understanding Istrian olive oil
Bitter, peppery, green and alive. Why oil from this small peninsula is so highly regarded, and how to choose a good bottle.
Truffle season in Istria: what to know
Every autumn, the oak forests of inland Istria give up one of the most expensive foods in the world. A short guide for the curious.
Malvazija, Teran and the wines of Istria
A short introduction to the grapes, the places and the habits that make Istrian wine so distinctive.
Istrian cuisine: the dishes to know, from fuži to fritaja
A plain-spoken guide to what Istrians actually eat: hand-rolled pasta, thick bean soups, wild-herb omelettes, cured ham and the sea in between.
In collaboration with Lampisa
Made in Istria, made for your room
Tables, beds, sofas, kitchens and storage, drawn for your house and built in Istria on a plywood structure, never particleboard. Better than the retail park, without the showroom price.