On the New Olive Oil Road

On the island of Veliki Brijun, between holly oaks and evergreen oaks, proudly rises a majestic tree with contorted branches. For 1,600 years silver leaves have emerged from its branches, and still, in autumn, minute black olives appear. Olives came to Istria from Syria around the 6th century BC. The Romans knew the Istrian olive oil very well. There are traces of old Roman olive grows, stone containers used to collect the olives completely decorated with mosaics, and many old stone presses on the coast of Fažana opposite the Brijuni archipelago ...

On the New Olive Oil Road, Livio Missio 08-2004 (PDF 327 kb)

Ever Rarer Authentic Istrian Fish

Though frozen Japanese squid, Canadian crayfish and farmed sea bass have reached almost every restaurant, it is still possible to find authentic local fish in Istria. It doesn’t have to be fancy, prepared according to the dictates of nouvelle cuisine, filleted and sauced. While traditional recipes are still used in Istrian households, unfortunately these preparations aren’t fashionable enough to appear on many restaurant menus these days. Around Rovinj for instance, it’s now easier to find sushi than a stew made with savoy cabbage and squid – a typical Istrian meal made on Christmas Eve...

Ever Rarer Authentic Istrian Fish, Giusto de Mar 07-2004 (PDF 897 kb)

Istrian Sheep's Milk Cheese

Coming down the ancient Via Flavia that slices the interior of Istria from south to north, after Buje toward Vižinada, through the River Mirna Valley, one notices a small village perched on top of a hill. It is the ancient town of Grožnjan. From a height of 228 meters, the ancient Graeciniana was a Roman fortress then an outpost of the Venetian Republic. It is a good example of Istria’s fortified villages of the interior and dominates the valley and pastures below. We are in central Istria, which still abounds with forests and meadows...

Istrian Sheep's Milk Cheese, Livio Missio 05-2004 (PDF 885 kb)