A new gourmet food break on the island of Lošinj is offering visitors a fine dining experience coupled with an insight into traditional Adriatic cuisine. The olive odyssey, initiated by the five-star Boutique Hotel Alhambra & Villa Augusta, is a three-night stay in which you can trace the history of olive cultivation on the island as well as the chance to pick your own and follow them from the tree to the serving plate.
The mild Mediterranean climate, many hours of sunshine and untouched nature of Lošinj island makes it the perfect place to cultivate some foods, not to mention an estimated 1200 varieties of aromatic and therapeutic herbs which grow there. Such properties have long been valued on the island and it can trace its olive production back to times long before the current Slavic inhabitants arrived, when descendants of modern-day Albanians, known as the Illyrian people, lived here.
This heritage is explored in the tour as well as the influence of Ancient Greece. The tour is brought up-to-date with visits to contemporary producers and kitchens where visitors can try traditional delicacies such as olive pâtés and sheep's cheese in olive oil, peka (meat or octopus-based dishes cooked under an iron bell which is covered in hot embers) and brodetto, a classic tomato and seafood stew. With the scent of Lošinj's famous pine trees permeating the air, you'll also be taught to forage for the island's wild herbs and learn their flavours.
The seafood and meat dishes created on the course can be washed down with wines from Boutique Hotel Alhambra's extensive wine cellar, which contains over 400 labels including many rare Croatian varieties, with the renowned Iločki Podrumi winery a regular partner. 2019 bookings for the tour are available until August 1 and between September 1 and October 20 with booking and more info available here.