Istrian Spaleta A Rare Delicacy

Dark green on the outside, almost black from mold and the abundant black pepper used to cover all the other aromas. But after a few superficial wipes with a brush, as the knife thrusts into the first slice, there appears before your eyes the authentic ruby colored treasury, covered by thin white lines of fat. This is the meat of the Istrian Špaleta - neither aged ham nor fresh meat ...

Istrian Spaleta A Rare Delicacy, Giusto De Mar 12-2006 (PDF 1.205 kb)

Fusi with Poultry Stew A Return to the Past

There is no Istrian family who maintains tradition in which the mother or grandmother doesn’t prepare the simple, tasty fusi pasta with poultry stew for Easter. It is a simple dish based primarily on one ingredient: time ...

Fusi with Poultry Stew A Return to the Past, Giusto De Mar 11-2006 (PDF 875 kb)

In Vodnjan the Ancient Wine of the Roses

The wine from Vodnjan with the scent of the roses...” The poet Gabriele D’Annunzio had the right words to describe the wine of the roses from this splendid corner of Istria, few kilometers from Fažana, the city facing the Brijuni archipelago. The wine of the roses is a niche product today, almost abandoned to the point that it isn’t exported at all but sold only domestically as a delicacy to be given as a gift and savored with a few close and lucky friends...

In Vodnjan the Ancient Wine of the Roses, Mariarosa Rigotti 11-2005 (PDF 593 kb)

Istrian Agritourism True Hospitality

'Green as Umbria, wide as Australia ...' That’s how thousands and thousands of Istrian refugees used to describe their homeland when they fled after World War II. Istrians still see their land as a place apart, one that incorporates almost all the possible forms of nature: coast and hills, rivers and valleys, gentle pastures and sharp Karst rocks and gorges. And if you forget the sea and set out for the interior, you’ll discover a different Istria, immune to industry and mass tourism ...

Istrian Agritourism True Hospitality, Livio Missio 10-2005 (PDF 1.358 kb)

Muscatel from Momjan A Delight to Discover

harsh and severe land, rich with hidden treasures, Istria does not make excuses about her wines. Produced in limited quantities from old, contorted vines, wine was a true treasure long ago, and especially Muscatel Rose, made of dried grapes. Popularly named Vin de Rosa because of its distinct floral aroma, it was once administered to the infirm to speed convalescence. While it almost disappeared in the latter half of the 20th century, it has miraculously reappeared thanks to the persistence of one of the rare Istrians who didn’t leave Momjan ...

Muscatel from Momjan A Delight to Discover, Livio Missio 09-2005 (PDF 1.412 kb)

Istrian Ham cut in slices

Some say that good Istrian ham is the son of the wind. More precisely, it is the son of the bura that, when coming from Mount U ka through the valleys to the sea, serves as a guarantee that the ham will be excellent. To prepare it, one starts by removing excess fat from the pork leg. The leg is then covered and massaged with salt and wood ash. It is left to rest for two to three days and then tightened in a press for another four to five days. At this stage, ground pepper and bay leaves are added. Drying is done by hanging the leg from the ceiling near a fireplace with fire of juniper, bay, rosemary, olive and vine, so as to lend additional aromas from the smoke...

Istrian Ham cut in slices, Efrem Tassinato 09-2005 (PDF 288 kb)