Yellow mustard seed 80 g

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.

Ana Jurić near Benkovac dries the bay leaves flat so they do not break. A whole leaf releases its flavour slowly and is easy to take out of the dish.

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

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

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.