Peka, black risotto, and the konoba

A "konoba" is a family tavern, and that's where to eat: grilled fish by the kilo, black cuttlefish risotto, Dalmatian pašticada stew, and peka, meat or octopus slow-cooked under a bell-shaped lid, which must be ordered hours ahead. In Istria, the north, the food turns Italian with truffles and fuži pasta. Croatian wine (Plavac Mali reds, Malvazija whites) is good and local. Coffee is a long social ritual; an espresso can last an hour.