Whole bay leaves 20 g

Marija Kovač dries the coriander near Đakovo on airy trays and packs it whole. A crushed seed smells of lemon peel.

The Radin family near Buzet dries the fennel seed and cleans it by hand. Seed left to ripen on the stem is sweeter than seed picked early.

Marija Kovač dries and grinds the paprika near Đakovo in small batches, with nothing added. Freshly ground paprika is red and sweet.

Whole mustard seed is mild and turns hot only when you crush it into liquid. Marija Kovač sieves it clean near Đakovo and packs it unground.

Luka Šarić gathers ripe juniper berries around Lovinac and air-dries them whole. The pine and gin scent comes out when you crush a berry.