Some say that eating is a Croatian sport and Zagreb is full of places to train, although the range of cuisine choices is narrow because most restaurants offer nearly identical bills of fare. Expect to find menus heavy with grilled meat and fish, Italian pastas and risottos, and a few traditional Croatian dishes. Other ethnic cuisines (except for Croatian and Italian) are thinly represented, but some of the better restaurants are adventuresome enough to experiment with unusual sauces and preparations. Pizzerias are the most common type of casual dining spot around the city center, and Croatian pizza is remarkably good and inexpensive. For snacks, many bakeries sell pizza by the slice as well as meat- and-cheese filled burek (filled phyllo "Hot Pockets"), baguette sandwiches, and other filled doughy treats that work as quick meals. For sweets, the city's ubiquitous cafes and slasticarnicas (ice-cream/pastry shops) provide indulgent treats in a dizzying array of types and flavors.
Heart of the Matter -- The shiny red hearts on display in nearly every Zagreb souvenir shop are actually licitar, honey-dough similar to gingerbread that is shaped in wooden molds, hardened, and coated with edible red lacquer and decorated with flowers, swirls, and other trim. Young men traditionally gave the colorful hearts to their girlfriends as an expression of love. Today, the decorated cookies still are given as a sign of affection, but they also are given as special-occasion gifts or as remembrances. Personalized hearts sometimes are used as wedding favors, toys, and Christmas ornaments. Most recently, they have been used as hospitality tokens by some bureaus of Croatia's tourism board. The hearts have even been immortalized in a ballet, "Licitarsko Srce" ("Gingerbread Hearts"), by Croatian composer Kresimir Baranovic, which has been performed all over Europe. Today, licitar is made in many shapes besides hearts and rarely eaten but rather saved or displayed as instantly recognizable symbols of Croatia.
