Rub a leaf between your fingers and you will see why sage needs a light hand. Ana Jurić grows it near Benkovac and shade-dries it the day she picks it.
Dried immortelle holds its scent for months and needs no water. Ana Jurić cuts it on the stony edge of her plot near Benkovac and dries it in small tied bunches.
A whole sprig gives up its resin slowly, so the potatoes under it never turn bitter. The Radin family near Buzet dries young sprigs whole.
Half a teaspoon is enough for a whole tray of biscuits — lavender takes over everything else quickly. Irena Horvat near Klanjec strips the flowers from the stems only after slow shade drying.
Wild oregano is sharper and drier than the garden kind, so it goes in at the end and the smell survives. Luka Šarić gathers it on the dry meadows above Lovinac and dries it in a thin layer, unground.
Lemon balm picked before it flowers smells of lemon, not of hay. Irena Horvat near Klanjec dries the leaf whole and never crushes it.
Winter savory is oregano's sharper cousin and holds up through a long simmer, so it goes in at the start. The Radin family near Buzet cuts it just before it flowers and dries it in an airy loft.
Chamomile picked on a dry morning gives a clear yellow cup without the dusty note. Marija Kovač picks it near Đakovo, and the flowers go into bags with nothing added.
Mountain mint is gentler than peppermint and leaves a cool trace on the tongue. Luka Šarić from Lovinac dries it as whole leaves, out of direct sun.
Rosehips cut to an even size cook evenly and give a thick, tart colour. Irena Horvat near Klanjec cleans the fruit before drying.
Linden picked the day it opens smells of honey; picked a few days later it does not. Irena Horvat near Klanjec dries it with the pale bract still attached.
Lavender, lemon balm and linden, in proportions where none of them takes over. Marta puts it together in Zadar, and the lavender comes from the Radin family.
Rosehip and apple bring the acidity, coriander and fennel the warmth. Marta puts the blend together in Zadar, and the rosehip comes from Marija Kovač.
Paprika ground in small batches is still red and still sweet; old paprika is brown and flat. Marija Kovač dries and grinds it near Đakovo with nothing added.
Fennel left to ripen on the stem is sweeter than seed picked early. The Radin family near Buzet dries the seed and cleans it by hand.
Crushed coriander seed smells of lemon peel; the pre-ground kind in a jar mostly smells of nothing. Marija Kovač dries it near Đakovo on airy trays and packs it whole.
A whole bay leaf gives up its flavour slowly and can be lifted out; a crumbled one stays in the food. Ana Jurić near Benkovac dries them flat so they do not break.
A crushed juniper berry smells of pine and gin; a whole one barely smells at all. Luka Šarić gathers them ripe around Lovinac and air-dries them whole.
Whole mustard seed is mild until you crush it into liquid — that is when the heat appears. Marija Kovač sieves it clean near Đakovo and packs it unground.
Sage, coriander, fennel and dried peel from unwaxed lemons, cut coarse so you can see what is in there. Marta puts it together in Zadar, and the sage comes from Ana Jurić.
Wild oregano, paprika, savory, mustard and a little juniper — enough resin to carry through the smoke. Marta puts it together in Zadar, and the oregano comes from Luka Šarić.
Coarse sea salt and whole lavender flowers, in an amount where the lavender only shows up at the end of the bite. We mix it by hand in Zadar, and the flowers come from Irena Horvat.
We chop the rosemary right before it meets the salt, so the oil from the leaf goes into the salt instead of into the air. The sprigs come from the Radin family.
Sage, bay and lemon peel sit briefly in olive oil, then we filter it — no sprigs are left in the bottle to turn bitter over time. We make it in Zadar, and the sage is Ana Jurić's.
