Dish of the day · Dishle #44 answer · July 25, 2026

What Is Black Risotto? Croatia's Squid Ink Rice

Black Risotto is a Croatian rice dish, called crni rižot in Croatian, that turns glossy and jet-black from cuttlefish or squid ink stirred into the rice. The name says it plainly: crni means black, and rižot means risotto. It comes from the Adriatic coast, where Italian risotto technique met the day’s catch. The ink lends the dish a deep, briny flavor of the sea, and it cheerfully stains your teeth black for a few minutes after the last bite, which is half the fun of ordering it.

A short history

Black risotto sits where Croatian and Italian cooking overlap along the Adriatic. Risotto itself is a northern Italian method of slowly coaxing starch from short rice with warm stock. Coastal cooks in Dalmatia and Istria, regions long tied to Venice, borrowed that technique and married it to local seafood. Cuttlefish and squid were plentiful and cheap, and their ink sacs offered free color and flavor, so nothing went to waste. Similar ink-dyed rice and pasta appear across the Adriatic and in Venice too, so neighbors on both shores happily claim their own versions of the idea. Croatians treat crni rižot as a beloved everyday classic rather than a settled invention.

What’s in it?

The base is short-grain rice, the same kind used for any risotto. The star is fresh cuttlefish or squid, cut into rings or strips, plus the ink that gives the dish its dramatic color. Cooks start with olive oil, garlic, and often a little chopped onion and parsley. A splash of white wine adds brightness, and warm fish or vegetable stock goes in bit by bit. Salt, pepper, and sometimes a spoonful of tomato round it out. Many cooks near the coast skip cheese here, since the old habit pairs seafood with the sea, not the dairy.

How do you eat it?

Black risotto is served hot, spooned into a shallow bowl as a main course or a generous starter. You eat it with a fork or spoon, and no special ritual is required. A squeeze of lemon and a shower of fresh parsley are common finishing touches. Bread on the side helps you chase the last inky grains around the bowl. The one guarantee: your teeth, lips, and tongue will turn black for a while, so it is a cheerful dish to share with people who will laugh about it. A crisp glass of Croatian white wine is the classic partner.

All dish guides · Dishle #44 hints & answer · Puzzle archive