Favorite local Dishes!
The most popular dishes from the western part of Korčula island are not typical restaurant fare. They are all seasonal, and most likely, you’ll need to be invited by a local to try them. The good news is that these foods are increasingly available at various island food festivals and on rural tasting menus. Many of these popular dishes are not only vegetarian but also vegan. Locals adore all leafy vegetables. The recipes are simple: you boil them and sprinkle them with lots of local olive oil.
1.Kupus na tabak
There’s even a local festival named after this dish and a theater play called “Only Kupus Could Save Us!” People here simply adore it. Unfortunately, this dish is not served in restaurants, so in order to try it, you need to be invited by a local.
2. Gruda
There are at least 7 wild weeds that are carefully picked and then boiled together in this dish. The picked plants, including young dandelions, are masterfully cooked with potatoes and then, of course, garnished with lots of olive oil. The result is delicious and always a bit different, as you always pick a different choice of weeds.
3.Sardele u savuru (Marinated Sardines with Local Herbs)
From 1420 to 1797, Korčula island was part of Venice, and this dish most likely dates from that time. Marinated blue fish, typically mackerel, tuna, or sardines, are combined with lots of onion and herbs, including rosemary and laurel. Simple but delicious, and sometimes available in local restaurants as a starter dish.
4.Lumblija - The Love Cake of Remembrance
This local cake has a curious story.
Lumblija is a traditional cake specifically from Vela Luka and Blato. This dish has been prepared for over 200 years, dating back to the Napoleonic era and the French occupation of Dalmatia in the nineteenth century.
Lumblija’s story is about love, farewell, and the true promise of eternal love between two young people. Love brings two individuals together, then war separates them, as it often does in love stories from this era. The bitter flavor remains, although it is much sweeter in this case.
A young woman from Blato and a French soldier, a baker by profession, fall madly in love. However, the young soldier is called to war, and their love is doomed. He bids his sweetheart farewell by baking a cake with the touching message “Ne m’oublie pas,” which means “Don’t forget me” in French. Because the young girl does not know how to pronounce the original inscription, she says “lumblija.” This cake will long be associated with unfulfilled and painful love, yet proud Korčulans continue to tell this narrative, which brings them true happiness.
5.Bob i biž - Broad Beans and Peas with Spring Onions
Broad beans and peas have always been a popular dish locally, especially in springtime when the harvest begins. We love it! The recipe is always the same here: boil them and sprinkle them with your best olive oil!
6.Calf Liver Stew
Another dish from the Venetian times loved by the locals.
Here’s the recipe from my Mum’s cookbook:
- 800 g calf liver
- 4 white onions
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 3 tbsp white wine
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley
- 1 tsp cane sugar
- 1 dash black pepper
- Salt to taste
Peel and finely slice the onions. Rinse and dry the calf liver, then slice it into 1-inch strips. Put olive oil in a pan over medium-low heat, add the onions and sugar. Let the onions cook slowly until translucent and extremely tender, then add the wine. Cook the calf liver strips for 3-4 minutes along with the onions over high heat. The meat inside should be pale pink, medium-cooked, and still juicy. Do not overcook the liver, as it will become too leathery. Finish with minced parsley, salt as needed, and a sprinkle of black pepper. Enjoy!
