Taste the traditional food on the Island of Hvar

Local food is the best thing you can experience when traveling through a country. If you visit any new place, people will always ask you three of the same questions; “Where did you stay?”, followed by “Where will you eat?” and “Do you like Gregada?”. When traveling, taste the traditional dishes of the country you are visiting. And that is why, if you visit Hvar, these are the dishes you should not miss!

1. Dalmatian Peka

Peka is a traditional Croatian dish that can be found in almost every house on the island. The dish usually consists of lamb, octopus or veal cooked in a pan under a special iron belly dome. Peppers, onions and potatoes are also added under the meat. The dome is covered with hot embers and left to cook for several hours until all the ingredients have softened and have released their flavours. It can be served as a main dish for both lunch and dinner.

2. Paprenjak

This is a traditional Croatian sweet biscuit, spiced with pepper, cinnamon or cloves. Paprenjaci look like Danish cookies with butter, but they taste much stronger and have a softer texture. They are often eaten as a side dish with coffee or tea, and are also served as part of a Christmas dinner with badnjak (a cake in the shape of a log) and anise brandy. On Hvar, it is most often eaten with an alcoholic drink made from carob.

3. Gregada

Gregada is a dish typical for the island of Hvar. The word Gregada comes from the Italian word greggia, meaning herd or group, which in ancient times was used to describe a group of cattle. The name may be related to the fact that most fish are caught en masse by trawls and that this dish, prepared out of necessity, required all the fish to be cooked together. The main ingredients of this dish are fish and potatoes.