This beautiful Dalmatian island has many things to offer. Thanks to the crystal-clear sea around Korčula, its inhabitants have been closely connected to the sea and all it has to offer. Seafood and fish are one important aspect. This long-standing relationship with nature is why the people of Korčula have such a strong bond with their food and amazing authentic dishes.

Aside from using the sea as a food source, the people of Korčula have used their environment for agricultural activities since ancient times. There are marks of viticulture and olive oil making ranging from the time of Ancient Greece. Because of this, their wine and oil are of high quality. When you have quality oil, it’s important not to waste it on mediocre food, and the gastro traditions of Korčula are all but mediocre.

Žrnovski makaruni
This is a type of pasta made in the village of Žrnovo, Korčula. It’s rather long, but not a type of long pasta like spaghetti, and its middle is empty. This is due to the use of a stick in the pasta making. When you try makaruni, you’ll realise that they’re handmade so there’s always some peculiarity and difference, but the taste is impeccable. Especially if you pair them with a meat sauce like beef sauce which won’t just slide off. For the true experience, you have to find both good makaruni and quality sauce.

Octopus
Different parts of Dalmatia prepare octopus in different ways. On Korčula, you’ll get “octopus in its own juice” or “drunken octopus”. The point is that octopus lets out a lot of juice in the making, and you have to mix that juice with garlic, wine, and parsley rather than getting rid of it. This helps retain a special flavour and you’ll get a nice sauce.

Korčulanska pašticada
Just like octopus, there are numerous versions of pašticada all over the Croatian coast. However, Korčula has one of its own. In its essence, pašticada is stewed beef in a sauce made of prošek (a type of wine) and dry prunes. Most often, it’s served with homemade potato gnocchi. This might seem similar to Žrnovski makaruni, but the sauce is completely different, and we suggest you try them both while you’re on this amazing island.

A lot of sweets
When it comes to sweets, Korčula has several great desserts.

Lumblija
This is a type of sweet bread which originated in Blato, Korčula. Some ingredients include almonds, walnuts, prošek, rakija, nutmeg, clove, cinnamon, anise, orange and the most important one – cooked grape must or mošt. You can easily see that it’s an aromatic desert with a specific flavour.

Klašuni
Another special desert of the island of Korčula is klašuni. They’re a type of small cookie with a strong aromatic taste and a couple of special ingredients: ammonium hydrogen carbonate, walnuts, almonds, oranges, white raisins soaked in rose rakija etc. Their taste is different than any other sweets you’ve tried.

Cukarini
Cukarini is another type of cookie which is in their texture similar to klašuni. They also include ammonium bicarbonate and citrus, so you’ll feel a citrusy flavour and a texture similar to shortbread. However, they’re even more brittle. The crucial step is dipping them into a rose rakija and then into sugar.

Great island with amazing food
All these magnificent dishes have once started as food for the poor. People used what they had which was olive oil, wine, and fish. The cuisine of Korčula shows that you can make wonderful and rich dishes with ingredients you find in nature.