Slavonia Restaurants

With paprika-rich Hungary not far away, you'll often see dishes characterized by an unmistakable, bright-red zest. As in Vienna and Budapest, vegetables are typically prepared in a flour-thickened sauce. Though far from the Adriatic, Slavonia counts fish among its staples—namely, freshwater varieties including carp, pike, catfish, and pike-perch. You'll often find the scrumptious, spicy-hot, paprika-flavored fish stew known as riblji paprikas or fis paprikas. Meat is also a key part of the dining picture. Regular menu staples include cobanac, a stew of pork and another type of meat, bathed in paprika sauce and served with spaetzle; chicken paprikash; sarma (pork-stuffed cabbage leaves); pork-stuffed paprika; and, last but not least, paprika-flavored sausages and blood sausages. As for wines, look for dry whites, in particular those from Ilok, such as frasevina, riesling, and traminac. And then there is the ubiquitous rakija (fruit brandy). Dining out is a tad less expensive than in Zagreb and on the Adriatic coast, with substantial main courses from around 30 Kn to 40 Kn.