The continental cuisine is typical for its early proto-Slavic roots and more recent contacts with established schools of gastronomy – Hungarian, Viennese, and Turkish. Meat products, freshwater fish and vegetables dominate.
The coastal region is characterized by the influences of the Greeks, Romans, Illyrians and later Mediterranean cuisines – Italian and French. It features many seafood specialties (squid, cuttlefish, octopus, shrimp, lobster...) prepared in various ways, olive oil, prosciutto, various vegetables, Dalmatian wines such as Babić, Malvasia, Prosecco and Vrbnik Žlahtina, and various liqueurs like the famous Maraschino.
In 2008, the national culinary team participated for the first time in the world encounter of chefs and pastry chefs, the Culinary Olympics held in Erfurt, Germany, and won the bronze medal.
Istrian olive oil normally has the extra virgin quality. The extra virgin olive oil and olive oil roads you can visit while staying in Istria have become more and more significant in Istrian tourism. The Istrian olive varieties are: Buža, Buža Minuda, Buža Puntoža, Črnica, Drobnica, Istarska bjelica, Karbonaca, Moražola, Oblica, Rošinjola and Žižolera.
In November, they hold the International Olive Oil Days in Vodnjan and Tar is another popular olive oil destination.