The third Osijek Gourmet delighted the expert audience with innovative dishes along with an educational program and constructive discussion

It was held in the fantastic surroundings of Hotel Osijek by the river Drava the third Osijek Gourmet organized by the Tourist Board of the City of Osijek and partners. The previous two editions of this culinary and educational event were dedicated to black Slavonian pig and river fish, and this year's theme "wild on a plate" she focused on game dishes and "wild" foods.

With great interest from the professional public, the event consisted of two masterclasses and an expert panel, and the participants enjoyed innovative tastes, demonstrations, presentations and constructive discussion and exchange of ideas, all with the aim of better understanding the situation and challenges faced by manufacturers, sellers, chefs and other stakeholders in the enogastronomic chain of Slavonia and Baranja.

Tomica Đukić and Ivana Bralić delighted the audience with game dishes and unusual desserts

It all started in the conference hall aptly named "Kesten". Tomica Djukic, famous private of the Croatian football team and the restaurant and winery Josić, demonstrated the preparation of two game dishes in the company Ive Gracek, the main ones private kitchen of Hotel Osijek. The deer meat was selected, he emphasized private, precisely because of its superior quality.

Fantastic dishes were presented in the company of an interested audience that included enogastronomy experts and educators: venison leg in vegetables te deer shoulder in pear sauce. Side dishes to these dishes were gnocchi, that is, polenta with cheese prepared in milk, and everything was rounded off by unique, delicious sauces and prunes. The dishes were well matched with Cabernet Franc 2019 wine from Josić Wineries.

After the educational and sympathetic performance of Osijek chefs, took over the cooking demonstration table pastry chef Ivana Bralic from the Dvor restaurant in Split. Having also prepared two plates, private Bralić demonstrated its preparation, and then served it dessert with chestnut and acorn ice cream te tartuffino. The incredible flavors of these unique and never-before-seen desserts will remain in the memory of those present long after the tasting, and the creative look in the spirit of the wilderness and the forest has certainly sparked the inspiration and imagination of many.

It was a particularly unique experience acorn ice cream which the author emphasized is surprisingly healthy and tasty. Grand Cuvee also from the Josić Winery was served with the desserts.

Expert panel on the potential of the enogastronomy of Osijek, Slavonia and Baranja

After a short break, he started in the nearby "Javor" hall expert panel "How game and forest fruits create a unique destination experience". It was preceded by an introductory address from the director of the Tourist Board of the city of Osijek Tajane Rogulja and the presentation of the sales manager at the Public Institution Nature Park Kopački rit and the best female tourist guides in Croatia in the category Employees of the Year in Tourism 2022, Varja Guttert.

"The previous two editions of the Osijek Gourmet manifestation showed that in Osijek there is a need and great interest in acquiring new eno gastronomic knowledge, exchanging experiences, but also in general networking in the tourism sector. Therefore, I can say with great pleasure that this third Osijek Gourmet is just a continuation in a stronger promotion and valorization of our local authentic foods as strong gastronomic assets of the tourism of the city of Osijek and its surroundings. trends in tourism, and offer guests unforgettable experiences of our destination", said the director of the Tourist Board of the city of Osijek Tajana Rogulja.

The lecture demonstrated how hunting is deeply woven into the history of this region and showed the wealth of game and all other animals that live in Slavonia and Baranja, but especially in the Kopački rit Nature Park. The inspiring lecture was imbued with personal anecdotes and experiences, so the interested audience really got a complete tourist experience and storytelling experience.

This was followed by the aforementioned panel, which discussed the challenges and future of game as a product. Dr. sc. spoke on the panel. 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 Kopački rit Nature Park Ivo Bašić. She moderated the panel Željka Balja, owner of Autentika and founder of Family Welcome, the first specialized portal for family travel.

The emphasis of the panel was on researching the connection between game, forest fruits and the tourist experience

All panelists offered a unique perspective on the issue of game and wild foods. Jumic pointed out that Hrvatske šume supplies restaurants and consumers with game meat, but also that they face challenges such as a lack of processing capacity and a collection center for wider meat distribution. It is a problem that has been discussed several times in different contexts and from different points of view. Ivo Bašić he pointed out the other side of the tourist story related to wild game and emphasized the natural beauty of the Kopački rit area. Unlike national parks, management is allowed in nature parks, which is both a challenge and an opportunity.

On the culinary side, Tomica Djukic he pointed out that the guests on the game plate mostly look for deer and wild boar, but he also pointed out that the preparation of these dishes is time-consuming and not at all simple. These are dishes that require several days of preparation, starting with skinning, analysis, cleaning, and only then it comes into the hands of the chef, who will prepare the meat for hours.

Combining taste and experience - an art that connects wilderness, wine and storytelling

Sommelier Tomislav Jakopovć did not want to give definitive answers about pairing game and wine, but pointed out that pairing food with wine depends on the ingredients themselves and other components in the dish, as well as personal impression. Although there are some recommendations, and several types of red wine and wines with increased acidity are mentioned, each dish still requires special attention, but also a subjective impression.

Karin Mimica she especially emphasized the importance of educating caterers and chefs when preparing and presenting game meat, and emphasized the importance of the "story" when branding the enogastronomy of the destination.

"The tourist experience is a comprehensive experience, which is why the guest wants to intrigue both his imagination and his palate. It is therefore important to show guests the connection between hunting and the hunting tradition in Slavonia and Baranja with the flavors on the plate.", Mimica pointed out.

pastry chef Ivana Bralic she talked about the challenge, but also the satisfaction of working with wild herbs and berries. Foods should be respected, the best should be extracted from them, but also chosen depending on the season. As the biggest advantage, she pointed out the surprise of guests who are offered something truly unique on their plate, and dishes made from unusual ingredients do not have the opportunity to be tasted just anywhere, which creates a lasting memory and an interesting anecdote. However, the most important thing is that the offered dish is really tasty.

The conversations offered more constructive topics and opened some questions, and then there were questions from the audience, after which the conversation opened about other parts of Croatia, as well as Michelin's recommendations and stars. At the conclusion of the panel discussion, all participants were invited to a snack prepared by top staff of the newly renovated Meandar restaurant within Hotel Osijek. The dishes, of course, were appropriate to the theme of the meeting.

Osijek Gourmet: A bridge between tradition and innovation

In conclusion, it is the third Osijek Gourmet showed once again that Osijek is indeed the center of the region's enogastronomic scene and that as such it should be a place for the exchange of ideas, products, as well as healthy competition and improvement. Conversations with experts in the field of enogastronomy were inspiring and, most importantly, educational, which is why they certainly stimulated discussions about some neglected or insufficiently highlighted aspects of game and "wild" foods.

In the spirit of optimism and good atmosphere that enveloped the conclusion of the third Osijek Gourmet, discussions also began about the fourth edition of this manifestation, which awaits us in 2025, when it will be the turn of another authentic, this time dried meat, food, significant for the area of ​​Slavonia and Baranja - Cool. 

Photo: TZG Osijek