"The longest fortification system in the world after the Great Wall of China, the oldest salt works in Europe, and perhaps in the world are some of the trademarks of Ston. Ston is a small town located on the Peljesac Peninsula. Hailing from this walled town is a recipe that is sure to delight, if not confuse and intrigue – a cake made with pasta. A culture of life, its essence and its most subtle part certainly belongs to food. Cuisine of Dubrovnik area has long been one of the finest in Croatia and gained popularity all over the world. Tourists pour into this town not only to walk the famous wall and Game of Thrones filming locations, but also to enjoy culinary specialties. With its unusual appearance, this cake has long been a tourist attraction both in Ston and Dubrovnik and has been prepared for centuries. Stonska torta (Ston cake) has sweet and savoury elements that you either like or are challenged to try. This cake was made for festivities and celebrations (Christmas, Easter, weddings), as otherwise cakes were considered a luxury. People used pasta for the filling to economize on ingredients. Usually every household has its own traditional recipe. We are talking about a thin, unsweetened pastry that envelops a net of long macaroni (typically zitone or penne pasta), locally called makaruli, firmly compressed and mixed with nuts (most often almonds and walnuts), lemon zest, sugar, sometimes chocolate and butter, all bound with beaten eggs. The pastry can be made with lard, butter or olive oil. Sometimes grated or powdered chocolate is added to the filling, but you can omit it. The recipe is actually quite uncomplicated and you can easily try to make it at home."