Local food map Zagreb (Croatia)
Zagreb guides
Recipes 16
Pick a recipe
All Zagreb recipes
🥩
Main course Meat

Food Flavour DNA

Nutritional Values

🔥600kcal
💪38gProtein
🌾40gCarbs
🥑32gFat
🌿6gFibre
⚖️400 gServing

* Per serving · 400 g. May vary.

Also served in

Dubrovnik Split

Peka

How to order / say it
Say it Peka — [PEH-kah]
Order I'd like the peka, please.
Locally Molim vas, peka.
Say locally

A slow-cooked dish of meat and vegetables, traditionally prepared under a bell-like lid.

Why try it?

Peka is a revered cooking technique that demonstrates the Croatian art of slow-cooking. This method infuses flavors deeply, symbolizing communal and familial gathering in traditional Croatian households.

How it tastes

The dish is tender and aromatic, with the meat soaking up herbs and spices. The vegetables are soft, caramelized, and infused with the flavors of the meat and herbs.

Origin & History — first documented: 1200

Peka has been preserved as a traditional cooking style since the Middle Ages, originating in rural Dalmatia. Its method allows for evenly cooked dishes, essential for communities relying heavily on wood-fired cooking.

Recipe

Ingredients

  • 🥩 600 g lamb
  • 🥕 500 g potatoes
  • 🥕 200 g carrots
  • 🧄 2 onions
  • 🧄 4 cloves garlic
  • 🫒 50 ml olive oil
  • 🌿 2 sprigs rosemary
  • 🌿 1 tsp thyme
  • 🧂 to taste salt
  • 🧂 to taste pepper

Method

  1. 1 Season lamb and vegetables with herbs, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
  2. 2 Place ingredients in a baking dish, cover with peka lid.
  3. 3 Cook under hot ashes for several hours until tender.
  4. 4 Serve directly from the dish for maximum flavor.

More from Dalmatia

Calf Liver with Onions
Main course Meat

Calf Liver with Onions

Jetra na žaru
YET-rah nah ZHA-roo

Grilled calf liver served with caramelized onions.
Octopus Salad © Wikimedia Commons
Starter Fish & Seafood

Octopus Salad

Salata od hobotnice
sah-LAH-tah od ho-BOAT-neet-seh

A refreshing seafood salad made with boiled octopus, potatoes, and olive oil.
🐟
Main course Fish & Seafood

Black Risotto

Crni rižot
TSIR-nee REE-zhot

A creamy risotto made with cuttlefish or squid ink, giving it a black hue.
🥩
Main course Meat

Roasted Lamb with Potatoes

Janjetina s krumpirom
YAN-yet-ee-nah s KROOM-peero

Slow-roasted lamb served with seasoned potatoes, a traditional Sunday dish.
Sarma © Wikimedia Commons
Main course Meat

Sarma

SAR-mah

Cabbage leaves stuffed with a mix of minced meat and rice.
Creamy White Bean Soup
Soup Vegetarian

Creamy White Bean Soup

Grah
GRAH

A hearty and creamy soup made with white beans and vegetables.
Fritule © Wikimedia Commons
Dessert Vegetarian

Fritule

FREE-too-leh

Small, doughnut-like fritters dusted with powdered sugar.
Buzara © Wikimedia Commons
Main course Fish & Seafood

Buzara

Boo-za-ra

Shellfish cooked in a simple sauce of garlic, wine, and herbs.
🥩
Main course Meat

Ajngemahtec

AYN-geh-mah-tehts

A traditional chicken stew with vegetables and a hint of dumplings.
🥩
Main course Meat

Dubrovnik-style Pasta with Meat Sauce

Dubrovački makaruli
DOO-broh-vah-tchkee MAH-kah-roo-li

A hearty pasta dish with a slow-cooked ragù-style meat sauce.
All Europe recipes — Croatia — Zagreb — Peka
keyboard_arrow_up