Groceries and non-restaurant meals in a foreign country can be daunting. Most families visiting Hvar are dealing with picky eaters, smaller-than-usual kitchens, and shopping in a foreign language. Here is a quick rundown of where to buy food and some suggestions for simple family meals that don’t require precise measurements, special tools, or an oven.

Where to Buy Food in Jelsa

There are a number of grocery stores in Jelsa. The larger ones are Studenac and Konzum at the entrance of the town (location). There are also two supermarkets just outside of Jelsa: Plodine and Tommy. These both have better selection, but are not as accessible for pedestrians. All grocery stores now have a gluten-free section with snacks, pastas, and other items.

Alternatively, it’s quite possible shop only from local businesses, which are almost all also located at the entrance to Jelsa, near the Studenac and Konzum mentioned above:

Ananas for fruits, vegetables, nuts, olive oil, spices, and other produce. Not everything is local, but a lot is. Just ask the owner which is which.
Šarag for fish, mussels, octopus, and shrimp. A great selection. Ask for catch of the day.
The egg-o-mat for free-range eggs from the island.
Ivana for fresh, home-made sourdough (+385 91 seven-nine-six 5939).
Pivac for meat.
There are many superb local winemakers, including Duboković, Tomić, Huljić, and Carić.
If you visit the town of Stari Grad, which is a 10-20 minute drive from Jelsa, be sure to stop by Za Pod Zub, which is a gourmet micro-grocery and artisan shop.
At the ferry port in Stari Grad, there is a DM, a German health and beauty chain, which stocks organic dry goods, such as flour, sauces, cereal, snacks, and dried fruit, as well as organic milks and juices. Health food sections in the regular grocery stores also generally sell a good variety of organic products.

Croatians tend to be very friendly (albeit a bit busy in the summer season) and most speak English. If you have any questions, just ask politely and you’ll get help.

Easy Meals

1. Chicken Nuggets and Vegetables

Not every night needs to be a gourmet feast! Croatian kids love chicken nuggets, too, and you’ll find these in the frozen food section in big blue bags. Vegan nuggets and other soy-based dinners are also available. While you are there, you can pick up frozen vegetables and fruit. Croatian supermarkets sell peas, carrots, broccoli, and spinach briquets, stir fry mixes and a few other pre-made meals. Frozen fruit is generally limited to berries and is in the frozen dessert section.

The nuggets come in shapes: dino nuggets pictured (iykyk). They can be heated on the stovetop or in the microwave. Croatian stores also sell ketchup alongside other sauces. We recommend the familiar Heinz brand as local brands tend to be a little sweet. If you would like to try something more Croatian instead of ketchup, pick up a jar of ajvar (the “j” is pronounced as a “y” in English), a spread made from roasted red peppers which is popular all throughout the Balkans.

2. Salad

Nothing beats a good salad in the summertime. Buy local greens from the bazaar, which also sells local olive oil & vinegar or take your pick of arugula, micro-greens, iceberg, or butter lettuce at one of the shops. If buying boxed greens, always check underneath for freshness. The stores often sell salad spinners or colanders in the kitchen implements aisle, or ask the Field School team to pick one up for you at Maestral, which sells a variety of home goods.

Three easy variations that all draw on commonly available local ingredients:

Caprese - shops all sell mozarella - regular, buffalo, and boccatini (little balls). Tomatoes and basil plants are available at the bazaar or in the shops. Decent prosciutto is fairly inexpensive in Croatia. You can buy it from the shops or from the local butcher (location).
Nicoise - add tuna, olives, a sliced hardboiled egg, and tomato. Local capers, potatoes, and herbs are sold at the bazaar, and local anchovies are sometimes sold by street vendors.
Greek - feta, olives, jarred or fresh peppers, cucumber, onion, and whatever seasonings suit your fancy.

Dress it up with some oversized pan-fried croutons made from home-made sourdough by Ivana.

3. Pasta

*Istrian pasta, called* fuži *(foo-zhee)*

Hvar has many similarities to Italy, including the popularity of pasta. You’ll find a good diversity of varieties in the supermarkets. Here are a few varieties to start with:

Spaghetti with red sauce. Popular for a reason. A variety of jarred sauces make this extra easy, or make your own with olive oil, onion, garlic, tomato paste, a can of chopped tomatoes, oregano, salt, pepper, and a splash of balsamic vinaigrette (milk or sugar can also work). Parmesan is sold here in wedges, but also in packets if your apartment does not have a grater.
Aglio et olio. The ultimate “dinner out of nothing” recipe. Start salted water boiling in a large pot. Chop 6 garlic cloves into thin slices and toss into a pan with about two tablespoons of olive oil. Optional - grate red pepper on top (this is traditional, but does not go over well with most kids). Fry until golden brown & take off heat. Throw in entire box of pasta - bucatini is the best, but almost anything will work. Finish boiling and turn off the burner. Drain the pasta and return the cooked pasta to the garlic pan. Set the pan on the burner where the pasta was boiling and give it a swirl until evenly coated with garlic bits and oil. Serve with parmesan.
Carbonara. Like prosciutto, pancetta is cheap and common in Croatia. Start your carbonara by getting the pasta water going, then cube an entire block of pancetta from the butchers or grocery store (they are usually sold pre-wrapped). A tip for cutting pancetta: put the skin side down and don’t try to cut it. Instead cut the block in half down the length, then cut across to make a “grid.” Turn the pancetta on its side, cut the top layer off, then cut the bottom layer away from the skin. Pan-fry the pancetta cubes on medium-high, stirring as needed so that all sides turn opaque. While the pancetta is cooking, add a box of pasta to the now-boiling water - again, bucatini is best, but others will serve - and fill a cereal bowl with grated hard cheese. You can use two large packets of pre-grated parmesan or, if you want to elevate it a bit, combine pecorino and fresh parmesan that you grate yourself. Grate in a lot of black pepper. It should look “dirty.” Add two egg yolks to the bowl of peppered cheese and stir it all together. Pour out the oil from the cooked pancetta into a grease jar. When the pasta is done, scoop out half a cup of pasta water with a mug, then drain. Put the cooked pasta into the pan with the pancetta, then dump the cheese-egg mixture on top. Stir quickly (tongs are ideal) until the sauce is smooth and silky. You will probably need a splash of the pasta water to make everything come together.
Istrian pasta with truffle sauce. This is a super easy “abridged” version of an authentic dish from farther north in Croatia. Grab Istrian pastra and a jar of truffle sauce from the super market. Truffle sauce is mostly comprised of mushrooms and olives, so it is not terribly expensive, but it tastes strongly of truffle. While the pasta is cooking, fry thinly sliced garlic and diced onions. Once the pasta is done, add the truffle sauce to the pan to warm it up, then toss with the pasta. Serve with plenty of parmesan. Inexpensive truffles sauces do use synthetic flavorings, so if you’re after something more expensive, buy truffle oil (we recommend buying from Za Pod Zub, which also has excellent olives, cured meats, wines, and other treats), and follow the same process, but slice and cook the mushrooms yourself, adding the truffle oil at the end of the pan-fry to taste. The point is not to incorporate but not cook off the delicate truffle oil.

4. Stove-Top Chicken

Pan-fried chicken is a family stand-by. The easiest way to prepare it is to season skinless, boneless chicken breasts (look for pileća file or prsa bez kože- pileća means chicken, prsa means breast and bez kože means boneless) with salt, pepper, and herbs on both sides, then fry in oil for 10 minutes per side. Juices should run clear when the chicken is done.

Ginger-soy chicken is also easy and delicious. Add equal amounts of soy sauce and honey or maple syrup to a mixing bowl - half a cup of each should do. Then dice ginger (cut off the skin, cut longways in both directions, then cut across the width for small cubes) and add that to the mixture. Put the chicken breasts in the marinade for a few minutes, then fry as normal. This also works well with salmon - the Plodine grocery store sells strips that are very easy to work with. You can serve this over a salad with rice vinegar and sesame oil, which are both sold in the international sections of the larger grocery stores.

Finally, coq au vin is dead simple and incredibly delicious for cooler days and nights. Nigella Lawson has a great recipe: use pancetta instead of lardons, do not bother to try to find dill, and pick up a bottle of home-made local prošek instead of riesling. Prošek is totally different than prosecco. It is a syrupy dessert wine. Like all of Hvar’s wines, prošek can be expensive, but doesn’t have to be.

5. International Section

While not for the purists, it is easy to throw together a make-shift curry with ingredients sold on Hvar. Use this recipe - coconut milk is in the international section of larger grocery stores; curry (sometimes sold in a grinder bottle as curry mješavina začina) and tumeric (called kurkuma) are in the spice section. Cumin is not sold here and coriander/cilantro is a rare sighting. On the plus side, it is easy to find a variety of grains in the health food section, including quinoa, brown rice, and amaranth.

Grocery stores almost all now sell several varieties of ramen. To make your ramen a bit heartier, add frozen vegetables and an entire egg for each portion. The egg is done when the white has gone completely opaque but the yolk is still soft.

Burritos are also easily managed. You will not find black beans on the island, but you can get ground meat - either ground beef (mljevena junetina) or, more commonly, a mix of pork and beef (miješano mljeveno meso). Čevape will also work fine if needed. Whenever you buy fresh meat, it should be totally pink and not brown. Check the expiration date if you’re uncertain. Of course, chicken or tofu (sold in the health food section) can also be used. Grocery stores now generally sell packets of seasoning in the international section, along with tortillas and tabasco. There are a few varieties - “fajita,” “burrito,” and “taco” - but they all taste the same. Sour cream is called kiselo vrhnje and comes in different milkfat percentages from 12% to 30%. There is also greek yoghurt for a lower fat alternative. Tomatoes, lettuce, onion, and avocado are almost always available, as are corn chips.

6. Breakfast

For breakfast, there are the familiar array of cereals, muesli, and granola. At the DM in Stari Grad’s ferry port, there is a great kids cereal called Dinkel Gepuft (“puffed oats” in German), which is just oats and honey. Otherwise Special K is generally the least sugar-y choice.

As an alternative to cereal, there is an egg-o-mat by Cafe Art in Jelsa which sells farm-fresh eggs (jaje) from the island for €3.50/carton (location). We know the farmer and can confirm this is legit! You can also see the difference in the eggs.

In addition to omelets and egg sandwiches, eggs can make for an easy french toast with stale bread. For every two slices, combine 50ml milk (mljeko) with one egg, a few grinds of nutmeg (muškatni oraščić) and cinnamon (cimet), and a spoonful of sugar in a mixing bowl. Soak the bread and fry in butter (maslo) on medium-high heat.

American pancakes are also easy. Combine a cup of flour, a cup of milk, and one egg with half a packet of baking powder (prašak za pecivo) and a spoonful of sugar (šećer) in a mixing bowl. Stores sell vanilla sugar, beans, and flavoring, but not actual vanilla extract, so it’s probably worth skipping that ingredient. Fry the batter in butter (maslo) and there you are. Maple syrup is sold in most grocery stores in the health food section. Local honey is also sold at the bazaar, as well as fresh fruit.

7. Čevape and Mashed Potatoes

Čevape are very popular in Croatia as a fast food or simple meal. Pick up a packet and fry them in a a pan - they already have seasoning in them. To make this meal more complete, boil potatoes, drain the water when they are done (fork should easily penetrate), and mash them with a tub of svježi krem sir vlasac, which is fresh creamcheese with chives. Serve with cooked spinach or a simple salad. Like burgers, some people like čevape with ketchup or ajvar.

8. Mussels

Pick up a kilogram bag of frozen mussels at the grocery store or fresh ones from the fish market. If you buy them fresh, you will need to clean them; if you buy them frozen, you will need to let them thaw in your refrigerator. Start by slicing 3 cloves of garlic thinly and frying them in 3 generous pats of butter. Slice and add half an onion. Sprinkle in thyme and/or oregano (these are sold as plants at the bazaar and in stores). Add a cup of local white wine: both pošip and malvazija work fine. Then throw in the mussels, stir, put heat on low and cover. Fresh ones will be done in less than 10 minutes. You’ll know when all or most of them are open. Frozen ones are precooked, so you are just heating them up. Taste before you add salt, because mussels are already salty. When you’ve seasoned them to your liking, serve with Ivana’s crusty bread mentioned above. Plodine also has good fresh bread. This recipe works for shrimp, too.

Groceries and Easy Family Meals on Hvar