Life

An impašt was a traditional medicinal paste used to treat joint pain and rheumatism – ailments especially common along the Adriatic coast. The name comes from the Italian impasto (dough), and the remedy was made by mixing healing herbs into a thick, dough-like paste applied to sore areas. Recipes were passed down through generations of folk healers, most often women known as Likaruše. Some formulas veered into the mystical: ”Add the blood of a young rooster, slaughtered on Good Friday”. Such instructions often gave Likaruše a reputation for witchcraft. Still, many who used impašti claimed they were more effective than modern pharmaceuticals.