Zagreb, Croatia

I spent the last few months traveling from London to Beijing. Here is a taste of one place we spent time. Follow the links to read about others.

November 4th- 7th, 2005

John and I visited Zagreb, Croatia after spending some time in Rome, Italy.  While in Zagreb we visited a huge indoor/outdoor market in the center to have yet another inexpensive and satisfying picnic.  We bought bread from Pan-Pek, a nice and hearty semolina loaf that had a lovely golden brown color. 

It was perhaps not the freshest, as the crumb and crust were a bit dry, but we did visit late in the day.  Overall, the quality of the bread was nothing to write home about. We also bought two white farmer's cheeses from a stand.  The first was of a hard texture with a very salty taste and a strong, pungent smell.  It was very good, but perhaps a bit too salty for us. 

The second was a gorgeous soft cheese with a subtle tangy flavor and a smooth, cool texture.  It went well with the bread.

We stayed with two lovely girls, Mia and Danicza.  I will forever be indebted to them for introducing me to ajvar, a spread of sweet red pepper, eggplant, garlic, and spices (with origins in Serbia according to Wikipedia).  I am completely addicted to the stuff now but have yet to find any as good as the one they had me taste.  They kept us out late and showed us a great time.  I wish we had had more time to spend in their city.  Thanks!

After a brief stay in Varaždin, Croatia we made our way to Liszó, Hungary.

Comments

[Pille]

I love ajvar, too. I first got to try it in 1998 in Bosnia&Herzegovina. I even got a recipe from my host for making it myself - once I get hold of 10 kg of fresh and aromatic peppers they sell in the area:)
Luckily there are few shops in Edinburgh that stock ajvar and it's not too bad actually.

[gemma]

Ooh, even though I have no access to the 10 kg of local peppers that you mention, I would love to take a gander at the recipe if you ever have a minute to send it my way.

I will definitely be on the ajvar hunt when I get back to Chicago.

[Rjecnik]

you have some awesome pics here. i hope the baked goods are as good as they look on your blog.

cheers
\anja

[t.]

ajvar is great. next time you visit zagreb, leave me a message on my blog

[engleski rjecnik]

here is my cheer to ajvar. i saw that trader joe's carries it nowdays. great.

best,

.e.r.

[gemma]

Hi e.r.,

I too have been pleased to find ajvar around Chicago. It seems like several establishments have picked it up in the last few years. I'm quite glad.

Gemma

[Jen]

Rich's ftw!

[gemma]

Yes! (And Ann's Bakery right up Leavitt, too)