The traditional Spačva sweets, salenjaci and tačke, preserve the spirit and taste of tradition in every bite, combining simple ingredients with a rich history. While salenjaci, known as the Slavonian croissants, delight with their layered dough and rich homemade jam filling, tačke are brim-full of an equally tempting sweetness in the form of jam filled “pillows”, and as such are the Slavonian version of ravioli.
At the time of the pig slaughter in Slavonia, traditional desserts are also made with pork lard and fat: salenjaci – the sweets with “a thousand leaves”, usually filled with homemade plum jam. They say that Slavonian salenjaci are Croatian croissants, but that is not entirely true. They are even better than croissants! For salenjaci, the dough is folded several times (at least four), so it takes several hours to make them. The dough is made with pork lard, the fat that is found inside the abdominal cavity and that stretches along the ribs of the pig. After the dough is folded several times, salenjaci are then filled with delicious homemade jam and baked in the oven. They taste best just after they are baked – while they are still warm – and sprinkled with icing sugar.
If you are not a fan of lard and fat, try the Slavonian tačke. It is another traditional dish of the Slavonian region, made from potato dough or dough made from flour and water. Tačke go by other names as well: tačci, taške, tačkrle, and if salenjaci are Slavonian and Croatian croissants, then tačke are Slavonian ravioli. Small pockets, pillows or pouches of dough are filled with delicious, sweet homemade jam (usually plum), boiled, then rolled in breadcrumbs, sugar, walnuts or poppy seeds… They can also be served with sour cream, cinnamon and a little sugar. You can also enjoy this simple but delicious traditional dish at the Tourist Board of the Spačva Forest Area.
