The ‘cuisine of regions’ owes its name to the significant differences between the main regions of Croatia. Some dishes that are popular in one town are hardly even known in the neighbouring towns and villages. Here are some of the main regions and their characteristic features: Slavonia is the land of meat and game dishes. These dishes come in a large variety and are always seasoned with many spices. Hrvatskio Zagorje and Medimurje are regions specialising in desserts, sweets and dumplings. When in middle Croatia or the Croatian mainland you should try home-made cheese. Also, you will find the fantastic roast dishes that are served here, although they are a bit heavy. In main dishes, as well as in desserts, strong Turkish influences can be observed. In Istria, the food is lighter and rich in herbs, influenced by Italian cooking. Dalmatia is the Mediterranean area of the country. Italian and French influences resulted in delicious specialities – somehow familiar but quite typical for the region. And what's more – here you can get excellent fresh fish!

Generally the dishes characteristic of the mainland or the heart of the country are based on traditional Slavic cooking, enriched by the later influences of Hungarian, Austrian and Turkish cuisine. There are a lot of stews and goulashes, generally based on meat. One of the most fascinating regional recipes is the fis paprikas – a spicy stew of freshwater fish. You can also try the tasty kulen, which is a spicy kind of sausage. The coastline is, of course, rich in sea food. Its specialities include scampi, seafood pasta or seafood risotto, white fish, mussels and many others. Fish is most often fried or grilled. There are also national specialities served all over the country, including prsut – raw ham that is air-dried or cured, and the paski sir – a goat cheese from Pag island that is quite salty.