The richness of traditional local cuisine is one of the trump cards of the colorful small regions scattered around Zagreb, and the winter menu really excels with its offer. First of all, there is the holiday season, when luxury at the table implies. In addition, in winter, more specific food is more pleasant anyway, to get through the cold days and dark evenings more easily.

This is a time when calories are not counted, people socialize more around the table, and the lack of fresh fruits from nature is abundantly compensated for by people's resourcefulness and creativity in preparing delicious dishes even in modest conditions.
In short, winter is a time for undisturbed food enjoyment. The guest, of course, greets with a toast. Samobor bermet is an autochthonous aperitif, and around Samobor and Jaska you can find brandy made from tepka, an old pear variety. For starters, every honest host will offer homemade slices, proudly highlighting their origins.

Pork butchery was performed in late autumn, and in winter its results are enjoyed. Sausages, greaves, bacon and other dried meat delicacies are ready. In addition, the products of small local cheese dairies are combined, mostly based on cow's milk, such as cheese and cream, and various variants of hard cheeses, from boiled and škripavac to smoked and cheese with paprika or herbs.
All the splendor of a peasant kitchen
Vegetables are now pickled in jars or in the form of various spreads. Each area also has its own savory snack that will be happy to present to guests, for example mining rake, copanjak or willow featherWhen it's cold outside, everyone will enjoy something "on the spoon".

Winter soups are usually thicker and stronger, designed to warm us up nicely. Wild mushroom soup and pumpkin soup are must-haves. With homemade cornbread, they are a complete meal in themselves. But the stars of the table are the main courses, and fine roasts hold the top spot. Duck or turkey with grinders it is an all-time classic, and a special seasonal specialty is roast goose with chestnuts or pork medallions in mushroom sauce.

As soon as the temperatures drop a little more, they are taken out on the table buncek, smoked and then slow-cooked pork shank, and more serious sausages, blood sausages or garlic. A favorite winter side dish is stewed sauerkraut, and it is accompanied by grated potatoes. Meatless variants can be nutritious bean stews, with cabbage or pickled beets. Homemade noodles or shreds will go well with sour cream and bacon or mushrooms. And as in the forests of Turopolje or Žumberak truffles They are available all year round, and winter is an opportunity to try them. in some already known or new combination.

In the sweet area, winter is the time when apples reign. Real, juicy homemade apple pie or strudel is a taste not to be forgotten. From simple, easily available foods such as walnuts, honey, poppy seeds or cottage cheese, delicious nutmegs, poppy seeds, sweet gibanice, pancakes, gingerbread and many other traditional desserts are made.
The winter menu goes best with good wine
After a sweet snack, the story will be rounded off with a liqueur of cherries, blueberries or walnuts, maybe some dessert wine from the vineyards of the area Zagreb County. Of course, dry wines come from the same vineyards and can accompany every phase of the winter menu. The young seasonal Portuguese wine is the best friend of roasted chestnuts, and is a common choice for more rustic dishes. But there are many other wines from Jaske, Zeline, Moslavina or the surroundings of Samobor, from a light kingdom and refreshing scarlet, to complex bald Pinot and Riesling.

Plus, the best Croatian sparkling wines they come from the vicinity of Zagreb. A trip to the quiet parts of Zagreb's green ring, whatever the occasion, simply has to end with indulging in the pleasures of regional gastronomy. Whether you choose a mountain lodge, a rural household, a traditional inn or a restaurant with Michelin recommendation, everything is subordinated to respecting local food and nurturing local heritage. In winter, there is no better way for a man to warm up, seal old and build new friendships than to feast at a table full of original and honest food.