Ana Jurić grows this sage near Benkovac and shade-dries it the day she picks it. The flavour is strong, so a dish needs only a few leaves.
Dried immortelle holds its scent for months and needs no water. Ana Jurić cuts it on the stony edge of her plot near Benkovac and dries it in small tied bunches.
The Radin family near Buzet dries young rosemary sprigs whole. A whole sprig releases its scent slowly and is easy to lift out of the dish.
Irena Horvat near Klanjec dries the lavender slowly in the shade and only then strips the flowers from the stems. The scent is strong, so half a teaspoon is enough for a whole tray of biscuits.
Luka Šarić gathers wild oregano on the dry meadows above Lovinac, dries it in a thin layer and leaves it unground. It is sharper than garden oregano.
Irena Horvat near Klanjec picks lemon balm before it flowers, when it smells of lemon. She dries the leaf whole and does not crush it.
Winter savory is sharper than oregano and holds up through a long simmer, so it goes in at the start. The Radin family near Buzet cuts it just before it flowers and dries it in an airy loft.
Marija Kovač picks the chamomile near Đakovo on a dry morning. Only the flowers go into the bags, with no added flavouring.
Mountain mint is gentler than peppermint and leaves a cool trace on the tongue. Luka Šarić from Lovinac dries it as whole leaves, out of direct sun.
Irena Horvat near Klanjec cleans the rosehips before drying. The pieces are all the same size, so they cook evenly and give a deeply coloured, tart tea.
Irena Horvat near Klanjec picks the linden as soon as the flowers open, while they smell of honey, and dries them with the bract still attached.
Irena Horvat grows the lavender, lemon balm and linden near Klanjec, and Marta blends them in Zadar.
Rosehip and apple bring the acidity, coriander and fennel the warmth. Marta puts the blend together in Zadar, and the rosehip comes from Irena Horvat.
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.
Marija Kovač dries the coriander near Đakovo on airy trays and packs it whole. A crushed seed smells of lemon peel.
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.
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.
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.
Sage, coriander, fennel and dried peel from unsprayed lemons, cut coarse so you can see what is in there. Marta puts it together in Zadar, and the sage comes from Ana Jurić.
Wild oregano, paprika, savory, mustard seed and a few juniper berries. Marta puts the blend together in Zadar, and the oregano comes from Luka Šarić.
Coarse sea salt and whole lavender flowers, in an amount where the lavender only shows up at the end of the bite. We mix it by hand in Zadar, and the flowers come from Irena Horvat.
We chop the rosemary right before it meets the salt, so the oil from the leaf goes into the salt. The sprigs come from the Radin family.
Sage, bay and lemon peel sit briefly in olive oil, then we filter it, so no sprigs are left in the bottle to turn it bitter over time. We make it in Zadar, and the sage comes from Ana Jurić.
