Istrian wines

Over the past century the Istrian Malvasia has born the title of the most famous and ubiquitous wine of our peninsula. Depending on the chemical processing procedure, nurture and vintage year, its color varies from straw to golden yellow. Its scent primarily reminds of the locust flower scent. The contents of its main components make her an average to-full bodied wine, its volume of alcohol ranging from 11.5 to 13.5 with delicate bouquet and fresh taste. It complements most superbly the entire variety of the Mediterranean cuisine. The Istrian counterpart of Malvasia is teran. Teran and its subtype refosc are both considered the pristine, indigenous wines of Istria. Its bouquet is fruit-like and its special taste is easily recognized. It is in excellent harmony with heavier, more caloric dishes, such as local stew, sauces and venison. A great many connoisseurs of Istrian wines will tend to rank the highest the Istrian muscatel or, to be more specific, the muscatel produced in and around Momjan, owing to it's gold-like color, intense bouquet of wild clove pink and it's exquisite aroma. Dry and sweet. Worthy complement of desserts and many other delicacies. Even aphrodisiac power has been attributed to it.

For more information about wine offer of Istria please visit www.coloursofistria.com/en/food-and-wine/olive-oil

Istrian olive oils

Olive, one of the most durable trees and the symbol of the Mediterranean, has been grown here for centuries. Istrian olive oil has been appreciated since the Ancient Romans who considered it a delicacy of exceptional  quality, as shown in the written records from the first century AD. It is slightly bitter when tasted, has an intense scent and is a unsurpassed condiment for the best of meals. Today, the Istrian olive oil is once again in its rightful place; the the world's top. According to the renowned guide for extra virgin oils "L' extravergine" the Istrian olive oil is, for the fifth year in a row, amongst the top fifteen of the best rated olive oils in the world.

For more information about olive oil offer of Istria please visit www.coloursofistria.com/en/food-and-wine/olive-oil

Istrian truflees

In Istria there are three kinds of dirt - red in the coastal area, white around the Učka mountain and grey inland. There, in the moisty grey dirt grows the truffle, and the area in which it grows spreads from the valley of the river Mirna to the mountain Ćićarija in the north, and from the town of Pazin and to Raški Zaljev (bay) in the south.This strange and unsightly bulb, famous as an aphrodisiac with intensive and unique odor, remained the inviolable king of cuisine from the antique Roman times to present day. The truffle is always an inexhaustible source of culinary achievements, from appetizers to salads and main dishes to deserts. The Istrian white truffle is one of the most appreciated in the world, it matures in autumn and is best to eat freshly picked, in the original ambience of our taverns and restaurants. Except the white, which is the most appreciated and expensive truffle (Tuber magnum) and matures from mid-September till the end of January, in Istria we also find numerous species of the black truffle which mature nearly the entire year.

For more information about truffle offer of Istria please visit www.coloursofistria.com/en/food-and-wine/truffles

Istrian prosciuto ham

Istrian ham is highly regarded by gourmands worldwide due in large part to our strict adherence to a long tradition of respectful production - from the careful way pigs are raised, to the elaborate treatment of the meat, to its curing with a unique blend of spices that give the ham its distinctive fragrance. Since Istrian ham is produced without nitrites, nitrates or smoke, which also contains noxious chemicals, it is considered one of the most healthful cured meats in all of the Mediterranean. Methods for removing the skin, using the ''kasela'' (wooden form), creating a rub with salt, pepper, laurel, rosemary and sometimes garlic, and drying the ham in the bura (cold, north-eastern wind) remain closely guarded secrets unique to each farmer. Normally dried for one year, slices of young Istrian ham are heated in olive oil and finished with a splash of malvasia. At Easter, part of the shoulder-joint or ''špaleta'' is boiled while the other part is slowly roasted on a rotisserie. In Istrian tradition, one meal each day typically includes pork.

For more information about eno-gastronomic offer of Istria please visit www.coloursofistria.com/en/food-and-wine

Wild asparagus

Asparagus is one of the oldest wild Mediterranean cultures, and it was grown here since the old ages.

The Egyptians used the wild asparagus which grew along the Nile's banks not only for food but also as offerings to their gods, and, in the pharaoh tombs, pictures of it were painted onto the walls.

The Greeks picked wild asparagus, and, as the Romans, they believed it to have curative properties, so in addition they used it as a remedy for insect bites and toothache.

The Romans were the first to cultivate the plant, they even knew how to preserve it frozen: after picking it in the south, they would transport it in carriages to the Alps, where they would keep the scions in the snow for up to six months, and then bring them back for big celebrations.

The Arabs believed those scions to have aphrodisiac effects, and they mention them in a 16th-century love manual as stimulants for love quests. Madame Pompadour had the same beliefs and the French king Louis the XIV had the scions grown in greenhouses so he could have them throughout the year.

Wild asparagus is definitely one of the most appreciated wild-grown cultures in Istria, and is picked from the middle of March till the end of April.

For more information about eno-gastronomic offer of Istria please visit www.coloursofistria.com/en/food-and-wine