Our Top Croatian Food Favourites for Your Sail Week
By MedSailors Crew published on 2 September 2024
Imagine putting your feet up while looking at the Adriatic Sea, an oasis, and your skipper calls you, saying lunch is ready. Heaven.
One of the best things about MedSailors is that you don't have to worry about meals because your lovely skipper will prepare breakfast and lunch for your team.
The skipper on our boat was wonderful and prepared a feast for each meal; usually buffet style using fresh Croatian food ingredients. The people on the other boats in our fleet were raving about the food too.
You can buy dinner in the evenings, and there are usually many local restaurants to visit. Some evenings you'll have to eat at where the boat docks, but that's arranged by the skipper and coordinator, who will ask you to pre-order if you need to. It's the perfect way to holiday and not worry about cooking.
Top Croatia Food Favourites
Peka: Croatia's most traditional dish, usually served at large family gatherings or celebrations, the Peka is a MUST-have as you sail Croatia. Peka roughly translates to "under the bell" which relates to the method of slow-cooking the ingredients in a large iron skillet covered by a bell-shaped top under hot coals for 3-4 hours.
When you try a peka, the most common will be lamb or veal and a mixture of seasonal vegetables and potatoes. Keep a keen eye out for my favourite, octopus peka or fish peak. It will literally leave you daydreaming and drooling for more. Veggies, don't worry, there's usually a vegetarian option available too!
You can try a traditional peka along with a wonderful wine tasting at Hora Farm as one of the activities of MedSailors Dubrovnik Voyager route.
Olive Oils & Cheeses: Croatia has a deep history with olive oils, dating back thousands of years from when the ancient Greeks called parts of the region home to the Venetian influence up until the present day. Olive oil is a huge part of the Dalmatian region's agriculture heritage and something you definitely need to dive into while on a sail week in Croatia.
Throughout your week exploring the Croatian islands, you'll have heaps of opportunities for wine and olive oil tasting experiences which I highly recommend. Don't hesitate to pick up some for home, a gift, or yourself to enjoy with your yacht crew.
Fresh Seafood: What better way to discover the taste of Croatian food than enjoying what they are incredibly famous for -- seafood. The Dalmatian islands have a celebrated history of fishing, with each island hosting festivals and long-standing traditions still thriving in small villages.
As you're island hopping around Croatia, don't miss the opportunity to try the fresh catches of the day or local favourites, especially as you spend some nights anchored in a small fishing village. Spot the fisherman heading out early morning and bringing in the catch late afternoon straight to the restaurants. Our recommendations are the seabream, seabass, or tuna steak.
Food and drink to bring on board
Most of the time, the supermarkets near the marina where you board the yacht are the perfect place to stock up on what you'll need for the trip. Don't worry about getting everything in one shop at the beginning of the trip, as you'll be docking at many places with supermarkets if you need more essentials. There's always a Studenac or SPAR around!
Croatian wine: There's usually a fridge outside on the boat, which is useful for storing drinks. Ours was usually full of white wine; if you find anywhere selling Pošip, a zesty white that tastes like tropical fruit, stock up! If you want a red, the Marica Plavac Mali was highly recommended by a restaurant, along with the Bacic rosé.
Top 5 Croatian snacks
Snacking is important, as you're normally active during the day. It keeps you fuelled and gives you a little energy surge after swimming, doing some , or napping on deck. Here are a few gems I found in the supermarkets that I highly suggest picking up in your shop:
Stapici: These are like pretzel sticks and are perfect for a salty snack.
Moto keks: Our group ate many of these on board, mainly because most of us were British and needed something to dip into our tea. What a surprise they were; you'd think they were like a Jammy Dodger by looking at them, but they are vanilla flavoured with a chocolate centre and chocolate biscuit on the bottom. Fair warning, you'll want to fill your suitcase with these to relive the experience at home.
Smoki: These are crunchy, salty, peanutty, and the perfect snack. These airy crisps are perfect, especially with a beer.
Jaffa keks: You guessed it, the Croatian version of Jaffa cakes. But these tasted even better, or maybe it was just that holiday feeling of being on a MedSailors yacht.
Napolitanke: These are flaky wafer biscuits filled with light creamy chocolate. The danger is that they are bite-sized, so they're hard to resist when you're in a snacky mood.
Cocktails to make on board
You're on holiday, away from work and commitments, sitting on a MedSailors yacht's roof, breathing in the Adriatic breeze. What do you need to round out that experience? A cocktail in one hand! Here are two of my favourites I made while on board. They are perfect, as you don't need a cocktail shaker.
Sea breeze: This one, as well as having a brilliantly fitting name, is perfect as it doesn't involve a cocktail shaker (as it's hard to find one on board) and can be made without ice too! It's equal parts vodka, grapefruit, and cranberry juice; serve with some mint and stir it up. Don't do what we did; leave them unattended on the table outside while going over gnarly waves.
Hugo: The Hugo cocktail tastes like sunshine and is perfect for making while you're away. It also has a lot of soda water, which helps hydrate you during the day, making hangovers much more manageable. Buying a bottle of elderflower cordial at the beginning of the trip is useful.
To make the Hugo, bash some mint to bruise it and put it in a large wine glass, pour over one shot of elderflower cordial, then a shot of gin, and a shot measure of soda water. Fill the glass with ice and top it with prosecco and a wedge of lime if you have some.
A top tip we learnt for making cocktails on board is that anything can be a cocktail shaker if you try hard enough. We found that a clean jam jar works as a great alternative providing you seal it well enough!
Enjoy a MedSailors Holiday Yourself!
Can't wait to get on board and experience some Croatia foodie delights? The only thing to do now is to !
