August 9, 2018 – Sweet Korčula, an island with a seemingly endless supply of fabulous traditional home-made cakes and desserts. We are very grateful to Franica Tasovac for allowing us to serialise her excellent books called Sweet Korcula, Sweeties of Korcula Grannies (in English). It is a collection of no less than 30 ancient recipes for Korcula cakes and desserts, lovingly put together into a book. A delightful souvenir or gift for gourmet friends. Franica has kindly allowed us to serialise the recipes on TCN, and we will be bringing you a recipe a week from the kitchens of Korcula’s grandmothers throughout the year. You can read Claudia Tarle’s lovely introduction here.
They used to make mantala in autumn, but it had to last for the whole year.
3 litres of varenik (grape syrup)
600 g semolina (wheat semolina)
250 g of chopped and roasted almonds, pine nuts and walnuts
a little of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves,
zest of lemon and orange
Varenik is obtained by boiling freshly squeezed grapes, must. It is cooked on a low heat while stirring. It’s finished when one third of the fluid remains in the pot (9 litres of must give 3 litres of varenik).
Put varenik to boil in larger pot. When it boils, add slowly semolina stirring constantly in order not to make tiny clots. Add all other ingredients and mix until the mixture begins to separate from the vessel.
Put mantala into a mould coated with a wet cloth. After two days, slice it and store in a glass jar with bay leaves.
You can buy this booklet at:
Town library “ Ivan Vidali “
Flower shop “ Fiorino “
“ Manina “
“ Komo “
Tourist agency “ Kaleta “
Souvenir shop “ Suzy “
Bookshop “ Kutak knjiga “
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