The sweet treasure of Vis

Vis has so much more to offer beyond its natural beauty. This island is a true treasury of sweets that one would want to try even on a full stomach because they look adorable and taste refreshingly luscious. 

According to an old Croatian saying, it’s better to lose the village than the customs. In the case of Vis, fortunately, none will disappear because its inhabitants are firmly tied to their heritage. Therefore, life on the island was and still is unimaginable without homemade brandies, liqueurs and traditional sweets.

Poor in ingredients but rich in taste, delicious drinks and sweets emerged from a rich imagination and a strong will of Vis gourmets who were forced to extract a lot from the scarce nature of an island far from the mainland. 

Homemade liqueurs and brandies, shortcrust pastry cookies called cviti and hib, a cake made of fig and fennel, only seem plain. Behind the simple look they hide many hours, even days of preparation, a bunch of patience and a great deal of love. Fortunately, every minute and ounce of love invested in their preparation returns a hundredfold at the first tasting. 

After hard work in the fields and vineyards the islanders used to sweeten their day with slices of hib and shots of powerful grape or herb flavored brandy. The cviti, on the other hand, were consumed during the festivities and holidays. Now we can enjoy these heavenly delicious traditional sweets every day, as it should be. 

An asset gladly seen on every table on Vis are also panduleti – thinly sliced biscuits with almonds. A few drops of rum and a bit of grated lemon zest make them sweet just enough. Dipped in prosecco, they are given a special charm impossible to resist. 

The light and sweet taste of prosecco goes well with garitule too. Garitula is a sweet Easter braid with a hard boiled egg tucked in the middle. This holiday specialty blessed with delicate texture and paired with a cup of coffee or a glass of homemade liqueur makes an excellent dessert. If it was up to us, it would be on the menu throughout the year! 

Simple yet tasteful delicacies with sweet and aromatic notes of myrtle, sage, carob, fig, cherry, lemon and orange contain the very essence of Vis. That makes traditional sweets, brandies and liqueurs impossible to dislike. If you’re in doubt, come and taste for yourself!