Indigenous, sincere and modern gastronomy in the function of tourism

Croatian tourist agency and association JRE held a joint workshop in Zagreb "Gastronomic tradition — value for money", which aimed to better position Croatia as a gastronomic tourist destination. The workshop brought together key stakeholders in the gastronomic tourism sector, namely leading Croatian chefs, caterers and food producers from major tourist destinations.

"Our country is continuously working on improving the quality of its gastronomy as one of the most sought-after tourist products, which often represents an important motive for guests to come to the destination throughout the year. The fact is that Croatia is increasingly perceived in the world as a country with a quality indigenous eno-gastronomic offer, as proven by the results of the latest TOMAS survey on the attitudes and spending of tourists in our country. According to them, in addition to nature, safety and atmosphere, our guests also give a high rating to the eno-gastronomic offer of our country. That is why I am extremely pleased that through this workshop with our partner JRE we have the opportunity to strengthen our gastronomic scene, where specific local dishes are increasingly coming to the fore, which provide our guests with a special experience and a unique experience.", he said Kristjan Staničić, director of the Croatian Tourist Board.

In a time when information spreads quickly and tourists demand as many experiences as possible from a destination, it is important to preserve the identity of one's own gastronomy, which is built on heritage and legacy and top-quality food. In order to encourage mutual cooperation and exchange of knowledge on a friendly and professional basis, JRE chefs they presented 10 modern interpretations of traditional Croatian dishesThis is about a thoughtful approach to traditional recipes, as well as modernization and excellent innovation that has its roots in Croatian gastronomic heritage, so for example, the veal Zagreb steak was prepared Tibor Valincic (Dubravkin put), Špek fillets Bernard Step (Step), while Tortellini from boškarin with mushrooms prepared Floriana Ruzic (San Rocco).

The Fritto misto dish was prepared by Tino Sinozic (Navis), Duck with millet Matija Breges (Boškinac), while he prepared Buzaru Dino Šeparović (Kala), who also worked at Orahnjac. White cod was a dish being prepared Stiven Vunić (Zijavica), Meatballs and salsa prepared by Vjeko Basic (Boba), while he prepared Komiška pogača Marko Gajski (Lešić Dimitri LD restaurant). All the listed dishes are prepared with the additional goal of gathering and motivating food producers to support recipes and the gastronomic sector with artisanal products, and as a result, Croatian restaurateurs include these dishes in their offers and thereby further enrich the gastronomic image of Croatia.

Executive Rudolf Stefan, who was recently assigned the role of UN Ambassador of Gastronomic Tourism, was the moderator of this workshop, the purpose of which was to point out the importance of high quality food, and he also drew attention to the importance of using artisanal products, creativity and presentation, using adequate culinary techniques, and he also showed concrete examples of solutions and pointed out the importance of the supply chain consisting of restaurateurs, distributors and producers.

"Croatia is a boutique destination that, compared to other countries, may not be able to compete in quantity, but it certainly can in quality. Our trump card is the diversity and richness of our gastronomic heritage. The interdependence of restaurants and quality local food producers is a key aspect of a successful gastronomic tourist destination. Indigenous, honest and modern cuisine is what we should strive for and what will set us apart from the competition.", said the chef Stefan.

Let us add that this workshop is the result of collaboration Croatian National Tourist Board, which recognizes the importance of excellence in the field of gastronomy with an emphasis on local culture and the valorization of traditional dishes and indigenous ingredients, and the Croatian branch of the international association JRE, which was founded precisely with the aim of preserving the high level of culinary tradition, its dissemination and promotion, and the exchange of knowledge about culinary tradition.

Photo source: Croatian National Tourist Board and JRE Association