Fun facts – Tjestenina Klara Marić

ŠURLE

Many Istrian specialties are adorned with top quality homemade pasta, and such are our šurle. Pasta is undoubtedly a symbol of Italy, where the preparation of fresh home-made pasta changes from the north to the south, just like its name itself. Shurle is a pasta that has been produced in Italy for a long time, the name of which varies from region to region; in the south of Italy, in Sicily, it is a typical pasta they call ‘casareccia’ / homemade, while in sun-drenched Tuscany, they call it ‘strozzapreti’.

We named them after an old, traditional Istrian musical instrument – šurle. It is a typical Istrian instrument that is made of two separate, wooden pipes connected in a ‘didak’ through which air is blown. Because of its loudness, it is most often used as a dance instrument, and very rarely it can be combined with Istrian mih.

Tradition and culture have always been and still are a frequent inspiration for numerous artists. In this case, traditional music and instruments were the notes that opened up space for our imagination and creativity and inspired us to name our experience of tradition – pasta.

Šurle pasta has a smooth texture and a twisted shape, which is why it pairs well with sauces. Absorbing sauce, with meat or prawns, provides more intense and stronger flavors and represents a real Mediterranean dish. They are made from high-quality wheat flour – without eggs, and in our assortment, in addition to “ordinary” šurle, we also have a real spring mix – asparagus šurle.

FUŽI

Did you know… in our family production, today we produce around two million pieces of fuži a day? Fuži are both the most famous and the most traditional Istrian pasta. As a family that is a big aficionado of gastronomy and pasta, we devote special attention and love to every segment of fuži production. We unwaveringly remain faithful to traditional, home-made and authentic craftsmanship – the skill with which our grandmothers and mothers made them generations ago. We pass the recipe down from generation to generation, so our children’s children are already the fifth generation that, by making homemade pasta, shows the continuation of the family’s love for tradition and pasta. Our homemade Istrian fuži are made from carefully selected grains of the highest quality durum wheat and high-quality fresh eggs. By joining the two ends of the dough in the shape of a rhombus, in an embrace, they are created as a legacy of our tradition. Thanks to our efforts, this form has become nationally recognized, which is why we are extremely proud! In Istria, žgvacet, a favorite dish from our grandmothers’ cookbooks, is traditionally prepared. It is a simple and tasty dish, similar to chicken goulash or, in Dalmatia, tingulu, which combines the taste of homemade pasta with chicken sauce.

PASUTICE

Every fuž, at one point in its “life”, was a pasutica. Traditionally, pasutice or, as the rest of Croatia calls them, krpice, are at the very top of traditional Istrian cuisine, not far behind fuži. They are traditionally eaten on Good Friday and Christmas Eve, and inevitably, as fasting food, with bakalar in bianco. Thanks to their porous texture, they are extremely prone to absorbing various sauces, even more so than fuži due to their larger surface area. Like fuži, they are made from high-quality durum wheat and daily fresh eggs. Going through the process of rolling and especially long drying, just like tagliatelle, they are an essential element of experiencing Istrian culture. The creases on the surface of the pasta are our invention, and the result is pasta that does not stick together. Due to their specific texture, they go well with sauces, salted anchovies, broccoli, and for those days when you are pressed for time and don’t have enough time to cook, it is an excellent solution for a quick recipe with canned tuna.

ŠURLICE

Šurlice is a pasta similar to pljukanci, created as an inspiration for Krk’s šurlice. They are one of the trademarks of the island of Krk and real homemade pasta and the island’s most famous specialty. They got their name from the shape of an elephant’s trunk, and they have been prepared according to a traditional recipe since ancient times. The dough is wrapped around a knitting needle and in this way pasta is formed, which has become a trademark of the island’s cuisine. They are an essential part of the rich Kvarner gastronomic offer, and are most often combined with lamb ragout. As well as pljukanci, we make them from high-quality wheat flour. Although similar in shape, šurlice have a hole in the middle of the dough to better with the sauce.

TAGLIATELLE

Tagliatelle — pasta with a romantic origin inspired by the hair of Lucrezia Borgia. We begin the story with a legend from Italy. Ferrara, 1502. year. Adventurous beauty Lucrezia Borgia marries Duke Alfonso d’Estate. For that occasion, a Bolognese, poetic chef, fantasizing about the flaming waves of Lucrezia’s blonde, curly hair, creates pasta in the form of noodles, later called tagliatelle. Dedicating this special form of pasta to her, reminiscent of her luxurious curls, it was served for the first time on their wedding day in the form of rings on silver platters. So, in one of its versions, says the legend. In Istria, tagliatelle or lasagna, as we still call them in Istria, is considered almost a homemade recipe, and our production follows the real, homemade way of making it. We are the only manufacturer in Croatia, along with only a few others in Italy, that produce tagliatelle ‘matasse’. We use the highest quality durum wheat grains and fresh eggs, and they are made by rolling the dough – which is the highest quality, but also the most difficult method of production. As a result, the pasta gains airiness and is ultimately better and more similar to handmade. The drying process is long and slow so that the used foods retain their nutritional properties. This is precisely why the texture of the tagliatelle is rough, as it should be, in order to absorb the sauce with which they are served as much as possible.

MAFALDE

Mafalde are pasta with a special and interesting shape and a touching history. Although slightly different, they are produced in Italy, and are named in honor of Princess Mafalda of Savoy – a member of the Italian royal dynasty. She was the daughter of the Italian king Victor Emmanuel III. and the Montenegrin princess Elena and the sister of the last Italian king – Umberto II. Determined in the fight against the Nazis, she ended her life with a tragic death in a Nazi concentration camp. Mafaldas, known in Italy as “reginette” / little queens, are enticing long ribbon-shaped pasta with curled edges with a striking appearance. According to legend, Princess Mafalda had beautiful curly hair, so the wavy pasta symbolically resembles her curly locks. Our mafaldas are shorter and wider than the Italian version and perfect for the most complex recipes. We produce them from the highest quality durum wheat grains and eggs. In combination with the curved shape of the pasta on the edges and the flat central part, they guarantee high quality. The ridges that make mafaldas so distinctive are also great for catching each bite of sauce, making sure that each one delivers a phenomenal fullness of flavor. With mafaldas, every dish looks richer, and they can be combined freely with whatever you want, while in Italy they are most often served with bolognese sauce.

PLJUKANCI

Pljukanci is a traditional Istrian pasta that is the most famous and sought after in the northwestern part of Istria. In the time of our grandparents, it was considered a poor man’s dish because of the simple ingredients and the preparation itself, and today it is one of the special delicacies that nurtures a long-standing tradition. In domestic kitchens and in the original recipe, they are prepared from flour and water, and they are shaped by mixing the dough by hand, which is torn into pieces, and by rubbing the dough between the palms, they form spindles. Due to their quick and simple preparation, they were once a “daily” dish, unlike fuži, which were served as pasta for special occasions; holidays, Sundays, festivals, etc.

High-quality wheat flour is used in our production. Keeping the traditional, spindle-shaped shape, the spits have a smooth texture to give the feeling of the past, when the dough was kneaded by hand. Each season gives us certain foods with which we complete our Istrian cookbooks. Pljukans, with various sauces, are combined with asparagus and pancetta in the spring, with zucchini and seasonal vegetables in the summer, while in the fall we prepare a real gourmet experience – pljukanci with boletus mushrooms.

RAVIOLI

Part of our rich assortment and tradition of making fresh pasta are also ravioli — stuffed frozen pasta. Ravioli are stuffed traditional pasta in the form of pillows that hide delicious ingredients inside the dough, which gives the dishes a special charm. We produce them with a combination of the highest quality durum wheat grains and type 550 flour. In industrial production, the ravioli are dry, while ours are special, just like the ones we make at home, and full and juicy because they are filled with premium ingredients. In our assortment, you can find homemade ravioli filled with a combination of cottage cheese and several types of fresh cheese, as well as homemade ravioli filled with spinach. Stuffed ravioli are always a combination for a tasty and light lunch, and they are ideal for meals with the use of light sauces. In order to make the most of the full flavor of the ravioli, put it in boiling water and after it boils, continue to cook on low heat. The pasta should ‘dance’ during the entire cooking process, and check the cooking time on the packaging. The secret of taste and high energy value is hidden in the shocking, fast freezing of the pasta. The time period from mixing the ingredients to deep freezing is short, which maximally preserves the high characteristics and quality of the product itself.

REZANCI/NOODLES

Klara Marić wide rezanci/noodles are a dried pasta made from 100% quality durum wheat grains and daily fresh eggs. It is part of the assortment of our Standard line, with which we expanded our offer on the market and introduced new products. Once upon a time, they were part of the Pag tradition, known as pasta narodela. Instead of using a knife, the rolled dough was cut with a small roller that had curves, and the final result was pasta with waves.

FIDELINI

Klara Marić fidelini for soup is dried pasta made from the highest quality durum wheat and eggs. In our assortment, fidelini are the thinnest of all other types of pasta, designed as soup pasta. During our childhood, fidelini was always cooked and prepared for meals in almost every household and thus became a tradition and a part of the everyday life of our home today. They are thought to have originated in Genoa, although they first appear in daily Arabic discussions as “fidaws” meaning a short thin thread-like dough. Fidelini are known in Italy as Ligurian pasta, which became famous in the world during the time of the rich maritime trade on ships from Genoa, although it has never been documented that it was first produced there.

LJILJANI/LILIES

The day is always more beautiful with lilies on the table. But not in a vase, but on a plate. Lilies are pasta in the sweet shape of a flower, with a special and decorative shape. According to tradition, it originates from Italy. Tuscany is a place for eternal romance and a region known for its beautiful cities and landscapes. The unique nature is adorned by the lily flower that traditionally grows around Florence and has been a symbol of this city since ancient times. Lilies, in Italian ‘gigli’, are pasta whose shape and color resemble the delicate flower from which it got its name. In our production, it is made in bronze molds, which gives the pasta a special color and a rough texture, thanks to which it absorbs sauces well and gives the dish a full flavor. The rolled shape and ragged edges of the pasta make it unusual, and the dimple is ideal for combining with larger ingredients of the dish.

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