After black Slavonian pig and river fish, the third edition of Osijek Gourmet focuses on game

The city on the Drava will once again gather enogastronomy experts, tourism stakeholders and other key "links" in the chain of production and supply that will November 18, 2024 at Hotel Osijek to discuss another pearl of the culinary offer of Slavonia and Baranja - wild ones.

As part of the four-year project of the Tourist Board of the City of Osijek called "Osijek Gourmet", an event that arouses interest, promotes education and valorization, and encourages creativity and innovation on the gastronomic scene, were previously held masterclasses and panels devoted black Slavonian pig (Osijek Gourmet 2022) and river fish (Osijek Gourmet 2023). After the previous very successful and well-attended editions of this project, it was time for another traditional foundation on which the regional gastronomic heritage rests - game.

Surrounded by rich forests and fertile fields, Osijek, as the center of the region, has developed an urban face, but has kept its tradition on the plate. However, taking into account the growing popularity of fast and international food, traditional tastes, especially those that require long-term preparation, are an increasingly challenging part of the offer of a destination.

This is exactly why the Osijek Gourmet project set the goal of education and networking of stakeholders in tourism so that through joint intellectual (and enogastronomic) efforts defined the challenges, potentials and future of traditional Slavonian and Baranja cuisine in the city of Osijek.

Wild game has a special place in the gastronomy of Slavonia and Baranja, known for rich tradition of hunting and preparation of spicy, aromatic dishes. These regions are rich in natural resources, such as forests and nature parks that provide ideal habitat for a variety of game species, including deer, roe deer, wild boar, pheasants and rabbits. The hunting tradition is witnessed by numerous hunting societies as well as hunting grounds and hunting castles, among which the famous Tikveš castle stands out.

But the wildlife on the plate, which is the guiding thought of this year's Osijek Gourmet meeting, is not strictly dedicated only to meat. The topic of eating and conversation will be wild foods that can be not only complementary, but also the main part of the plate. We mean wild foods wild edible plants which is particularly rich in nutrients.

At this year's Osijek Gourmet, several experts will talk about the importance of game and wild foods. In the panel called "How game and forest fruits create a unique destination experience"  Dr. sc. will talk about the challenges and the future of game. Vlado Jumić, head of the Osijek Branch Forest Management, Karin Mimica, the author and manager of the oldest quality brands in the Croatian hospitality industry and the face of numerous successful gastronomic destination branding projects, then pastry chef, consultant and educator Ivana Bralic, private restaurant Vinarije Josić i private Croatian national football team Tomica Djukic,  sommelier Tomislav Jakopović and Director of the Public Institution Nature Park Kopački rit Ivo Bašić. The panel will moderate Željka Balja, owner of Autentika and founder of Family Welcome - the first specialized portal for traveling with children.

The panel will be preceded by two masterclasses in cooking game dishes, led by the chef of the renowned restaurant Josić and the chef of the Croatian football team, Tomica Đukić, together with the head chef of Hotel Osijek Iva Gracek, and the main pastry chef of Split restaurant Dvor Ivana Bralić. The event will be enriched by a presentation Varja Guttert, head of sales in the public institution Kopački rit Nature Park and the best female tourist guides in Croatia in the category of tourism employee of the year 2022. The respected Osijek historian Dr. sc. Zlata Živaković Kerže and prof. Ph.D. Krešimir Mastanjević, president of the Department of Meat and Milk Technology at the Faculty of Food Technology in Osijek.

Their contribution in the form of recipes that will be available to the general public will be given by the already mentioned Tomica Đukić, head of the first Culinary Academy in Croatia, and top chef, educator and international cooking judge Željko Neven Bremec, then Alen Radanović (pizzeria Bocconcino), who in 2024 won the first place at the world competition in Naples for the preparation of the best seasonal pizza, mentioned pastry chef Ivana Bralić, Saša Vojnović (chef at Sloboda Bistro), who will take care of those who want vegetarian options, and Mrs. Dušica Siber (Siber Winery), who will publish a recipe for preparing quail.

The new edition of Osijek Gourmet will once again contribute to the professional education of stakeholders in tourism with the aim of offering better quality services to the increasing number of guests, but also to the local population in the city of Osijek.

Year after year, the interest is growing, and the conversations are getting louder and more networked, which is a good indicator of the need for this kind of event in the center of the region.

Cover photo Illustration /  Artur Kornakov on Unsplash