Central Istria celebrates kapuz from 15 to 31 January: the event “We love winter as long as there’s a hood!”

Winter gastro story in central Istria: the event “We love winter as long as there’s a hood!” begins!

From 15 to 31 January 2026, central Istria once again moves to the rhythm of winter flavours: in several hospitality venues within the Central Istria Tourist Board area, the gastronomic event “We love winter as long as there’s a hood!” kicks off. The focus is on dishes made with sauerkraut, in Istria also known as kapuz, combined with cured meat products and classic winter side dishes, but also with more modern interpretations aimed at curious palates. The organisers point out that the purpose of the event is twofold: on the one hand, to further connect restaurateurs and local family farms (OPGs), and on the other, to strengthen the offer in the off-season period, when the calmer, “slower” pulse of the destination is more easily felt in the inland of the peninsula. For visitors, this means a clearly structured offer, recognisable flavours, and a reason to turn off the usual routes in winter, with the warmer atmosphere of taverns and agritourisms. If you’re planning a day trip or a weekend getaway, it’s useful to check in advance accommodation for visitors in central Istria, because the locations are spread across several places and each has its own ambience.

Kapuz as the main ingredient: tradition on the plate, but also the season’s message

Sauerkraut in Istrian cuisine is not just a side dish, but part of everyday winter life: alongside sausages, ombolo, pork knuckle and other pork dishes, kapuz brings a tangy freshness that “cuts” through the fat and rounds out the plate. That is precisely why the event has a natural foothold in local tradition, but also enough room for creativity, because cabbage can be used in stews, as a salad, baked in various combinations or incorporated into unexpected desserts. The organisers of the event emphasise that through programmes like these, the identity of the cuisine is preserved, but the local economy is also strengthened: demand is directed towards domestic suppliers, and the guest gets a clear picture of what is in a given period “best from the fields and the pantry”. In that sense, the winter menu becomes a kind of seasonal map, where sauerkraut and cured meats are more than ingredients – a sign that it’s time for the hearth, warm kitchens and shorter, but more substantial trips.

Promotional menus from 22 to 33 euros: starter, main course and dessert in one package

The concept of the event is based on promotional menus that are conceived as a whole: a starter, main course and dessert, with kapuz as the key motif, are offered within a predefined price range. According to the event programme, promotional prices range from 22 to 33 euros, and some venues offer several menu variants so guests can choose between a more classic and a “heartier” plate. In practice, such a format makes the decision easier for the guest – they don’t have to assemble a meal “from parts”, but get a rounded experience – while giving restaurateurs the opportunity to show their signature through recipes, the selection of cured meat products, the way the cabbage is prepared and the final sweet note. Since this is a winter period when taverns often rely on reservations and a smaller number of tables, the recommendation is to check availability directly with the venue, especially on weekends. If you want to stay nearby and visit several locations over a few days, it’s practical to open in advance accommodation offers near the event locations and plan a route through the villages and small towns of central Istria.

Six hospitality addresses and their menus

Six hospitality venues in the Central Istria Tourist Board area are included in the event. According to the programme, each participant offers a menu in which sauerkraut appears as the main theme – sometimes in jota and maneštra, sometimes alongside sausages and ombolo, and in some places even in dessert.

• Agrotourism Stara štala (Borut, Cerovlje): jota with dried pork meat | sausages, pan-fried potatoes and cooked sour kapuz | homemade cake – 22€
• Konoba Dišpet (Zajci, Pićan): jota | pork belly roast on a bed of sweet cabbage | lava cake – 26€
• Konoba Doma (Kranjci, Sveti Petar u Šumi): bruschetta with zapešto, braised kapuz and lard | baked homemade sausages with kapuz, beans and potatoes | kapuz semifreddo with red pepper and olive oil – 27€
• Konoba Marino (Gračišće): welcome aperitif | vegetable soup with cabbage - jota | ombolo, sausages, sour kapuz with baked pancetta | cheese strudel – 23€
• Restaurant - tavern Poli Banka (Tinjan): Menu 1 – tinjan platter (prosciutto, sausages, salami, cheese and skuta with homemade bread and oil) | veal shank in demi-glace sauce, cooked sauerkraut, mashed potatoes, sweet potato, winter cabbage and radicchio salad | homemade apple strudel with a decilitre of Muscat from the house cellar – 33€
• Restaurant - tavern Poli Banka (Tinjan): Menu 2 – Istrian jota | pljukanci with ribs and sausages, grilled ombolo, cooked sauerkraut | homemade tiramisu with a decilitre of Muscat – 26€
• Tomaž’s tavern (Vošteni, Sveti Lovreč): welcome aperitif | Istrian prosciutto, sausages, zarebnjak, cheese, kapuz salad | homemade sausages and ombolo, sausages, cooked kapuz and potatoes | apple cake – 30€

Why this event matters beyond the plate

Although for guests it all comes down to a good meal, events of this type in central Istria have a broader impact: they create a reason to come at a time when there are no summer crowds, distribute spending across multiple micro-locations and help the “interior” of the peninsula be visible beyond the peak season. The organisers also emphasise the dimension of connecting with family farms (OPGs), which in practice means a greater chance that local sausages, pancetta, prosciutto, but also cabbage from a verified source, with a clear trace back to the producer, end up on the plates. Additional logistical support is provided by the patronage of the Ciburiproduct craft from Pazin, which will, according to the announcement, donate 20 kilograms of fresh and 20 kilograms of sauerkraut to each participant in the event, thereby ensuring the core ingredient and highlighting the local character of the story. In such a model, everyone gets a share of the pie: restaurateurs get a reliable menu backbone, producers more stable demand, and visitors a recognisable and comparable offer format.

From Borut to Gračišće: a winter route through central Istria

The geography of the event invites movement: Borut, Pićan, Sveti Petar u Šumi, Gračišće, Tinjan and Sveti Lovreč are not “one street”, but a series of places visited as a small winter route. That is also an advantage, because a gastronomic trip easily turns into a day tour, with short stops and different ambiences – from an agritourism with a hearth to a tavern against medieval backdrops. For example, Konoba Dišpet is located near the Benkovići waterfall, which adds extra value to the trip beyond the table, while Konoba Marino is linked to Gračišće, a small town often described as the medieval pearl of central Istria. Tinjan, known for its strong gastronomic identity, gains an additional reason to visit in this story through Poli Banka and its menu variants, including a glass of Muscat from its own cellar as part of the experience. Sveti Lovreč and Vošteni, meanwhile, carry the typical tavern “vibe” of winter gatherings, with an emphasis on homemade prosciutto and cured meat products, which logically pairs with kapuz as the main winter companion. Anyone who wants to plan a weekend without rushing can combine lunch at one location and dinner at another, while relying on accommodation around Tinjan and central Istria so the trip remains pleasant and without unnecessary backtracking.

Organisation and support: partnership of the tourism sector and artisans

The event is organised by the Central Istria Tourist Board and the Pazin Association of Artisans, with the patronage of the Ciburiproduct craft from Pazin. According to the organisers’ announcement, the event is also carried out with the support of the competent county structures responsible for agriculture and related sectors, which further emphasises that this is a project at the intersection of tourism and local production. In practice, this means a stronger reliance on domestic ingredients and a clearer message that the gastronomic offer of central Istria is being built as a year-round product, not only as a summer backdrop. For visitors, this is most visible on the plate: the same ingredient – kapuz – gets multiple interpretations, from jota and maneštra to baked sausages, and in some places even to dessert, which makes the event diverse enough to visit several locations in the same period without a feeling of repetition. That is precisely why “We love winter as long as there’s a hood!” functions as a small winter festival across several places, not as a one-off event, and leaves room for something new to be offered each year, while preserving a recognisable local signature.

Sources:
- Central Istria Tourist Board (Central Istria) – official announcement of the event with dates and organisers (link)
- Poreština.info – events calendar with the listed date and basic description of the event (link)
- Central Istria – profile and information about the hospitality venue Konoba Dišpet (location and description) (link)
- Central Istria – profile and information about the hospitality venue Konoba Doma (offer description and own production) (link)
- Central Istria – profile and information about the hospitality venue Konoba Marino (location in Gračišće and description) (link)
- Central Istria – profile and information about the hospitality venue Tomažova konoba (description and emphasis on prosciutto from own production) (link)
- Central Istria – profile and information about the hospitality venue Restaurant - tavern Poli Banka (location, seasonal approach and wines from its own cellar) (link)