15 Best Food Souvenirs from Croatia to Bring Home

There are many great Croatian souvenirs you can get; from lavender soaps to handmade jewellery. But, if you’re a foodie like me, then you’d be happy to know that there are plenty of food options to take home after your trip to Croatia ends. So, in this blog post I created my list of 15 best food souvenirs from Croatia you can buy for yourself or to treat your family, friends at home.

All the products on this list are the ones I am enjoying myself as a Croatian and that I more or less always have at home.

Some food is the one I grew up with, such as the Lino Lada chocolate spread, some are traditional Croatian drinks, such as rakija and some are what every Croatian household has at home, such as certain spices and spreads.

What all of these food souvenirs share are that they are 100% Croatian produce and that all have a great taste.

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Olive Oil

Croatia produces some of the best olive oil in the world, so it definitely makes sense to get a bottle for yourself, especially considering you’d probably visit Dalmatia or Istria, which are the regions that produce olive oil in Croatia.

You can easily get the olive oil as you can find them from local markets to gift shops and supermarkets.

Rakija

Rakija is a Croatian spirit or brandy made from fruits, mostly from plum, grapes and pear. Rakija made from plum also called sljivovica (pronounced SHLEE-voh-veets-ah) was inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2022.

A lot of families in Croatia actually produce their own rakija, mine too and we do make such a great sljivovica!

So, I definitely recommend tasting rakija when in Croatia, and if you end up liking the taste (it’s very strong btw!), then buy a bottle or two and bring it home. It also makes for a great gift, especially if some of your loved ones love tasting local spirits.

📖 Read my 12 Most Popular Croatian Traditions to Know About blog post.

Ajvar

Ajvar is a sauce/spread/dip made from grilled aubergines and red peppers. Most people love to spread it on bread for breakfast or dip cevapcici in it.

My favourite ajvar is mild from Podravka, so I recommend getting that one, though you can’t get wrong with any. There’s also a hot version if you love spicy food.

You can find ajvar in any supermarket.

Olives

At the beginning I mentioned we make really good olive oil, but we also produce really delicious olives!

I love eating them for breakfast, especially with cured meat and focaccia bread. There are plenty of options in local markets, gift shops and supermarkets.

However my favourite ones are those you can easily buy at the store and it’s pretty much any from the Zvijezda brand.

Bajadera Praline

Bajadera is one of Croatia’s most famous chocolates and you’ll find it in almost every supermarket and souvenir shop across the country.

Kraš that is producing them first started selling boxes containing only Bajadera in 1954 after the pralines became increasingly popular. Before that they were handmade and sold in luxury chocolate boxes alongside other nougat treats.

The name comes from the French word bayadere, once used to describe Indian court dancers.

Bajadera is made with layers of almond and hazelnut nougat, finished with a thin coating of chocolate. Kraš has kept the exact recipe a secret and although many people have tried to recreate it, the original still has its distinctive flavour.

If you’re visiting Croatia, I definitely recommend trying Bajadera. It also makes an easy and affordable food gift to take home.

Jam

Maybe not an obvious choice, but if you’re a jam person or know someone who loves it, then buying a jam is a great food souvenir choice!

We make quite a delicious jam; my favourite flavours are apricot, strawberry and fig.

Wine

I think it’s needless to explain that Croatia produces a great wine!

Wherever you are in Croatia, you can go on wine tours, shop local wine and drink a glass or two with dinner.

If you’re a wine lover, then definitely take a bottle or two home. My favourite Croatian wines are sweet white dessert wines, such as Muskat and Prosek.

P. S. The best local wines are from random people who sell their home-made wines by the roads.

Vegeta

There is no Croatian household that doesn’t have Vegeta at home!

Vegeta is a Croatian spice, made of onions, carrots, celery, parsley, parsnip, potatoes and salt. The taste is really delicious, which is why we put it in everything: soups, marinades, sauces.

You can find Vegeta in any supermarket.

Dorina Chocolate

If you’re a chocolate lover, then definitely buy yourself Dorina chocolate. You can find it in any supermarket.

Cured Meat

Cured meat is one of the most popular and loved Croatian traditional foods. A lot of households even make their own cured meat and if you ever visit any Croatian home, you will be served it.

My favourites are Dalmatian prosciutto, Slavonian kulen (spiced salami) and sausage.

The best cured meat in shops is from the brand Dobro, so treat yourself to these ones. My maid of honour actually leads the team that produces the meat at Dobro, so I know first-hand that it’s quality produced meat!

📖 Read my 15 Traditional Croatian Foods to Try on Your Trip blog post.

Liquor

Besides rakija, we also produce different varieties of liquor.

Some of the most famous ones are from cherry called visnjevac, or the plant based ones, such as Antique or Pelinkovac.

The latter two have quite a distinct taste and make for a great food souvenir.

Licitar Heart

Gingerbread Hearts also known as Licitar is an edible souvenir, made from water, flour and sugar and then coloured.

Licitar hearts are made with love and they are supposed to bring joy into your family. Whenever there’s a festival regardless of what, 100% there will be at least one stand with licitar hearts.

If you’re looking for a unique and beautiful gift or souvenir to bring home, I highly recommend getting at least one licitar heart (in case you actually eat one).

Licitar Hearts are listed under UNESCO.

Cedevita Drink

Cedevita is a vitamin drink loved by every Croatian. The original taste is either orange (also my favourite one!) or lemon, but recently they made different flavours, such as mango & pineapple, elderflower etc.

P. S. Just don’t drink more than a glass or two per day because you don’t want to get vitamine-overdose!

Lino Lada Chocolate Spread

Everyone knows of Nutella, but did you know that Croatia makes its own chocolate spread?

Every kid, including me, grew up on Lino Lada chocolate spread. The original one is made of white and milk chocolate (my favourite!), but recently there have been other flavours, such as white milk only or nougat chocolate.

Try it, it works amazing for pancakes!

Pasteta Spread

Pasteta or pate is another food every Croatian kid grew up on!

We especially love it on bread with eggs and tomatoes, so if you’d love to make yourself a traditional Croatian breakfast, pasteta is the must item.

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