Lumblija is a traditional cake linked with
Korcula, more specifically with the small settlements of
Vela Luka and Blato. This dish has been prepared in these settlements
for over 200 years, dating back to the
Napoleonic era and the French occupation of Dalmatia in the nineteenth century.
Lumblija's story is about
love, farewell and the true promise of eternal love between two young people. Love draws two persons together, then war separates them, as it often does in love stories from this age. The bitter flavor remains, although it is
much sweeter in this case.
Young Blajka and a French soldier, a baker by profession, fall madly in love, but the young soldier is called to war, and their
love is doomed. He tells his sweetheart
goodbye by baking a cake carrying the touching message
"Ne m'oublie pas" , French meaning "
Don't forget me." Because the young girl does not know how to pronounce the original inscription, she says "
lumblija". This cake will long be associated with
unfulfilled and painful love, yet proud Korculans continue to tell this narrative, which makes them
truly happy.
Lumblija is
made by a folk tales recipe and ingredients native to the island of Korcula, such as
raisins, almonds, orange and lemon juice, brandy, and olive oil. The European Commission also acknowledged its uniqueness and was given the
status of protected geographical origin in the entire European Union, the 38th status of protected origin for Croatia.
If you are not a
confectioner, don't panic; preparing this traditional cake is
really straightforward. Let us begin with the recipe.
Lumblija - recipe
1 kg of flour
230 g of sugar
250 g of fat (olive oil, butter, lard)
orange peel
lemon peel
a spoonful of carob flour
a spoonful of nutmeg
a teaspoon of coriander
some cloves
a little anise
a teaspoon of fennel
two bags of vanilla sugar
100 g of almonds
100 g of walnuts
100 g of raisins
rose brandy
firecracker
2 cubes of yeast
1 tablespoon of cinnamon
1. First
fry the almonds and walnuts well on a hot pan and chop them. Soak the anise in hot water, and add a little salt, while the raisins must be soaked in the broth.
2. The yeast is mixed in a little lukewarm water.
Mix all the dry ingredients and add the yeast when it rises.
3. Mix everything together,
add fat, rose brandy, soaked raisins, and aniseed with salt and, if necessary, add lukewarm water.
4.
Knead the dough for a long time until it becomes hard and then let it rise.
5. Make small balls from the dough and let them rise again. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 175°C. Then you bake the pears for 45 minutes,
coat them with brandy and sprinkle them with sugar.
Also worth mentioning is the "modern" new version of Lumblia, the so-called
Blaska torta. This cake is a
twist on the traditional Lumblia with chocolate, nuts, orange peel, and orange juice. The variant is a real dessert that you
must try if you have booked a
villa with a private pool on the island of Korcula. Explore the traditional confectionery of this region and
spend an unforgettable vacation on the Croatian islands. So
make your vacation sweet with a lovely vacation for family and friends on the island of Korcula.
Anna Loncar
10.3.2023
MY ISTRIA GUIDE
