Tasty Mediterranean treats to sample on charter

Croatia

Croatian cuisine is delicious! Traditional Croatian food is varied, influenced by the tastes and traditions from nearby countries and historical conquerors. Croatian dishes do share some similarities with Italian, Hungarian, Turkish and Austrian food however they also have their own separate style and taste. Every seafood restaurant, and grandmother, has their own crni rizot or black risotto coloured by squid ink and flavoured with shellfish.

Another "must-try" dish is a peka – basically a blend of meat (or octopus) and vegetables flavoured with olive oil and herbs and slow cooked under a bell-like dome in the embers of a fire oven. We also suggest you try a slice of soparnik is a savory pie filled with Swiss chard. Another traditional Croatian dish you don't want to miss is a brodet or brudet a mixed seafood stew usually served with creamy polenta. 

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Corsica

Corsicans take their food very seriously. While part of France, and you will find many French dishes here, Corsica has her own cuisine that the Corsicans are very proud of. Wild boar is one of the island's most revered meats with Corsica's signature dish being civet de sanglier a rich, hearty wild boar casserole cooked with vegetables including fennel, chestnuts and red wine. Charcuterie is also popular including prisuttu, a cured raw ham, and salsiccia, a dried salami-style sausage.

Brocciu is a local fresh cheese similar to ricotta and eaten by itself sprinkled with sugar at the end of a meal and used in many dishes including omelettes, pastas, baked vegetables and a particularly delicious fiadone, a dessert flan served chilled.

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Balearic Islands

The food in Spain is influenced by many things including her history, with a strong connection to Moorish dishes. Combine this with the sunshine the Balearics are known for, the local produce that prosper on these islands and the bountiful sea surrounding them and you will discover a cuisine that is tasty and diverse. Possibly one of the most iconic of Spanish dishes, paella comes with varying combinations of meat, seafood, spices and vegetables. While there are countless variations it is always cooked in a dimpled, flat bottom 2-handled frying pan and it invariably includes saffron, both for the taste and the colour. 

Another ubiquitous and much loved Spanish food is the Spanish omelette or tortilla and you will find them in almost every bar. Again there are variations however all include thin slices of potato that have been slow cooked in olive oil to which egg is added, creating a thick omelette. Gambas al ajillo, prawns with garlic are one of our favourite tapas. With the freshest of gambas (small prawns) lightly cooked in a clay dish in fruity olive oil and with the additions of plenty of fragrant garlic and a hint of fiery fresh chilli the smell is tantalising and the taste sensational.

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Greece

In the Greek Islands, you could eat something different every day and be sampling for years, such is the bounty on offer. Greek people are passionate about food and very proud of their culinary traditions. Food preparation, then celebrating with food is a social experience for family, friends and visitors. Keftedes, Greek meatballs have nearly as many versions as there are ingredients, but they are typically made of ground beef and always with sides of pita breads and creamy tzatziki, a dip made from combining yogurt, cucumber, and garlic.

Feta cheese made from sheep and/or goat milk originates in Greece and can be found in many Greek dishes. Most notably, of course, is the Greek salad or horiatiki consisting of tomatoes, sliced cucumbers, capsicum/peppers, onion, feta cheese, and olives (usually Kalamata olives), seasoned with salt and oregano, and dressed with olive oil. It is also used in the popular phyllo pastry based dishes such as tiropita, traditional cheese-pie or spanakopita, a savoury spinach pie. And any mention of food in Greece would have to include the succulent grilled octopus and squid found on most menus.

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French Riviera

The French Riviera offers a landscape of rolling hills, bright lavender fields and miles of topaz blue coastline... and incredible delicious food to enjoy in the sunshine. Bouillabaise the signature fish soup is served with copious quantities of croutons and rouille, a spicy, saffron and garlic flavoured dip.

One of the region's most famous dishes would be a ratatouille, a slow-cooked vegetable casserole consisting of eggplant, peppers, tomatoes and courgettes. Another dish that has been successfully exported from this region is salade nicoise which contains fresh tomatoes, hard-boiled eggs, boiled potatoes and local olives topped with tuna (either seared or canned) and canned anchovies. Dressed with vinaigrette, the blend has a unique taste deeply tied to the Mediterranean region.

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Italy

Italian food is a global cuisine that has been exported to all corners of the world and almost everyone has their favourites. You know you will be eating great food whether you are exploring the Amalfi or Ligurian Coasts, or the islands of Sardinia or Sicily. Pizza and pasta have to be the two most iconic traditional Italian dishes and each region has its own speciality. In Sicily try ziti, a chunky tubular pasta typically baked with a tomato based sauce and combined with ricotta and mozzarella while in Liguria sample the curzetti stampae, a coin shaped pasta served with either a meat sauce or a basil pesto.

Naples claims to be the place where pizza originated. Enjoy the classic margherita: basil leaves atop bubbling local mozzarella, over a layer of tasty sun ripened tomatoes and flavoured with fruity olive oil, over a thin crispy base puffed to perfection in a wood-fired oven. Simple. Delicious. And don't hold back on the rich, refreshing gelatos that you will find on every corner.

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Let us introduce you to these delicious regional specialities and others on a luxury charter yacht cruising the Mediterranean. Please contact one of the professionals at the Luxury Charter Group today and book your 2018 charter.