Food guide
A cooking method, not a dish. You must order it in advance. It is worth planning a meal around.
Peka is a bell-shaped metal lid called a peka or čripnja. Food — usually lamb, octopus, or veal with vegetables — is placed underneath it and buried in hot coals. Slow-cooked for two hours or more. The result is very tender meat or octopus with the vegetables cooked in their own juices.
There is no shortcut version. Either it is done properly or it is not.
You must order peka in advance. The minimum is usually the same day — call ahead or visit in the morning. Some konobas ask you to arrange it the evening before. If you arrive and ask for peka without ordering ahead, the answer will be no.
This is not a problem — it is a planning step. Almost every konoba with a wood fire can do peka if asked.
Both are worth trying. Octopus peka is lighter and more common on the coast and islands. Lamb peka is more common inland or in the Dalmatian hinterland. On Vis and Lastovo, octopus peka is a particular local speciality. On the islands further from the mainland, lamb tends to be less fresh — go for the octopus.
Do not look for peka at harbour restaurants in Hvar town or Dubrovnik — they do not usually do it properly or at all. Find a konoba away from the main tourist areas. The ones that do it well will have a wood fire and a menu that changes daily.
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