On Sunday, March 17, the second Day of Lim Oysters takes place. Last year, in 2023, the Tourist Board of the Municipality of Kanfanar prepared the first such day dedicated to the tastiest Lim delicacy, but also to some hidden secrets of the fairy-tale Lim Canal. This pearl of Istrian nature is known as the fjord, which is amply explained by the names of the two restaurants on its shores: Viking and Fjord.
The Vikings did not live here, but the Templars did, who lived in the church and monastery of St. Mary and St. Michael the Archangel over the Lim channel, in the shadow of the mighty Dvigrad. These sacral buildings were built by St. Romuald, a saint from Ravenna who found spiritual peace in the Lim channel, and certainly used the underwater riches for his sustenance.
Lim Bay is one of the best locations for growing oysters in Croatia. The oysters grown in the area belong to the Ostreidae family. They are gray and flat, while the meat is abundant, juicy with a light sweet taste. They are prepared in different ways, but they are best fresh with a few drops of lemon juice and served with warm toasted bread and butter. Of course, with drops of Malvasia from Istria.
"This year, the Day of Lim Oysters will be held in its second edition, after last year's premiere of our new manifestation exceeded all our expectations in terms of the number of visitors," says the director of Tourist Board of Kanfanar, Ivana Maružin Mrzlić.
"The main goal of this event is to present Lim oysters as a specific food characteristic only for this area. Namely, oysters from the Lim Bay are not equal to oysters from other areas, precisely because of the very specific microclimate conditions of this area, otherwise protected in as many as three categories. We believe that Lim's oysters deserve greater recognition and branding, and with this event we are taking the first steps towards that," says the tourism chief of this municipality, which is already known for numerous events that preserve local culinary and rural heritage.
Shellfish farming in Lim has a long tradition, although in recent years oyster farming has fallen to a single grower, Emil Sošić and his company Istrida. They are proud of their work, which is not at all easy and requires a lot of time. And oysters are at their best in mid-March, director Maružin Mrzlić tells us: "The timing of the event is due to the fact that oysters are best for tasting at this time of the year, around the feast of Saint Joseph, and we want to show visitors this food at its best."
It is a perfect excursion for gourmets and gastronomads in search of rare delicacies. After last year's success, the event has every opportunity to become an annual event: "Compared to the first year of the event, this year we have expanded the facilities on the waterfront, and we are glad that the potential of the event has been recognized by other catering facilities operating in the area of the Lim Bay, so this year everyone should be included in the event.
TZ Kanfanar says: "While on the waterfront you can taste oysters in their most original form - raw, with only a few drops of lemon juice, the restaurants "Viking" and "Fjord" will prepare interesting themed menus at promotional prices. In the restaurant "Viking" you will be able to taste raw and gratin oysters, pasta with oysters, fish fillet with oysters and polenta and dessert, and the menu of the "Fjord" restaurant will also offer raw and gratin oysters, bavette with oysters, sea bass fillet with oysters and Istrian curd with honey and figs for dessert. Another option of the menu of the restaurant "Fjord" for the appetizer will be artfully raw and au gratin oysters, offering an interesting combination of two foods that are the peak of the season right now - cream soup of asparagus and oysters.
In addition to the gastronomic offer, which, next to oysters, will also offer local wines, brandies, desserts and other products, during the Days of Lim Oysters there will also be a boat ride in the Lim Bay, an interesting photo corner, an exhibition of oldtimers... We believe that everyone will find something for themselves. and enjoy with us in the second Day of Lim Oysters", say TZ Kanfanar.
Photos: TZ Kanfanar