Croats

Croats (Hrvati) are the people who make up the main population of Croatia, from Slavonia in the east to Istria and Dalmatia on the Adriatic. On this site their traditions are Dalmatian pršut and Slavonian kulen, wine from Graševina and Plavac Mali, sheep's milk Pag cheese, the Oblica olive, acacia honey from Zagorje and Zadar maraschino. Nearly all of these names are protected in the EU.

Dalmatinski pršut (Dalmatian prosciutto, Dalmatian ham) is a PGI dry-cured ham: a whole pig's leg with bone, skin and subcutaneous fat. It is salted with sea salt only, with no nitrites, nitrates or other additives, pressed, cold-smoked over hornbeam, oak or beech and dried in Dalmatia for at least 12 months; a ham sold must weigh at least 6.5 kg. The specification explains the smoke: in rainy weather it drove the damp out of old kitchens and drying huts, and today it gives aroma. The bora blows here about 130 days a year, but less often than before, so fans now help in the drying rooms.

Slavonski kulen (Slavonski kulin) from the flat east is a very different sausage. Lean pork with no more than 10% back fat is ground to 6–12 mm, seasoned with salt, sweet and hot paprika and garlic, and stuffed into the pig's caecum, tied by hand with hemp string in a typical pattern. The kulen is fermented, lightly smoked over hornbeam, ash or beech, dried and matured for at least 150 days, and it is made only from 1 November to 31 March. The pigs descend from the Black Slavonian breed and listed crosses, 12–20 months old and at least 140 kg. Traditionally one pig gave one kulen, kept for feasts and gifts.

Croatian wine means 19,938 ha of vines (2024) and four wine regions. The most planted grape is Graševina, that is Welschriesling: 24.70% of the area in the 2022 register. Plavac Mali is the offspring of Zinfandel and Dobričić, and on the Pelješac peninsula it makes Dingač: only Plavac Mali from south-facing slopes of 10–60°, at up to 48 hl/ha.

Paški sir is a hard PDO cheese made from the whole milk of Pag sheep on the island of Pag, which graze all year among sage, immortelle and thyme. It matures for at least 60 days, and during that time the wheel is washed and rubbed with olive or other vegetable oil four to six times. On the coast, olive oil comes first of all from Oblica: at least 60% of the trees in Croatian groves and most of Croatian olive oil.

Zagorski bagremov med is a PDO acacia honey from Croatian Zagorje: almost colourless, long liquid, with over 27% acacia pollen. The hills shield the blossom from late frosts and stretch the flow to about 20 days. Zadarski maraschino has been a protected name since 24 April 2012 for a colourless liqueur from Zadar based on a distillate of Dalmatian marasca cherries: at least 24% vol. and at least 250 g of sugar per litre. The first liqueur factory in Zadar opened in 1821.

Why it matters to you: on pršut, look for the brand burnt into the skin and the name "Dalmatinski pršut" with the EU symbol. Only the full name "Slavonski kulen" or "Slavonski kulin" is protected: anyone may use the word "kulen" alone, so not every kulen on the shelf has this status. WHO reminds that no level of alcohol is safe.