(Featured Photo: Ćevapi kod “Gianni-a” – Zagreb)
As with all my travels, one thing I always look forward to is discovering the local foods. Usually I have a pretty good idea of what a particular country or region is known for: Crêpes in France, sausages in Germany, ham in Spain, fish and chips in England, etc. On my trip to Croatia, I didn’t really know much about the local foods or what specific foods they were known for.
My husband discovered one of his favorite foods just strolling through the town of Split in Croatia. Walking through the crowded streets, he smelled something very good and found it coming from one restaurant. The place was called Ba!Će which specializes in Ćevapi.
If you’ve never heard of it before (like us), it’s basically mini grilled sausage-like kebabs made of minced meat similar to a kofta kebab or koobideh kebab in Middle Eastern cuisine. They’re considered a national dish in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, and Serbia, so it’s no surprise that we found it where we did. They’re served with 5-10 pieces either in a thick fluffy flatbread or on a plate, with chopped onions and a red pepper paste called ajvar. Oh, that bread!!! It’s difficult to describe how delicious it was. It’s like a thick round fluffy pita, but so soft, moist, and chewy inside!
We opted for the large plate which was a very generous portion and and excellent value. My Husband considers this one of his favorite foods of all time, and it is high on the list of all the many reasons to return to Croatia (along with the beautiful waterfalls, incredible scenery along the Adriatic sea, Oysters, and historic towns.)