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 position Croatia as a gastronomic tourist destination in the best possible way. The workshop brought together key stakeholders of the gastronomic tourism sector, i.e. leading Croatian chefs, restaurateurs and food producers from major tourist centers.

"Our country continuously works to raise the quality of gastronomy as one of the most sought-after tourist products, which often represents an important reason for guests to come to the destination throughout the year. The fact is that Croatia is increasingly perceived in the world as a country of high-quality autochthonous food and wine offerings, which is proven the results of the latest TOMAS survey on the attitudes and consumption of tourists in our country 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, providing our guests with a special and unique experience.", he said Kristjan Staničić, director of the Croatian Tourist Board.

At a time when information is spreading quickly, and tourists are looking for 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 heritage and top quality food. In the desire to encourage mutual cooperation and exchange of knowledge on a friendly and professional basis, JRE chefs they presented 10 modern interpretations of traditional Croatian dishes. Here we are talking about a thoughtful approach to traditional recipes, as well as modernization and excellent innovation that has its foundations in Croatian gastronomic heritage, so, for example, the veal Zagreb steak was prepared Tibor Valinčić (Dubravka road), Spek fillet Bernard Step (Step), while she prepared boškarin torteline with mushrooms Floriana Ružić (San Rocco).

He prepared the Fritto misto dish Tino Sinožić (Navis), Duck with grinders Matija Bregeš (Boškinac), while he prepared Buzaru Dino Šeparović (Kala), who also worked on Orahnjača. White cod was a dish in preparation Stiven Vunić (Zijavica), he prepared meatballs and salad Vjeko Bašić (Boba), while he prepared the 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 for gastronomic tourism, was the moderator of this workshop whose purpose 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 manufacturers.

"Croatia is a boutique destination that, compared to other countries, may not be able to compete in terms of quantity, but it certainly can in terms of quality. Our trump card is the diversity and richness of our gastronomic heritage. The mutual dependence of restaurants and quality producers of local ingredients 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's add that this workshop is the result of cooperation 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 autochthonous ingredients and the Croatian branch of the international association JRE, which was founded precisely for the purpose of preserving the high level of culinary tradition, its expansion and promotion, and the exchange of knowledge about culinary tradition.

Photo source: Croatian Tourist Board and JRE association