Istrian kroštule: crisp fried pastry with icing sugar

Kroštule are recognised by their irregular bows and delicate pastry that breaks with a light snap. Most of their sweetness comes from icing sugar rather than a filling or cream.

What are kroštule?

Kroštule are a traditional fried pastry found along the Croatian coast. In Istria they are particularly associated with weddings and other celebrations. There is no single prescribed shape: thin strips of dough may be folded, tied or pulled through a slit, so no two pieces look quite the same.

They are easy to distinguish from fritule. Fritule are small, softer bites of batter, whereas kroštule are flat, thin and distinctly crisp.

How are they made?

Recipes vary from one household to another. One Istrian version uses flour, eggs, white wine, butter and vanilla sugar, with optional lemon zest.

The kneaded dough rests for about half an hour before being rolled as thinly as possible and cut into strips. The strips are shaped into bows, fried briefly in hot oil until pale gold and dusted with icing sugar once cool. Thin dough matters more than a perfectly regular shape.

Where can visitors find and taste them?

Kroštule are not necessarily an everyday restaurant dessert. They are more likely to appear at local celebrations, food fairs and events devoted to traditional cooking, as well as on tables of homemade pastries.

Fresh kroštule should feel light and dry rather than oily, and break easily when bitten. They need no sauce or topping: a light coating of icing sugar allows the fried pastry itself to remain the main flavour.