Anyone who has tasted dishes served from the peka at least once will agree that the aroma and flavor of meals prepared this way is a paradise for the taste buds. The dishes from under the Peka, which you will encounter in Croatia, are a traditional way of cooking in this country. The very word “Peka” evokes in the Croatian people a sense of hunger and a desire to plan an evening at a richly set table.
What is a Peka?
Peka is both the name of the meal, as well as the name of the dome-shaped cast iron lid that sits atop the pot and gives the dish its unique flavor. This method cooking a mix of foods over an open fire, using a Peka that consists of two parts – the bottom, or bowl, on which food is placed, and the unique lid.
Once a Croatian picks up a Peka, you can expect a very merry culinary feast. Dishes from under the Peka are often served during holidays, family celebrations, birthdays, or evening gatherings with friends, making it the ultimate way to share food. The Peka preparation time varies from 3 to 5 hours, depending on the type of food.
An essential phase of peka preparation is the careful preparation of embers made of good wood. Such embers are needed to cover the cast iron lid. The next step is cooking the meal itself, which takes the most time. In the middle of cooking, it is necessary to open the lid and carefully stir the food so that all the flavors and the resulting sauce blend beautifully.
To make such long waits for the meal more pleasant, Croats consume wine or traditional Croatian rakija during this time. There is also no shortage of cheerful conversation, dancing, and laughter. Remember that peka is not only delicious food but also good fun, sometimes even lasting until dawn.
Think such dishes taste like they are out of the oven? Then you are sorely mistaken!
Meals prepared under a peka are highly aromatic, tender, and juicy. You can say that such dishes are roasted, boiled, and braised simultaneously. Meat prepared under the peka easily separates from the bone, and the potatoes that float in the vegetable and meat sauce have a unique flavor. This unique flavor is also influenced by spices such as rosemary, basil, thyme, and even sage. Any meal prepared under a peka tastes much better than you would serve it from a home oven. Of this, you can be sure. Many specialties of Croatian cuisine are prepared under peka. Most often, these are meat dishes, including lamb, beef, and pork, but also vegetables, potatoes, seafood, and even bread.
Peka – the queen of Croatian cuisine
In Croatia, peka is known in every region, but it is most widespread in Dalmatia. It is hard to imagine a Dalmatian family that would not have a peka in their home. Today, many restaurants in Croatia serve dishes prepared from under the peka. You can choose from both meat specialties and seafood. While in Dalmatia, I absolutely recommend you try octopus, which is a delicacy of this region. Peka has been used in Croatia for over a thousand years, and to this day, it has been passed down from generation to generation. This tradition will certainly not be lost because, as the Croats themselves say, without peka, their cuisine does not exist.
In the heart of Croatian cuisine lies a culinary gem known as peka. It's both a dish and a traditional cooking method cherished across the country. Derived from the Croatian word for bell, peka refers both to the dish itself and the time-honored technique of slow-cooking meals in fire, beneath a distinctive domed lid.
Peka (“bell”) is a very popular traditional method of preparing various specialities across Croatia. It involves roasting the food over open flames using a clay or wrought-iron baking vessel.
This popular and unique dish is one of the most popular foods in Croatia. Its characteristic dark colour comes from the inclusion of squid or cuttlefish ink, which infuses the dish with a delightful savory flavor.
The history of Peka can be traced as far back as 5,000 years. Even under Roman rule, Croatian's maintained their unique cooking style, despite the Roman's furnace influence, making it one of the longest standing dishes in Croatian cuisine.
The process for making peka is ancient and involves placing the pan over a bed of glowing coal embers and scooping more embers on top of the domed lid to create an oven-like environment where meats or seafood and vegetables are slow-roasted inside.
Breakfast & Gablec -- Western-style breakfast (doručak: eggs, pastries, meats, cereals) is served at larger hotels and restaurants throughout Croatia. In smaller towns and in homes, a glass of rakija (fruit brandy), a cup of coffee, and bread or a roll hot from the local bakery comprise the usual early-morning meal.
Croatia's cuisine has many influences, thanks to its central position in Europe. The Mediterranean is one, apparent in the use of tomatoes, eggplants, bell peppers, herbs, olive oil, and abundant seafood. Some of the meatier dishes are a legacy of the central European countries that lie to the east of Croatia.
Rakija or Rakia (a type of fruit brandy) is considered the national drink of Croatia. In the Istrian and Dalmatian regions of Croatia, rakija tends to be home-made exclusively from grapes, where the drink is also known locally as trapa or grappa (the latter name also being used in Italy).
Known as the country's national dish, Istrian Yota is a stew made of beans, potatoes, bacon, and sauerkraut. It is popular in the region of Istria, hence the name Istrian Yota. This dish is popular because it is considered to be the national dish of Croatia.
In recorded history, the area was inhabited by Illyrian tribes such as the Delmetae, who spoke an Illyrian language, an ancient branch of Indo-European.
Peka is a traditional dish from Split and Dalmatia, Croatia. This slow-cooked meal is made by placing a protein of choice – usually veal, lamb or octopus – and vegetables inside a large iron dish with a heavy metal lid.
The traditional peka roast is make under the dome-shaped bell with burning embers. Choose lamb or veal, add potatoes and you will get the most succulent roast.
Most have heard of the Slavic favorites: Borscht, Perogies/Varenyky, Holubtsi, Pork products… These are Ukraine's staples, and that flavor palate can be found in Croatia's food as well. However, there is so much more to both cuisines than these favorites.
The survey indicates that 25 percent of Croatian citizens consume meat daily, with chicken being the most popular choice. This marks a five percent increase compared to the findings from 2022.
Introduction: My name is Mrs. Angelic Larkin, I am a cute, charming, funny, determined, inexpensive, joyous, cheerful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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