Episode 75

Dobra večer, dragi ljudi!

It’s summer time and we are ready to learn some new vocabulary.

If you’re trying to beat the heat, and also trying to learn some new Croatian, you’ve come to the right place!

Lesson - Summer Fun

summer - ljeto

hot - vruće

beach - plaža

beach umbrella - suncobran

sunglasses - sunčane naočale

sunblock - krema za sunčanje

bathing trunks/suit - kupaće gaće/kostim

swim - plivati

waves - valovi

The Super Slatko Report

If you’re interested in learning about some summer refreshments, DJ Moe has a great SSR for you.

Sok, or juice, is a Croatian beverage staple, and we are huge fans! Join us!

If you’re unfamiliar with What Sok is, the word translates from Croatian to English as juice. But in the usage we’re referring to, it aligns more with a sweet fruit/vegetable/flower concentrate or a blended concentrate.

What is a concentrate? the general idea is a liquid substance that has had its base removed, in most cases that base being water. This process was originally patented back in 1939 during WWII to get soldiers a reliable source of vitamin C from orange juice. Allowing for longer shelf dates and transport without spoiling. Today most orange juice sold, is actually made from reconstituted orange juice from concentrate. And if you’re wondering what reconstituting means, it’s basically adding the water back to the concentrate.

Maybe your wondering why I bring this up.?

Well as we mentioned, I’ll be heading back to Croatia this month and I was just trying to remember some of the highlights from my 1st visit, and how Sok was a fun discovery for the kids and I. My wife knew about it and explained the process. Get a glass, pour in about finger of Sok and fill the rest with water, stir and enjoy. The kids started making their own pretty soon after, pouring less and less water into the glass to amplify their sugar intake.

It’s also kind of fun that the glass bottle of Sok is usually placed at the table, sitting right next to the water and wine bottles, so that there is an option for everyone. 

For me and my family, it’s part of my Croatian vacation experience along with so many other wonderful things I discovered from my first trip. It’s something the kids look forward to as well, as their pours get heavier and heavier each and every day, trying to convince my wife and I that they didn’t over do it. Sok might not be specific to Croatia, but to us it’s forever linked.

All that said, you can find Sok here in the US. Just check out your local European market or deli. Sok comes in a variety of flavors, some favorites are Orange, lemon, apple and Elderflower.

If you’d like to try and make your own Sok, here is a recipe I found from the web site CroatiaWeek.com.

And that’s it for the Super Slatko Report.