Food and wine

Ancient Romans used to call royal the variety of Istrian culinary resources. Nowadays gourmets claim that Istria did not loose any of it in the meantime. The Istrian cuisine is based on seafood and fruits of the rich Istrian red soil: simple natural ingredients and lot of fantasy - a spoonful of olive oil, a touch of Mediterranean herbs, a pinch of flower and salt and few drops of water - make wanders even for the most sophisticated palates.

Delicatessen worth tasting are surely not only the Istrian prosciutto and sheep cheese, but also the traditional manestra (vegetable and smoked meat casserole), fuzi (variety of home-made pasta) with a free-range chicken, or gniocchi with a deer ragout, sausage in wine, pasutice (home made pasta) with stock-fish, fritaja (frittata) with green forest asparagus or mushrooms, lasagne with truffles, goatling stewed on the open fire, radicchio with hardboiled eggs and beans...

Before the meal, a glass of Istrian grappa with herbs (rutha) is warmly recommended to dispose you to savour fully what is to come. After the meal, the same good grape with a good strong espresso will make you forward to the next meal with undiminished enthusiasm. Seafood? There is no end to the variety Istria offers - fish - grilled, boiled, fried, stewed, you can eat it day after day and it will never be the same. Brodetto, seafood buzara (stew) or risotto made in traditional way alternate with the refined scampi-cocktails and seafood salads...

Istria is also known for its wines which will wonderfully accompany your meals. Malvasia, Teran, Merlot, Hrvatica, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot, Borgonja or Muscat - even the crowned heads savoured and appreciated them. Today you will find them in a number of restaurants and taverns in Novigrad-Cittanova and its vicinity.