Taste of Plitvice Lakes: restaurant Lička kuća /

Lika’s gastronomy brings together anyone eager to experience a piece of Lika’s history after enjoying its natural wonders. Lika’s protected nature and special climate represent an advantage that has an effect on the nutritional value and quality of the ingredients used in the preparation of meals. The diet of the people of Lika historically depended largely on food that they had to grow themselves or that they could get in their area. This is exactly what our Lička kuća chefs have been guided by and designed top menus accordingly. Therefore, Lička kuća is a must-see place for foodies today. All dishes are innovatively prepared with a step to the top of modern gastronomy.

Lika soup

Who can resist a fragrant soup? It warms you in the winter and soothes you in the summer. Soup is always a good choice, and Lika soup is an aromatic dish that you may not have tried before. Lamb and vegetable soup, traditional in these parts, is rich and tasty. This soup can also be the whole meal, as it is served with pieces of meat and vegetables, just like the people of Lika used to do. Life in these regions meant hard work, so people needed food that would give them the strength to withstand such labor. Food here has always been simple and flavors have always been full, brought out by the local food preparation practices.

Nice and flat

Perfect as an aperitif or snack as an introduction to your gastronomic fairy tale. The Lika Plate contains the flavors of Lika – homemade smoked bacon, dry smoked sausage, cracklings, smoked loin, škripavac cheese, smoked cheese with paprika, Basa cheese and pickled vegetables. It really is as simple as it says: thin slices of cured meat and cheese is all you need as an introduction to an irresistible gastronomic story. Meat dried using smoke and cold, fresh air in Lika has a special taste. The winters here are colder and longer, the air is clearer and no one is dissatisfied when they see this plate on the table!

trout

The trout is a fish with an extraordinary appearance and taste. This fish prefers only clean and cold water, which is written in the core. The rivers in Lika are fast and clean, which is why they are rich in this fish. In the Plitvice Lakes National Park itself, you can see them in one of their natural habitats, but don’t worry, as fishing and similar activities are strictly prohibited in the park. The trout is prepared in different ways in Lika. It can be lightly salted and grilled to fully preserve its flavor, or prepared as Trout a la Meunière, coated in cornmeal before baking. It’s called trout a la Meunière pastrva na mlinarski (“miller’s trout”) in Lika, because the fish used to feed on flour that would fall into the water from the mills. The delicious white meat, which can satisfy even the biggest hunger, is all you need.

Flavors of Lika cheese

Cheese is popular everywhere. Whether it’s a starter, main course or dessert, it will find its place on the table. The Lika škripavac cheese is a soft, fatty cheese with a milky, sweet and moderately salty taste. The production method is passed on from generation to generation and the squeaky character, after which it was named (“škripavac” roughly means “squeaky cheese”), is due to the high content of fat and protein in milk, which is a result of the specific diet of the cows in this area. The Lika škripavac cheese, in particular, is a delight for every palate and its taste is incredible precisely because it is made immediately after milking. Clean air and excellent grazing form the basis of quality cheese, of which there are several varieties in this region and which are presented here. So simple and yet so satisfying. The flavors soar and complement each other – cheese on which you drop a few drops of golden honey transports you to the far reaches of Lika, where honeybees carry their honey to their hives and contented cows graze freely next to it.

Lamb

How can you visit Plitvice Lakes and pass through Lika without trying the lamb in restaurant Lička kuća? Fresh lamb from Lika comes from an indigenous breed of sheep raised in Lika, Croatia.

They are fed on sheep’s milk, grain crops and pasture hay, and in the summer they move to open pastures. The taste of their meat will not leave anyone indifferent. After your tour of the park, we highly recommend having lunch at our traditional restaurant, the Lička kuća. If you like lamb, in the Lička kuća you can try lamb specialties such as lamb envelopes, where lamb, potatoes, vegetables, spices and Lika plum brandy (sljivovica) are prepared together and baked in baking paper. Lamb and barley orzotto is a gastronomic experience that you will remember and that will not disappoint even the most demanding palates. Since time immemorial, barley has been a grain that gives you strength and warmth, and it is very healthy. It is an ingredient that has always withstood the strong cold in Lika. However, this ancient, beneficial grain has been forgotten by many, which is why barley is rightfully the crowning glory of many dishes on the Lička kuća menu. If you want to taste a combination of modern and traditional, try the lamb patties or lamb chops with herb crust.

“We used to mainly prepare our famous lamb on a spit, but now our guests enjoy the new menus. They want to try the same lamb in different ways, with more sauce and different spices, which suits them well,” says Dario Špehar. , also a two-time winner of the Croatian Cooking Cup.

Like Kalja

Once a dish for the poor, today it is a real gastronomic treat! The kalja is an old peasant dish that was very often prepared in Lika. The dish was largely prepared during the cold winter months and all available vegetables were added to the lamb. Today, the Lika kalja is usually prepared with veal or lamb and cabbage, onions, celery, carrots, potatoes and tomatoes. Everything is held together until the meat becomes tender and the combination of rich flavors is truly incredible. So if you want to try the ancient delicacies of our ancestors, or just warm up after a winter walk, order the Lika kalja!

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Like potato halves

A dish without which there is no winter in Lika! Whether you are a potato lover or not, the Lika potato halves will convince you at first sight. Potato halves in their skins, baked with salt and bacon. It may sound simple, but it is so delicious! Everyone passing through Lika will have the chance to hear about potato halves as a traditional dish that is indispensable for all generations. It doesn’t sound remarkable, but if you try them you will be excited like a little kid, because something so simple and so little is needed for happiness. They are an ideal snack when you are not so hungry, for hanging out with friends or simply as an essential aperitif during your gastronomic adventure.

bread

Surely you remember the smell of warm and fresh homemade bread, without which meals have been unthinkable for millennia. Who can resist the scent and one of the most beautiful and best fragrances? It is exactly the smell that you experience in our Lička kuća, accompanied by the smell of the hearth and the crackling fire. It’s a pleasure to remember. At the Lička kuća, our top bakers knead dough and bake homemade bread every day, and we’re sure you won’t be disappointed with their skill. Together with all the flavors in our dishes, it adds a special aroma.

Basa cheese

Basa is a simple cheese and represents the region where it is made. For centuries, cows in the hilly and mountainous regions of Lika were the only type of cattle strong enough to survive in this area. The cheese has a delicate, soft texture and represents a complex relationship between nature and people. Basa is a unique cheese made from cow’s milk and resembles a combination of cheese and milk spread in structure. It is also an excellent addition to fried sausages and dried meat products. In our restaurant, the Lička kuća, it is also served with the aforementioned Lika potato halves. Real gourmets and cheese lovers will appreciate Basa cheese precisely because it is prepared by our excellent chefs.

plum strudel

Lika may not be identical to pastries as simple desserts were prepared in those regions. One of those desserts is definitely the strudel. If you try our plum strudel, you can’t go wrong. You will delight your taste buds with the sweet-bitter taste of local plums from Lika, in puff pastry, made according to recipes passed down from generation to generation. Our workers used their hardworking hands to turn the plums into a divine jam. It is used for the preparation of various desserts, while the strudel filled with plum jam with pieces gives you a special feeling that only grandmothers can give.

Basa cheesecake

Sweet always comes last. You will immediately be delighted by a wonderful combination of traditional and modern cuisine. We think you have already tried different versions of the popular cheesecake, but this particular cake will bring you magical pleasure. In addition to the main ingredient, Basa cheese, the cake also contains homemade plum jam. Homemade products always have a certain added value, and we have certainly done our best to present our homemade products in a new, more modern story.

The combination of pristine Lika and excellent gastronomy will take you to the warmth of what was once a home in Lika, while the smells and flavors will take you back to your childhood. Go on this gastronomic adventure, because the time to enjoy the flavors of Lika cuisine is always good.

Tomislav Kovačević is the General Director of Plitvice Lakes National Park. Plitvice Lakes National Park is the oldest and largest national park in Croatia.

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