I have
already written about several families who have preserved their
tradition and decided to stay on
Kornati, living their life in the old-fashioned way. Some of them have modernized a bit and opened
taverns and restaurants that offer genuine
seafood. Unlike most of these places,
Beban tavern at
Lopatica Bay, also known as
Gujak Bay, on the island of Kornat, could be called
a heaven for lamb lovers.
Mudronja brothers, the owners of Beban, are the successors of the last family on Kornati that keeps sheep in a traditional way.
Those who have already visited
Kornati National Park remember that the entire area has a lack of vegetation and fresh water. Someone might wonder why anybody would want to keep sheep in such a dry environment. However,
experts guarantee that
roasted lamb from Kornati is
the most delicious of all. The secret to this lies in the
herbs eaten by the indigenous sheep and the
morning dew which serves them as a source of water. The best period to taste roasted lamb is between
May and the
middle of July. During that time, lambs, which have just been weaned from their mother's milk (they have just stopped drinking it) and have not yet drank a lot of water, grow to around 15 kg of weight, and they eat spicy and salty herbs. Such combination makes the meat especially tasty and it should be prepared not later than five to six hours after the animal is killed. Some might object to such treatment of animals, but lamb has been prepared in such a way for thousands of years.
[caption id="attachment_6508" align="alignnone" width="1000"]
Kornati[/caption]
The lamb meat is prepared in the traditional way, known as
“ispod peke” ("under
peka").
Peka is a steel bell under which a dish full of
meat, potatoes, herbs and other ingredients is placed.
Peka is then covered with charcoal and ashes. Such a style of cooking was already in use in the Bronze Age, although peka was then made of clay.
Aside from the sheep, the Mudronja family also grows
olives (from which olive oil is produced),
potatoes and
vegetables. Herbs used in cooking grow all around the island. Lamb, however, is not the only specialty the Mudronja brothers have to offer. Since fishing is deep in Mudronja’s blood, seafood lovers will not be deprived of their pleasure. The traditional menu of
freshly caught fish is inevitable in any decent tavern on Kornati. The
pontoon in front of Beban is equipped with several
moorings, while the depth is around 2.5 m.
Safe anchorage in the bay can be found on depths between 7 and 10 m. If you would like to know more about sailing Kornati, visit
A Yacht Charter Zadar!
I wish you a calm sea, a fine wind and a strong mast!
