Wine soup

Croatian coast was, just like Italian, very poor in history. Our fathers and grandfathers on islands or in hinterland used to drink hot wine with sugar and little oil for breakfast and for the dinner it was the same, but on the plate. One could dunk bread in it. In those harsh times it was the best think against hunger, especially for the kids. Eventually, they would fell asleep under influence of strong wine.

In Istria, biggest Croatian peninsula, it was red wine used, called Teran. Teran is today quite appreciated sort of wine, with sourish taste. From teran one used to make Istrian soup – Istarska supica. The translation is not correct, as “supica” (in Croatian diminutive for soup) in Istrian dialect means “to blot”. One blots bread into the wine. Not too hot, not too cold, it is perfect in winter time. Of course, don’t expect a delicacy, as it is not, but quite unusual dish.
You have to have a bit sour red wine if you can’t get Istrian teran. Warm it, add sugar (50 grams for one litre of wine), pepper, one tea spoon of olive oil and mix. In past, sugar was also rare and some wheat was added. Toast bread and let it blot inside the soup. That is the way how supica is eaten. The best way to mix everything is to warm wine on light fire or old firewood oven.
Cooked wine is not Istrian specialty, of course. Many European countries have some sort of drink with hot wine. But, supica is unique as it is regarded as dinner dish. I’ve tried it and I wanted more. What an alcoholic!