Soparnik – Is it a Pizza or is it a Pie?

Soparnik – Is it a Pizza or is it a Pie?

Are you a Foodie?
If so, Croatia is the place for you.

On my first trip to Croatia, I was introduced to the Croatian dish, Soparnik, a swiss chard ‘pie’ that dates back hundreds of years. There are many names for this pie such as soparnik, zeljenik, uljenak and blitvenjak. It is a traditional dish of Dalmatian Zagora, and from an American’s perspective, it looks a little bit like a pizza with a thin top crust, but trust me – It’s nothing like a pizza.

Not only did I get to experience this delicious dish, but I was treated to a very special presentation of the dish in a beautiful setting, near a historic church, overlooking the original Republic of Poljica (where the recipe originates), served to us by the national winner of their yearly Soparnik competition. You just can’t get any more authentic than that!

As you can see from the photo of me, our hostess was charming and lovely and very Croatian, and yes, a wee bit on the short side! Although to be fair, I’m quite tall so the difference between our heights was extreme. Putting our differences aside, the whole experience was unique and has been a favorite memory from my first trip to this beautiful country.

I’ve had Soparnik each time I’ve been back, and no matter how good it is, my first experience with it has yet to be surpassed. Although, Radman Mill in Omis served an awesome Soparnik for our Ultimate Island Hopping Adventure crew! Delicious.