The Dubrovnik gastronomy of Drzic’s time

The diet of the contemporary Dubrovnik people does not differ significantly from the diet of continental people. An analysis of lipid values, performed several years ago on the healthy Dubrovnik population, revealed no significant difference compared to people from Continental Croatia. That study revealed that only people from Blato on the island of Korčula still eat in the “old fashioned” Mediterranean way; fish, olive oil, garlic and a glass of wine, together with an HDL increase through working in the vineyard, olive groves or on a boat, are still the predominant way of life, although it is also decreasing. This Mediterranean diet, was the diet of common people in Dubrovnik of Držić’s time. The food of the poor or fasting food consisted of broad bean and lentil, fritters, plain soup (Ukrop) and sardines. The most revered vegetables were green cabbage, fennel, onions and lettuce. As spices, Dubrovnik people used pepper, saffron and clove. For throat they used honey, butter and jam, and for special treats they ate sausages, mortadella and aspic. They prepared fish by sautéing it on onions and garlic.
They preferred mullets and picarels. Although they did not know much about omega-3 unsaturated fatty acids in a daily diet, the significance of fish in the diet, especially for common people, was great, so that even soups were often made of fish and with a lot of garlic. Maidservants of the rich Dubrovnik aristocracy were satisfied with “Ukrop”, water used to cook vegetables, mostly cabbage. It is not advisable for people with hypercholesterolemia, but also for healthy individuals, to eat food high in saturated fats. They are present in red meat and dairy products, but also in rabbit meat even more than in pork, beef, veal or lamb. The smallest amounts can be found in turkey or chicken meat. The Dubrovnik aristocracy ate a lot of meat meals (they especially revered mutton and goat meat).
Sweets were eaten rarely, mostly for holidays because sugar was very expensive and was given as gift to the Bosnian Beylerbey, just like expensive fabrics. Sweets in those times were fritters, Makaruli or Mantala, a sweet dish made from young wine, hard-grained wheat flour and herbs (today it can still be found in Konavle). Marzipan was made in pharmacies and was a real luxury. The prevalent drinks
in Europe of those times were wine and beer. Wine drinking, or Bevanda (wine and water) among the poor, was related to a wide-spread belief that water was harmful. Malvasia and Muscat were especially appreciated. The City population mostly died from infectious diseases that swept Europe in those days. Nobody cared about cardiovascular diseases. Common people certainly en vied the rich aristocracy that imitated feasts in their neighboring Italian cities, although much more modestly because Dubrovnik Republic and their citizens were famous not only for diplomacy and patriotism but first of all for moderation, which also applied to eating.