The paths of the Šavrinke

The land that fed the people

“Look around you: almost everything you see was once food, medicine, or goods to trade.”

The Istrian landscape was not merely a backdrop for their journeys, but a vital source of survival. Olive groves, vineyards, orchards, fields, and pastures provided produce for everyday household use and trade. Beyond cultivated crops, the locals had a deep, practical knowledge of wild plants.

Among the most widely gathered were Trieste chicory (cikarin), dandelion (pizdonkula), wild chicory, wild rocket, wild asparagus, fennel, and other edible herbs. For home use and medicinal remedies, they also relied on sage, rosemary, savory, elderberry, rosehip, blackberry, and juniper.

Open the drawer or touch the plant on the screen: can you recognize it by its leaf, scent, or fruit?