Paw the traveller

If your trip takes you to the Peloponnese and you're also a fan of sweet dessert wines, Mavrodaphne is something you definitely have to try, because there is more than a century of history behind this wine. Paw traveller Back in 1859, Gustav Clausse , a representative of the Bavarian company Fels&Co, settled in Achaia, and his initial idea was the cultivation of black currants.  However, he built a summer house in this area and planted vines as a hobby. He turned this hobby into a business and already in 1861 he opened the Achaia Clauss winery , from which the wine "Mavrodaphne" comes to us. The first bottling of this sweet dessert wine was made in 1873, and the magical recipe for its preparation was recorded and preserved to this day in Clauss' recipe book on page 601 . Gustav named this wine after a beautiful, black-haired and black-eyed girl from Patra called Daphne, which gives  a charming and romantic tone to  this wine story. Mavrodaphne is produced from gra...

 Retsina - a Greek wine with a long tradition which is mainly produced from Savatiano, a not very well-known grape variety characterized by an extremely high percentage of sugar in the grape seed. Paw traveller Retsina is a wine that people have been drinking since ancient times. S ince they did not have cooling methods they used resin to seal the amphorae in which they kept the wine, which resulted in the authentic and unusual taste of this drink. Although Greece today produces exciting wines from Asyrtiko, Xinomavro, and other grape varieties, there are still growers throughout central Greece with large Savatiano vineyards and a market for retsina -   the wine produced from it. This wine is characterized by the fact that it is produced with the addition of pine resin during fermentation, which gives it a strong and specific smell and taste. Retsina wine is not expensive and it is worth trying, especially since it is rare in our area, but there is no guarantee that you will...

Barske Štufade - Spičan specialty that pushes the boundaries Gornji Sustaš-Paw traveller During our visit to Gornji Sustaš, a small place above the city of Bar, we had the privilege of trying the phenomenal meal "Barske štufade", a traditional specialty of the Spičan region, which was prepared by Mrs. Zorica Vulezić for her "slava" family celebration, according to her mother-in-law's recipe. Zorica and her husband Slavko were our very kind hosts at the "Holiday Home Vulezić" , where we spent seven days, and who made our stay more beautiful in many ways. Although a novel could be written about the kindness of the Vulezić family, we will still return to the topic of travel tastes and fantastic "štufade" meal! "Barska štufada" is a dish that pushes the boundaries in the preparation of beef , even though it is made from very simple ingredients, beef, turmeric, vegetables, rosemary, pepper... you can certainly adjust the spices to your ...

  Fragosika, cactus, or fruit? Fruit on a cactus! In markets abroad, and recently in our country, you can buy fragosika, a type of cactus originally from Mexico but widely distributed throughout the Mediterranean. I don't know if this unusual fruit is the most popular summer fruit in some countries, but considering of its benefits, you should at least try it because it cures diabetes, lowers cholesterol, and is also an excellent source of calcium, potassium, vitamin C, and magnesium. I tried it for the first time when I was a child, and one of my favorite aunts - Olga, told me in the vernacular language that it was called "mother-in-law's tongue" ... Now, did my aunt had some evil mother-in-law with a wicked and prickly tongue, so she independently and imaginatively gave this name to this unusual plant, or is it called like that by the people in certain parts of Montenegro, I would not be able to say for sure. Anyway, after more than three decades I found fragosika in...

Pasticio- Paw traveller Traveling is exciting in itself, as much because of getting to know new cultures and landscapes as it is because of the new tastes you will try. If you like to try the classic and authentic food of the countries you travel to, what most people traveling to Greece should not miss is the traditional pasticio. I tried pasticio for the first time ten years ago in an ordinary family restaurant on Zakynthos, and I liked it at first bite. I made it several times at home in my own modified version because some ingredients are hard to find here, but regardless of the modifications, it was excellent. Pasticio is a simple food , layered pasta with meat, cheese, and béchamel sauce, served for a family lunch. It is best when stewed for about three hours and served a day later. Cinnamon is added to minced beef stewed in tomato sauce, giving this dish a special aroma. The dish is prepared from a special type of noodles that looks like spaghetti but are much thicker and hav...

Rakia among Serbs as a cure for death! Although I'm not fond of "rotten fruit" as I usually call such types of fruit derivatives, I can't resist to good homemade rakia. I prefer quince, apricot, or peach, but good old plum rakia, for which Serbia is most famous , is not far behind on my top list. Rakia is a cult drink in Serbia. It may seem to someone who is not from the Balkans that we are exaggerating, but for Serbs, rakia is like some surreal magical creation , an unsurpassed medicament with no equal. Paw traveller In addition to drinking, we also use it abundantly for healing rituals from various ailments. For example, if you have a sore throat, make a rakia poultice, if you cough, rub rakia on your chest, if you have a fever, socks soaked in rakia are the right thing, and it is understood that it also cures rheumatism and arthritis, and who knows what else... And, we believe that you can also use it instead of lotion. If you put aside the fact that you smell like...