Croatian Learning Community and Resources

Interview: Ana-Marija Bujić 

Hello Ana-Marija! Please, could you present yourself to the international Erasmus and ESC students in a few words? 

I think the most important info an Erasmus student would like to know about me is that the only regret I have is… not doing an Erasmus! 

All jokes aside, I am Ana-Marija Bujić, a multi-passionate with several roles in the professional world: a cookbook author and restaurant owner as well as teller of stories, using both words and images/photos. 

Can you tell us what was your initial life plan and how it turned out for you? 

While I was studying for my MA in English and French at Zagreb University, I thought I would stick to my profession and either teach or translate. Even though I still have the occasional translation/teaching gig, the majority of my work has to do with food and photography. This might sound like a strange combination, but I like to look at my professional life as a symbiosis of all the skills I have acquired either thanks to my education or jobs I have done over the years. It's interesting to see how it all falls into place at a certain moment (although not in the way you might expect earlier on in life!) 

Would you say languages are important to you? 

Absolutely. They are like windows into different worlds and different ways of seeing the world around us. Being able to experience another culture thanks to such a powerful medium as language actually feels like a privilege sometimes. 
 
What are your most useful language tips? Do you have some further language goals in the future? 

If you're learning a language, make it easy for yourself and do so using the amazing resources Internet has to offer. Pick a topic you like in general and then find podcasts (video or audio) you can listen to on a regular basis. 

As far as my own language goals are concerned, at the moment I'm maintaining my language fitness level by working with a few advanced students and in the future, I'd love to amp up my Spanish and Italian as well as do some teacher training courses abroad. 

Which European cuisine is your favorite? 

Three of them: Croatian, French and Italian (all of them pretty self-explanatory, I'd say) 

 
How would you define Croatian cuisine? 

It's a beautiful mix of historical influences and extremely rich for such a small country. A combination of Mediterranean, Central-European and Balkans cuisines. 

 What are your favorite Croatian dishes? 

I just looove a good popara (fish stew) or brodet (also a fish stew but with tomato sauce) as well as specialties such as soparnik (flatbread stuffed with chard) or komiška pogača (the closest Croatia gets to a pizza). 

You live in Dubrovnik, the spot which is one of the Croatian cultural gems. Can you describe your town to the Erasmus and ESC students? 

Haha, I really find this type of question very difficult (so much to say, so little space) so I asked internet for a quick solution. Here's what it said: " Dubrovnik is a coastal city in southern Croatia, known for its stunning Old Town, surrounded by fortified walls and overlooking the Adriatic Sea. It's a popular tourist destination, attracting visitors from all over the world with its history, architecture, and natural beauty." 

And while all of this is certainly true, I'd add that your experience of Dubrovnik will vary enormously depending on the time of year you visit: summer will be overcrowded, early autumn the most beautiful, winters are quiet and empty and spring truly has a sense of awakening to it. Come and see for yourself. 

What's not to miss in Dubrovnik? Tell us your favorite spots! 
 
There's no coming to Dubrovnik without taking a tour of the Old City and the City Walls are a must! It's much more interesting to walk around  if you have a tour guide so look for a good one (that's a single thing worh investing in when visiting!). Also, if you have the time, go to Mount Srđ to see the panoramic views and take a boat to Lokrum to soak up some sun, enjoy some peace and quiet and take a photo with the inevitable peaocks. 

Is there a dish we absolutely cannot miss while staying in Dubrovnik? 

Try the rozata. It's basically an egg custard with caramel (like crème caramel or flan) with a wonderful favour.

 
In your opinion, are Croatian people good in foreign languages? 

Yes, I think so! Especially younger generations who have grown up learning languages from a very young age. Being such a small county with a language that basically no one outside our borders speaks, it's paramount for us to learn other languages to be able to communicate. Language learning is an act of survival! :) 
 
Do you believe we have a common mentality characteristics? 
 
I am not sure as it's so hard to make generalizations. As soon as I think of an example, another counter-example springs to mind. So I'll skip this one to be on the safe side! 

Is there a Croatian song you particulary like? 
Oh there are so many, so here are a few bands/artists people interested in Croatian music might want to look up: Oliver Dragojević, Gibonni, Parni valjak, Massimo, Urban, Vatra… and if you really want to dip your toes into Croatian coastal culture, look up klapa singing - it's beautiful traditional a capella singing.  

Would you write a Croatian cookbook as well one day? 

That's actually on my bucket list - but one with a very specific angle and a narrower topic. However, I prefer not to mention any specifics before the time comes as I'm always afraid I will mess something up by speaking too soon. 

Tell us please, where can we find your books and which ones are available in English? 

 All of my books are available online at www.damijenestoslatko.com and the two more comprehensive ones are available in English ("What's Cooking in Dubrovnik" - traditional Dubrovnik recipes; and "Pantarul at Home" - a cookbook featuring restaurant recipes adapted for the home cook) .

Does your blog have some content in English or are you maybe planning to have it? 

There is some content in English, but unfortunately soooo little when compared to the Croatian recipe archives. I wish there was more, but at the moment I don't have time for building a bilingual database. Maybe it's time to get an assistant! 

You also coown a restaurant. Do you have many European guests? What Croatian dishes do they particularly like? Do you like to serve national cuisine as well? 

 Yes, we have many guests from all over the world, most of them from other European countries. We serve traditional dishes with a modern twist and they love knowing the story behind the dishes we serve. If a dish has a bit of history attached to it, it's an immediate hit! 

A long ago, you were a student that didn't know much about cooking. Share some tips on how to start being good at it. 

Yes, my cooking journey actually started thanks to my being a student away from home and my mother's cooking. And that's how I'd recomment any student to begin: with a fews simple dishes someone close to you can prepare well and teach you how to do - in person, over the phone or via Zoom, anything will do. Once you feel confident cooking those, expand your repertoire and... always follow your taste buds, that will be the best motivation. 

Can you share an easy Croatian recipe with the Erasmus students, something that can be made in a student kitchen? 

Try a version of the famous komiška pogača (tomato-stuffed bread from the Island of Komiža). Get yourself some store-bought pizza dough and prepare a wonderful thick salsa (heat some olive oil in a pan, add a bunch of chopped onions - double or triple the amount of onion that you would normally use, cook until it softened and then add two cans of tinned tomatoes. Cook until it thickens.) Roll the dough out thinly, cover half of it with the salsa and add some salted anchovies here and there. Sprinkle generously with chopped parsley, cover with the remaining dough, drizzle some olive oil on top and cook in a preheated oven until golden and yummy. Serve warm or cold. It's also great the next day. 

Can you share with us your future projects? 

There are always several projects in the works, but there are two I am very happy about. This spring my husband and I are starting an extension of our brand, a little take-away place serving quick high-quality food. That's a huge thing for us so keep your fingers crossed (all of you reading, please. Thank you!) 

Secondly, I have put my food photography knowledge into an easily digestible format and this summer I will be doing mobile food photography workshops with visitors. They will be able to learn some tricks of the trade.  

Thank you Ana-Marija! We wish you all the best and great successs with your future projects!