As if speaking about the Slavonian fish stew itself, a famous Balkan author once sang: “the principle is the same, everything else is nuances”. Well, all kinds of hypotheses, theories, and universal truths about one of the most famous local specialties hide in these very nuances.

Answering the question "What's good to eat here?", at least 90% of the people of Slavonia and Baranja will only use three letters: "Fiš!”, the shortened Croatian name for fish stew. Speaking of numbers, this seemingly simple dish doesn't have many more ingredients than letters in its name, yet can be cooked in so many ways, all equally intriguing.

Once someone told me a joke, asking if I knew why you always get a bib with your fish stew in a restaurant. I said it was because eating it was a bit messy, but I was wrong. The real reason, apparently, is the undeniable fact that eating fish stew will make anyone as happy as a little baby! This is one of the countless hypotheses, theories, and universal truths about one of the most popular local specialties, the fish stew often made in almost every house and almost every restaurant in the area. Interestingly, although the recipe is not that long or complicated, everyone will tell you – with absolute certainty – that theirs is the best. When I, a native of Osijek, the daughter of a native of Osijek and keen fisherman, married a man from Baranja, my father-in-law said: "Now, my daughter-in-law, you will finally eat some good fish stew." My old man got quite angry, though it didn’t take much more than another spritzer with his new friend to get over it. Such disagreements are one of the little secrets of big fish stew experts, and there is no malice in the competition.

Anyway, the eastern Croatian fiš (or by its full name fiš-parikaš) is cooked with river fish (carp, different kinds of catfish, pike), red onions, salt, water, and spices - ground paprika (both sweet and spicy). Some people add tomato passata or concentrate, some add white wine, a hot pepper or two – and that's it. But don't jump to conclusions, things are not nearly as simple as they seem with the simple recipe..

Let's start. Do have yourself a shot or two of the local golden nectar that is rakija, as the explanation might take a while. The first question you might ask, naively expecting an actual answer, is which restaurant in Slavonia and Baranja has the best fish stew. Upon hearing the answer, you will simply decide that the smartest thing would be to just start somewhere and keep going. Try, for example, from the restaurant on the lower Drava riverbank, pass through the Čarda as you cross the bridge towards Baranja, and keep going until you’ve reached the border with Serbia or Hungary.

Another controversy is related to the way the stew is prepared. Most swear that it can only be cooked over an open fire, in a hanging pot to be rotated occasionally, because God forbid you mix the stew with a spoon! But if you thought that was all, you might have missed the discussion about the kind of firewood, or eventhe one dedicated to the pot itself. Cooking over gas is only recognized as legit in a case of emergency, while cooking on the stove is for the poor souls living in apartments. A joker from Baranja once told me that the company gathered around the fire is just as important. If there is no banter and if the throats are dry, even the best ingredients won’t help it, he said quietly.

The No. 1 controversy, you guessed it, are the ingredients. Pure forensics! Not even Halifax f.p. would sign the list with 100% certainty, because here, as the song says, the principle is the same, but everything else is nuances. Pharmaceutical milligrams are laughable compared to the thoroughness with which salt is added, not to mention the paprika. Everyone has their guy who sells the red gold, while the unfaithful
will even grow their own peppers, string it on wreaths, hang it in the porch to dry, then take it to the mill and supervise the grinding. There are also several theories about the type of onion to be used, how finely it should be cut, and while some swear by blending it, others see their dead ancestors rolling in their graves on the mere mention of such technology. If you thought water is water, surely you didn't know that there is a difference between well-water and that coming from a pipe, so just try and decide which to use. The fish itself is another thing, and the questions to consider include whether the carp is farmed or wild, if it’s enough to only use the pike's head and tail (and save the rest for another dish, perkelt), the order in which the fish goes into the pot, if the roe should be added earlier or just as the referee blows the whistle. Some are under increased risk of hypertension at the mention of deboned (filleted) fish,
while others might react that way if you just mention the instant fish stew spice mix.

A serving of fish stew is unimaginable without home-made noodles, but if you’re already hungry and think that it is just flour, eggs, and water, you are sorely mistaken. Eggs, according to the traditionalists, must come from free-range chickens, the flour must be of a specific type - smooth, the kneading must be done on a wooden board and the dough rolled out using a long wooden rolling pin. Opinions also vary about the thickness and length of the noodles, though there is somewhat of a census that they should not be longer than the tablespoon you will use to fish them out from the stew. Don't feel bad if the tablecloth ends up cherishing the memories of your meal (which, according to some, must be starched white, while others allow plastic for convenience), good fish stew must leave its splash marks...

Be that as it may, it's a fortunate circumstance for the hungry traveler and his hosts that the banter and bickering will only last until the steaming pot reaches the table. You will know, as soon as you taste it, that this simple red stew of sumptuous experience contains the crucial ingredient – tradition – that gives it an authentic taste and smell, an absolute and undeniable irresistibility.

P.S. Wiping his moustache after his third or so plate, my uncle would always blurt out: "Of all the fish stew I tried, I always liked poppy seed noodles the most”. After a spicy meal, do treat yourself to this lovely dessert as well.

Mandatory ingredients
- fish
- red onion
- ground red pepper (sweet and spicy)
- salt
- water

To taste
- white wine
- tomato passata (or tomato concentrate)
- hot peppers

Written by: Ivana Rab Guljaš