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Tasting Istria - pig to pršut

The weather on our third day was a disappointment, after the previous day reminded us that Summer was on it's way. The heavy rain that followed us from Livade to  Buzet ruined our day, the day we were due to go truffle hunting.

As we were having lunch on Tončić Farm, a working farm restaurant, Sasha (or guide) took us there to wait out the rain.

  Tončić Farm is famous for its Istrian dried ham, pršut , a source of local pride. The farm and restaurant are run by Orjeta and Sandro Tončić sister and brother.
 








 Sandro Tončić - If only all pig farmers looked like this.

The pršut process

Sandro gave us a tour around his farm.

The pigs on the Tončić Farm are not the cute 'babe type', they are large animals, not sure if they are adult. They live in pig pens that were as clean as their inhabitants. 

Sandro told us that Istrian pršut is special. To make Istrian pršut, the pigs are usually slaughtered in late autumn and the hind legs from which pršut is made are laboriously washed salted and flattened under rocks. The legs are then hung outside the house to be dried out by the bura, a cold dry wind that sweeps down the coast from inland Croatia.

legs without fat legs with fat.

The pigs legs are hung in doors, separated into fat and fatless, believe me there is a difference.

Time for a 'light' lunch

    Once again a large open fire stove dominated the dining room. In the kitchen, Sandro's sister, Orjeta Tončić prepared our multi-dish lunch. This was supposed to be a light lunch, but I don't think the Istrian's have such a thing.

 

Helping to tidy up

On our table was a variety of Istrian bread, so freshly baked that the smell still lingered. As we tucked into the bread, our starter arrived, ravioli shells stuffed with sheep and cow cheese garnished with seasonal green vegetable. As we ate, the only sounds were our expressions of delight.

Then a typical istrian dish arrived, Fuzi, hand-rolled pasta twirls served with shaved white truffles. Then, as if that wasn't enough, you'd think we'd know by now, a large čripnja of succulent lamb, baby onions,  potato wedges and herbs, arrived which led to silence. Through Sasha, Orjeta explained how the lamb was cooked. All the ingedients were slow-cooked together in the čripnja, which adds to the dish's tastiness. This was not the time for talking, the lamb was so good it fell off the bone. the lamb. 

 

And the dessert - well what do you think?  

In between dishes, our guide Sacha, told us that Tončić farm was part of Istria's drive to promote Agrotourism, which promoted a discussion between Laura and I about our experiences of agrotourism. Laura had stayed on a working farm with relatives in Italy, who a number of different animals. While I on declared that I am too much of a 'girlie girlie' to do animals, shared my experience off picking nutmeg and chopping sugar cane in the Grenadian hills.

As we sipped our nth glass of wine, and I loosened my belt yet another notch, I observed that I hadn't seen any fat people in Istria. The others concurred, then as if she had read my mind, Karen replied 'apart from these fatties here.' We all laughed, as we know what she meant, after yet another wonderful meal, we were all fit to burst. 

Address: Tončić. Čabarnica 42, Zrenj 52428 Oprtali. Tel. 00 385 052 644 146

To find out more about Agro tourism in Istria visit the official tourism website of Istria

Disclaimer: My trip to Istria was funded by the Istrian tourism board.

Tasting Istria - signature food and wine

We were warmly greeted at Konoba Astarea  by chef Nino Kernjus. Konoba Astarea is a traditional inn run by the Kernjus family, located in the small village of in Brtonigla, near Buje.

Nino Kernjus

Once again, slow-cooking took place, as our meals were traditionally prepared in čripnja under cinders, under the watchful eye of Mrs Kernjus.

Cooking the traditional way

As we sipped Malvazija, white, dry, fresh and fruity, from the Poletti vineyard, 

Nino ran through his menu of the day.

We were fortunate to be joined by the charming, current owner of Poletti, Peter Poletti. Peter's story is one of six generations of wine growers, that started with Grampa Peiero Bernobich in 1842, who died within days of his 100th birthday.

 

Peter Poletti

After an array of starter dishes, 

Nino brought to the table one of Konoba Astarea's signature dishes, grilled monk fish. He served it in the earthenware pot - čripnja. The fish was cooked with layers of sliced potatoes, onions, and scallops, over a hot, fire-clay slab, covered with cinders.

grilled monk fish

And of course, there was more wine. After the Malvazija, came a dry, white  Chardonnay with a flowery bouquet, a robust, purple-red, dry Teran, and finally a red, dry and full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon. 

Wine was not the only alcoholic drink on the menu. At the end of the meal we were invited to try two Istrian traditional alcoholic drinks soupa and grappa.

Sacha drinking supa the traditional way my glass of supa

Supa is traditionally served in terracotta pitchers, and is a concoction of red wine, olive oil, sugar, pepper and roasted bread. Sounds strange, but the taste is a pleasant warming surprise.

Grappa or rakija, introduced by the Turks, is made from distilled alcohol flavoured with friuts and herbs.  It is usually served as an aperitif, but Nino was insistent that we try Biska, flavoured with mistletoe, as it would serve as a digestive aid.

Nino is a very wise man.

Addresses:

1. Konoba Astarea. 52 474 Brtonigla.  +385 52 774384. website: www.konoba-astarea-brtonigla.com

2. Poletti vineyard: website www.vina-poletti.hr

Page 4: Pig to Prust ...

For more about Gastronomic Istria visit the official tourism website of Istria.

Disclaimer: My trip to Istria was funded by the Istrian tourism board.

Get an Eiffel of Blackpool

As one in five of us are likely to stay in the UK, for our summer holidays, this year, seasides towns are doing their upmost to woe us.

Forget the re-branding of Margate (The Apprentice 2009), and say a warm Bonjour to Blackpool.

Blackpool is reinventing itself as a 21st century resort and has seen huge investment over the past few years; from five star guest houses to beach volleyball, the new Blackpool has plenty to shout about. This quirky short film will encourage people to think again about the resort and discover a new side to Blackpool for themselves.

According to a new TV advert from VisitBlackpool, Blackpool has a charming continental side, often missed by its 10m visitors a year.

Known for its roller coasters and world famous illuminations, the iconic UK holiday resort is harnessing the power a sexy French accent to attract visitors who may have traditionally felt that Blackpool was not for them.

visitBlackpool believe the film will help attract French tourists, with greater numbers predicted to visit the UK this year on the back of the strong Euro.

Blackpool stands in for Paris in the one and a half minute film J'aime La Tour which will surprise viewers with its wry humour and marriage of Lancashire and Parisian landmarks and cuisine.

J'aime La Tour is set in a smart Parisian-style art deco cafe in Blackpool's stunning Stanley Park gardens, and uses flashbacks to build a story around a chic French girl's fear of leaving the town she has fallen in love with.

The film reveals a vibrant and colourful town with quintessential Victorian seaside architecture and sandy dunes which might surprise both Blackpool regulars and those who have not yet visited.

Like all UK resorts, Blackpool predicts that the strong Euro means cash-strapped Brits will also make 2009 the Year of the Great British Holiday. Sunshine and blue skies helped Blackpool record its highest visitor figures in ten years this Easter as Brits headed to their favourite coastline.

VisitBritain hopes the film will change outdated perceptions of what Blackpool has to offer and encourage those of us who haven't visited fr a while, or not at all to visit the "new" Blackpool.

Helen France, Executive Director of Tourism and Regeneration at Blackpool Council said; "The great weather, coupled with the variety of quality attractions for families, the youth market and the older generation has brought a surge of visitors to Blackpool over the recent Bank Holidays. In the year so far, numbers are up by 20%, giving a strong indication that people are choosing to Staycation in the UK over the summer.

I must say I am tempted, what about you? If I do go, I will let you know what I think.

If you have already experienced the 'New Blackpool' or any other UK seaside town this year, please share your experiences - highs and lows.

Tasting Istria - from sea to plate

Next on our gastronomical tour was the tiny fishing village of Banjole, specifically the small tavern “Batelina”.

Travel bloggers ready to eat.

Batelina is a seafood restaurant owned by chef David Skoko. Soon after sitting comfortably, our table was soon filled with seafood caught that morning by Danilo, David's David's father, considered to be one of the best fisherman in Istria.

David sliced raw red mullet and mackerel, in the Japanese style, and served it raw in thin slices marinated in garlic, lemon and eaten drizzled with olive oil.

     

Our main meal, of scallop shelled polenta with a fish tomato sauce rich with aromatic rosemary and sage, and linguine and shredded crab, cooked by David's mother, over an open coal stove, the centre piece of the kitchen.

  

Seafood is Batelina's speciality, and did we know it. We ate fresh sardines, curly nearly raw squid, and pretty scallops in a shell.

    

Batelina is not only good at seafood, as David demonstrated as he produced four mouth-watering desserts to our appreciative sounds of ohs and ahs.

If we had turned up the next day, who knows what we would have eaten, as Bateline doesn't have a set menu. What you get depends entirely on what the Skoko family man­age to catch that morning. 

Address: Batelina. Cimulje 25, Banjole (052 573 767).

Page 3 ... Signature food and wine

For more about Gastronomic Istria visit the official tourism website of Istria.

Disclaimer: My trip to Istria was funded by the Istrian tourism board.

Tasting Istria - one bite one sip

When I think about Eastern European food, images of heavy stews, boiled potatoes and slabs of flavourless meats come to mind. However, a four day trip to Istria showed me I had much to learn.

Gastronomic Istria

Food features very prominently in Istrian life. Istrian food delivers an array of tastes and flavours, that reflect its diverse history, geography and climate. And the  sourcing, preparation and delivery is often a family affair with sometimes many generations involved. However, 'Mama' rules over the čripnja, a large earthen-ware pot, food is cooked over a fiercely hot, fire-clay oven using cinders.

    Over four days, my fellow travellers and I dined on diverse Istrian cuisine, based on traditional recipes of aromatic herbs and spices, seasonal vegetables, freshly caught seafood, locally reared meat and world-renowned olive oil.

An Istrian food and wine lesson

Marko Morgan, owner of Konoba Morgan in the small town of Buje, had one aim, to introduce us to istria through simple dishes based on authentic Istrian recipes.

  All his ingredients are seasonal and locally sourced, and appeared in the form of  seven dishes. The dishes were prepared by Marko and his mother, in a kitchen that was dominated by a čripnja.

 

Our starter was a small tower made from two cheeses (one was sheep's cheese) sitting atop thinly sliced wild asparagus, mild in flavour and abundant in Spring. This was served drizzled in honey, which give it an interesting sweet bitter flavour. And of course there was wine.

   

We were fortunate to have the company of some of Mato Matić , director of Roxanich, one of Istrian's most prominent wine producers. For each wine, Merlot, Teran, Malvazija and Rose, Mato gave us a brief history, overview of how each is produced, and the best dishes to serve with them.

    As we ate, we were told to indulge in an Istrian tradition, when eating one has to 'take one bite then one sip', something I followed to the letter.

After our starter came a dish I wasn't sure I would be eat, Istrian Ox cheeks. Though a little slimely, I prayed the creamy sauce would fool my my gag reflex. They down a treat, plus the wine helped.

The ox theme contained, as we were served medium cooked tender wild oxen  slices, wild oxen slices with a square of polenta, and yet more wild oxen, this time with home-grown greens. It may seem that we overdosed on ox meat, but with the different side dishes it didn't taste like it. Thankfully, there weren't any vegetarians amongst us.

 

 Then as I thought I didn't have room for another dish, along came dessert, and  I always have space for dessert. Marko didn't let me down, the dessert was a delicious slice of almond tart, delicately placed on a large spoonful of peach mousse. In keeping with Istrian traditional, and who am I to offend our hosts, I sipped Prošek.

Prošek is a pleasant, peach flavoured dessert wine, a perfect way to end to a meal and my first day in Istria.

One more for the 'Istrian' road!

Addresses:

Konoba Morgan. Bracanija 1 Buje (052774520).

Roxanich d.o.o. Kosinozici 26. 52446 Nova Vas (+385 52 421 367. www.roxanich.hr

Part two ... Tasting Istria - from sea to plate

For more about Gatronomica Istria visit the official tourism website of Istria.

Disclaimer: My trip to Istria was funded by the Istrian tourism board.

A fairy tale ending

Well, as I thought despite the money and might of Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber, Jade came fifth.

For Jade, it wasn't 'my time', while it was a 'fairy tale' ending for Norway's Alexander Rybak:

To find out what else comes out of Norway, visit the Norway official tourism website

Travelling With Kids

  The Summer holidays are fast approaching, and friends and family with children are already panicking about what to do with the little darlings for six weeks.

 A friend of mine is planning a trip to the US, to show off her new baby girl to her in-laws, and is already stressed with the thought of travelling with a five month-old. I have spent many an hour, talking her down from a ledge.

 It got me wandering about other parents of young children, does the idea of travelling with kids stress or scare you? If not, how do you cope, what is your modus operandi (been dying to pop some Latin into a post somewhere)?

If you are clueless, here are some tips that will keep you off the ledge.

Travelling With Kids

View more presentations from DeliciousBaby.

Excited about Eurovision

I don't know about you but I am looking forward to Eurovision 2009. Now before you think I am a person without much of a life, let me tell you why I am a fan:

1) you get a quick tour of many European countries, including Moscow this year,
2) Jade. Andy Abraham's entry last year was cringe-worthy, not a patch on the 2007 entry, 'Flying the flag' by Scooch (voted for them because of their travel theme, and still have the song on my iPod),
3) it's a laugh - the costumes are outrageously flambouyant, the songs on the bad side of pop, and the voting a joke.

Yep! All this is why Eurovison is so watchable.

Now, I am not a fan of the current UK entry, still smarting from the demise of Scooch, but Jade is a complete package. She has the look, though what's with all that hair, and a voice worthy of praise. I think she is way to polished for Eurovision; let's hope it doesn't ruin her career.

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Will she win? According to the latest from the iGoogle "Predictor" gadget, based on Google search data, she won't ...

At the moment my favourite song is 'Düm Tek Tek' sang by Shakira / Beyonce wannabe is Hadise from Turkey. Despite the tribute to Shakira and the dodgy dancers, it's typical Eurovision catchy and makes you want to dance - check out the beat.

Now you know what I will be doing tomorrow evening, what about you?

Do you have a favourite? What do you think of Jade's chances? or would you rather put pins in your eyes and cut off your ears than listen to Eurovision?

The DiverseTraveller.com team: meet Claire Fisher

I manage Diverse Traveller with a small group of volunteers, such as today's interviewee Clare Fisher who joined Diverse Traveller in 2007. Since then Clare has  been the administrator of the Diverse Traveller facebook group.

Diverse Traveller: Hi Claire, please tell us a little about yourself. 

Clare: I currently work for Oxfam in Oxford. I live about a five minute walk away from there. I love to travel and am always trying to conjure up ideas of ways to work, travel the world and be paid for it.

Diverse Traveller: When did you go on holiday last? Where, how long for and who did you go with?

Clare: I went on holiday in January 2009 to Thailand. I find it was the best way to beat the January blues. It was my third time to Thailand. I have completely fallen in love with the country. This time I went for two and a half weeks. I travelled on my own for the first time.

Diverse Traveller: How did you feel about travelling alone?

Clare: My friends and I had gone to the same place last year and loved it so much we agreed to go back. However, lack of money and time got in the way, and I ended up being the only one who could afford to go back.

I just came home one night and pressed ‘buy’ on a flight. I have caught a plane many a times alone and travelled for the odd day to meet friends alone, but never for a whole holiday. I was nervous but also extremely excited about the whole experience.

Diverse Traveller: How much planning did you do, give us some examples (e.g. websites consulted, guidebooks taken, etc.)

Clare: I always think it’s good to have a back-up plan just in case things don't pan out as you think they will. I looked online for Thai language courses and yoga classes around the island and after various searches found some places. I then sent them emails and arranged the classes, without committing a deposit.

I love researching a trip, it’s all part of the excitement. I made notes in my Lonely Planet's island and beaches guide book. Thumbed down a few pages for reference for when I got to Thailand. However, that said, I did take this guide book out at the last minute to lighten my luggage, leaving me with just a piece of paper with a list of accommodation.

I always note down emergency numbers, contacts and embassy details before going  on my travels.

Diverse Traveller: Give us some highlights of your travels to Thailand

Clare: I always write lists of things I want to do on holiday. One of them, for this trip,  was trying Thai sweets and the second was learning Thai.

On my last night I realised I still hadn’t eaten any Thai sweets, so I dashed off to the Thai market. Once there I warily ate a bowl of what looked like and tasted like very sweet rice pudding only with sweet corn in it. It was surprisingly very very good. I also tried a purple, sweet potato concoction, something like a baked potato with sugar on top, which wasn’t as appealing.

Secondly learning Thai was incredibly interesting. Not only because I found it simple to learn (which owed more to my patient Thai teacher Noot, than my ability). This meant I could communicate a little with Thais. This lead to many a free tuk-tuk ride and everything at normal – Thai - prices. It goes to show a little language does go a long way.

Diverse Traveller: Give us some not so great things about your travels to Thailand.

Click here to read the rest of this interview.

Photos of Istria, Croatia

Sorry it's taken me a while to get back to you, but I do have a good excuse - flu.

I got back from Istria, last Tuesday morning safely, but spent the rest of the week in bed with flu - no not swine flu. I getting better everyday, and slowly easing myself back to work.

Being bed-ridden gave me time to sort through my photos, so here they are:

www.flickr.com More of DiverseTraveller's stuff tagged with Istria

Unfortunately, as I have to catch up on emails and make sense of my travel notes, the May edition of Diverse Traveller will be a little late. I hope to have it online no later than May 23rd, making it the May / June edition.

Thanks for your patience.