Rožata

Rožata is a chilled dessert handed down in Dubrovnik, in southern Croatia. Caramel runs over an egg custard turned out onto a plate, and the scent of rose lies beneath the flavors of milk and lemon. It is made by combining eggs, milk and sugar, setting the mixture in a water bath, and scenting it with rozolin, the local rose liqueur. Even under the same name, the liqueur used, the vessel used for cooking, and the timing of unmolding vary from household to household.

The rose liqueur behind the name

Rozolin is a liqueur made from rose petals, sugar and a grape-based distilled spirit. Petals and sugar are layered, the spirit is added, and after steeping in the sun, the liquid is strained and bottled. In Dubrovnik it has been used as a drink to welcome guests and as a gift, and it has also been added to homemade sweets.

The name of the dessert is linked to the local rose liqueur rozolin. As for its age, culinary consultant Josip Žuvela related one tradition in 2017: an egg dessert recorded in 1300 as “monks’ pudding” later had caramel and rose liqueur added to it.

Infusing the milk and mixing the eggs gently

The core ingredients are whole eggs, milk and sugar. Lemon zest and sugar are added to the milk and warmed, and once cooled, the milk is combined with beaten eggs. The mixture is passed through a fine sieve to remove the egg strands and the like, making a smooth liquid that can be poured into the mold.

The eggs are not whipped as for a sponge cake but mixed gently. If many bubbles form on the surface, holes are likely to remain in the cut surface after baking. Some versions add vanilla, while others are flavored with lemon and rozolin. Warming the milk also provides time to infuse it with aroma.

Heating methods that set the custard gently in a water bath

Sugar is melted separately to make caramel, which is swirled over the bottom and sides of the mold. The egg mixture is poured in, and it is heated gently with hot water surrounding it.

Heating methods vary. In one recipe (the proportions of ingredients and the method) handed down in Dubrovnik, the mixture is heated in a water bath for about 75 minutes, until it is set enough that no liquid clings to a wooden stick such as a bamboo skewer. There is also a method of placing the mold in a baking tray filled with hot water and baking it in the oven. The baking time changes with the size of the vessel: about 30 minutes for small molds and about 1 hour for large ones.

There is also a home method of placing one pot inside another, covering it with a cloth and a lid, and setting the custard in a water bath over low heat. Because it heats slowly while hot water is topped up, the way the heat reaches the custard differs from oven methods. What these methods share is a layer of water around the egg mixture.

Cool, then unmold—or unmold, then chill

Once the egg mixture has set, it is cooled and refrigerated. In one method, it rests in the mold overnight, and the next day a deep plate is placed over it and it is inverted, so the mold is removed after the custard has firmed up. In another method, it is turned out onto a plate while still warm and then chilled for several hours before serving.

The caramel at the bottom of the mold moves to the top when the custard is inverted. This placement of the burnt sugar differs from sweets in which sugar is sprinkled over the surface and turned into a hard crust with an open flame. With rožata, the soft custard is cut and spooned up together with the syrup that has spread around it.

Flavors that change with egg yolks, spirits, fruit and nuts

Even a small amount of rozolin adds a rose aroma to the milk and egg flavors of rožata. Some versions combine it with rum, while others use no rose liqueur and are flavored with vanilla and lemon instead. Whereas some versions are made with whole eggs only, other methods add egg yolks for extra richness.

Finishes range from simple ones with only caramel and mint to versions served with whipped cream, candied orange and almonds. In one method, raisins soaked in rum are added once the egg mixture is half set, so that they stay suspended in the custard. At home, it may be made in a large dish and cut into portions, or in small individual molds.

Rožata, which has spread to homes and restaurants throughout Dalmatia, also rounds off meals in Dubrovnik. Turned out from a caramel-lined mold onto a plate, it becomes a chilled dish carrying the aromas of flowers, citrus and liqueur.

Glossary