The first cookbook of Croatian desserts in English just released

Desserts are an unmissable part of the Croatian culinary tradition, and just how beloved they are was made clear last night in the gastropub Bulldog at the launch of Croatian Desserts cookbook by Andrea Pisac. Delectable whiffs of sweets attracted the foodie blogger, journalist and epicurean Domagoj Jokopović Ribafish as well as the award-winning American journalist Ashley Colburn, known for her documentaries about Croatia. The author Andrea Pisac, who is also a doctor of anthropology, writer, travel blogger and a recipient of the city of Zagreb award for her achievements in cultural tourism, directed her inspiration into creating the first cookbook of Croatian desserts in English.

Fifty traditional Croatian desserts come from all around Croatia and are illustrated with 515 colour photos which include a step-by-step method. The cookbook is ideal both for novice bakers and the more experienced ones, eager to advance their pastry skills. Featured recipes include the already famed ones, such as walnut and poppy seed rolls, fritule, štrukli, paprenjaci, kremšnite and Međimurje layered cake. But there are also the lesser-known or even forgotten ones, for example, Kaiserschmarrn or water-proofed crescent rolls. Andrea also situates Croatian desserts in the context of well known European classics. All the recipes were passed down or gathered in the field through the ethnographic method, which emphasizes their authenticity. Aside from that, Andrea introduces each dessert with an engaging culinary story, offering a window into the Croatian ways of eating and living.

Croatian Desserts cookbook is divided into chapters: Lazy Morning, Sunday Sweets, Special Occasions, Cakes, Christmas Sweets and Easter Sweets. All the ingredients are expressed both in grams and cups so bakers can measure either with a kitchen scale or with cups and spoons. Each dessert has its English and Croatia name, plus a pronunciation guide.

Through her stories and recipes, Andrea created a wonderful collection of the Croatian culinary heritage. ‘Desserts touch our emotions, and emotions are the best way to bring together that which is apart, whether this means connecting the past with the present and the future, or connecting different cultures. This is why this cookbook makes a great Croatian souvenir – we all know that food is the best way to get to know a new place’, Andrea concluded.

The cookbook will undoubtedly attract many Croatians at home or abroad, encouraging them to bake their favourite sweets by following Andrea’s detailed instructions. And for tourists and travellers in Croatia, the cookbook offers a great insight into the Croatian sweet foodie delights. The cookbook is available for purchase from Andrea’s website Croatia Honestly: https://travelhonestly.com/croatian-desserts-recipes/  as well as in selected bookshops in Zagreb, Rijeka, Split and Zadar.

Photos by Ivan Teskera