What to Eat in Croatia in 2026: The Best Food and Drink

Croatian food moves between the sea and the interior in a way that covers very different culinary traditions within one country. The Dalmatian coast cooking is Mediterranean simplicity: prstaci (date mussels, now protected), pag cheese (sheep's milk aged on the limestone island, flavoured by the bora wind), grilled fish with olive oil and blitva (Swiss chard with potatoes), and the white wines of Pošip and Grk from the islands. The Istrian interior is truffle country — the Motovun and Buzet areas produce both black and white truffles, shaved over pasta, scrambled eggs, and risotto with a generosity that Italy charges considerably more for. Slavonian cuisine in the east is central European in character: kulen (paprika-cured pork sausage, smoked and dried), paprikash, and the Baranja wines from the Pannonian plain. The rakija culture — grape, plum, and herb brandies infused with everything from honey to mistletoe — runs through all three. Take your time.