Once you’ve arrived at the Dolac Market and got yourself acquainted with the statue of Kumica and the lovely views and scenic cafes and restaurants, you’ll appreciate wandering between the stalls and browsing the seasonal produce. All those fruits and vegetables taste as juicy as they look, and you can be sure they’re grown on local farms by the very people who sell them. You might want to capture the feel of this old market, and buying something locally produced is a sure way to bring home a taste of your adventure.
Paški sir / Pag Cheese
Take it from Proust; the best way to preserve a memory is to tie it to an experience, and what better experience there is when travelling than tasting the delicious local food. Have some internationally acclaimed Paški sir made of sheep milk on the island of Pag and string along with the memories of the time you’ve visited Croatia. Better yet, bring Paški sir to someone you love and tell them to enjoy it with olives and wine.
Pršut / Prosciutto
We know prosciutto is a delicious type of cured meat enjoyed throughout the world, but, wait for it, you’ve got to taste the pršut we make here. It’s seriously one of the best and you’ll find it’s not as pricey as some of the more successfully marketed prosciuttos around the world. Arguably, the best pršut is made in Drniš, Krk island, Istria, and Dalmatia. For meat lovers, it’s advisable not to leave Croatia before tasting pršut.
Lavender bags
We have fields of lavender in Croatia, mostly in the southern regions where lavender is produced industrially. The small bags of lavender are one of the lightest and most pleasant smelling souvenirs you can take home. Placing them in drawers, bags or even cars, they help to retain a pleasant smell and in wardrobes, lavender bags keep the moths away.
Wooden toys
Listed as UNESCO intangible heritage in 2009, the wooden toys produced in Hrvatsko Zagorje (the area north of Zagreb) are a tradition almost two centuries old. These toys are made from softwood and eco-friendly paint safe for children, so it’s a perfect gift to bring to a child who’ll discover how children used to play.
The famous checkered football dress
Modrić is UEFA’s Men’s Player of the year 2018, so if you know someone who’s at least a little bit into football, bringing them a football dress with his name would be a highly welcomed idea. You can find the stalls selling dresses, as well as hand-made shawls, table cloths and lace at the back-side of the market.
Honey
Honey in Croatia is made in three regions of different climates; the Pannonian, Mountain and the Mediterranean regions. Thus, the types of honey will be varied according to where they’ve been made. Some say that the best honey in Croatia comes from Lika area, which is full of green pastures and forests. The most popular honey types we love to eat in Croatia is made from fields and forests of chestnuts, black locust, lime, sage, honeydew and even lavender.
