Croatian Cuisine

Croatian cuisine is heterogeneous and known as a cuisine of the regions, since every region of Croatia has its own distinct culinary tradition with roots reaching back to ancient times. The differences in foodstuffs and forms of cooking are most notable between the mainland and the coast. Mainland cooking has Slavic features and later Turkish, Hungarian and Austrian influences, using lard and spices such as black pepper, paprika and garlic. The coast bears Greek, Roman and later Mediterranean influence, including Venetian, and uses olive oil, herbs and spices such as rosemary, sage, bay leaf and cinnamon. Charcuterie is part of the tradition in all regions.