When I was researching Croatia for today’s posts, musician Nenad Bach told me that the more oppressed Croatians feel, the more they dance. The seemingly endless ethnic strife between Bosnians, Serbs, Croats and Muslims in the former Yugoslavia has made the region a poster child for the horrors of war. As Bach put it, “Every war steps on creativity. Survival mode kicks in and non-sophisticated art (read aesthetics) surface.” Bach and I got along because I’ve often thought the that key to resolving most conflict should be dancing. I mean, could you really still be THAT mad at someone if they were like “I’m sorry” while doing the cabbage patch?
This beautiful embroidery from Snježana takes my breath away. She works with an organization that aims to reconstruct traditional women’s costume in Zagreb, and her incredible dedication to her craft is inspiring.
People in Croatia often have custom made shoes and clothing. Bespoke manufacture isn’t a luxury there, it’s a normal way of life. The appreciation of craftsmanship is clear. My Croatian friend tells me that her grandmother will think of something that she wants to wear and have her neighbor sew it for her, and knit something for her neighbor in return.
And yes, I promised you donuts, but they come with a story. In Zagreb, the pre-Lent carnival is known as “Fasnik,” after a folkloric fellow who is held responsible for everything bad that happened in the last year. An effigy of Fasnik is put on trial and then “executed” by the teeming crowd. And then they all eat krafne, the traditional Croat donut. Here’s a recipe so you can make them yourself.
INGREDIENTS:
2 ½ cups flour
1 lemon
2 tbs of sugar
1 pack of vanilla sugar (euro style powdered vanilla sugar, I think you can use vanilla extract instead)
1/8 cup yeast yeast
3 egg yolks
2 tbs butter
1 cup milk
2 tsp rum
½ cup powdered sugar
Salt
Oil (canola or vegetable oil for frying!)
DIRECTIONS:
Take the yeast and dissolve it in lukewarm milk. Add a tablespoon of sugar and a tablespoon of flour. Cover the bowl and leave in a warm spot until the yeast starts to rise.
Sift flour, mix it with the butter, egg yolk, the yeast mixture, vanilla, sugar, rum and bits of lemon zest finely grated. Add a little bit of milk and mix until it starts to separate from the spoon. It shouldn’t be too sticky.
Transfer the dough onto a floured surface and cover with a towel. Leave it on a warm surface and let the dough rise.
Roll the dough until it’s ¾ of an inch thick and use a round cookie cutter to cut out circular shapes. Put down a paper towel and place the dough circles onto a paper towel. Cover them with another paper towel and let the dough rise again.
If you want, squeeze a little plum jam into the middle of the doughnuts after they’ve risen.
Heat oil until hot and fry the doughnuts until they get golden.
Leave on a paper towel to drain off the grease.
Now how many Design Sponge blog posts end with “Leave on a paper towel to drain off the grease?”
18 Comments
You so made my morning!
My parents are from Croatia and most of my relatives lives there. So it’s a lovely surprise to see a piece done on this awesome and not widely known country.
And I love krafne! I will have to make these for my husband now: )
The embroidery work is incredible. I’ve long been inspired by traditional motifs, and those are really beautiful !
i’m going to dubrovnik in a few months – can’t wait to see the country up close!!
Ohhhh my aunt makes krafne (or krofni, since we’re Macedonian) and they are my all time favorite. And those dance costume photos bring back the memories of my igraorna days!
Great feature on a great place.
Do you know what kind of yeast? 1/8 cup seems like a lot.
hi eden! let me consult my croat sources!
Great post. My boyfriend and I went to Croatia last summer. I think it was the most beautiful place I’ve ever been to.
“Bach and I got along because I’ve often thought the that key to resolving most conflict should be dancing.”
That’s wonderful. I belong to a wonderful community of pan-Balkan musicans and dancers (I am a dancer) and often feel grateful for the ways the music and dance can bring us together. While decidedly proud of my own Balkan heritage (Greek American w/active connections to Greece) I’m always happy when we can share common experiences and look for ways to transcend divisiveness. Thanks for a lovely post!
I’m not a dancer, but a musician and I agree with Bach that the music and art and creativity flow where there is conflict. People need that release; their hearts let go through their art, no matter what it is–through their gorgeous embroidery or their beloved food. THANKS for such lovely pictures!
My grandparents are from Croatia and my sister and I keep our culture alive with the Tamburitzans here in the U.S. We dress in ethnic costumes like you have pictured above and perform songs and dances from regions all over the country. I was so excited to see this post on here! I travelled to Croatia for 2 weeks in 2004 and that by far was my most favorite trip I’ve ever taken.
Thank you for the post! :-)
I adore Nenad Bach, mostly because he put out that unbelievable wild wild CD of Lent music from one of the Croatian islands (Following The Cross), but when NATO was bombing Serbia there was an incredibly sophisticated artistic response on the ground. I would have considered it incredibly sophisticated had it happened in peacetime, too.
Great post to read as I am a Brit living in Dubrovnik, since 2003. After travelling the world for 20 yrs it is indeed a beautiful country. Come visit!
I am Croatian living in USA for 10 years.
Can not wait to go in Croatia( this summer. The most beautiful place on earth..
Pozdrav svima!!!
I was drawn here by your tweet. Thank you for this warm, to the point and appreciative post on my country. Enjoy krafne!
A native New Yorker and half Croatian myself, I spend a month of the year in Croatia for work and pleasure. I’ve seen the transformation of this BEAUTIFUL country from the age of three (early 80s) to now, after dozens of visits. I’ve seen pre-war, during the war, and after where you wouldn’t believe the transformation. I urge everyone to visit Zagreb, Island Hvar, Split, and Dubrovnik for outrageous sunshine, food, friendly people, and the gorgeous, clean & clear Adriatic Sea. And of course, while we’re on topic, the clothes made there are top quality. My favorite shop in Zagreb is always a treat to visit since everything there is handmade and usually one-of-a-kind. And Nenad Bach, an old family friend, has been doing great work for promoting Croatia, but the best message I could promote is that THE WAR IS OVER (and has been for many years), and Croatia is advancing in ways that would astound you. Like everywhere, there are economic struggles, but with their open cafes at every corner, fresh, open *naturally* organic farm-fresh markets, and beautiful people, Croatia is definitely a happening place to embrace and explore. FYI: late summer, perfect time to go.
Great post! Thanks for the links- nice idea.
Great Blog!
Work my friend Snježana is beautiful.
I am from Croatia and I love this post.I hope there will be more of them.Krafne are great ,You should really try it !
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