Ivana Vladović: Dalmatian brunch best represents the Dalmatian way of life and culture

The basis is local ingredients and traditional recipes.

Author  Goran Rihelj

January 27, 2025

Gastronomy is one of the strong motives for coming to a destination. All relevant global research says so, and the latest TOMAS Croatia research supports this, which recorded a significant growth in gastronomy as one of the motives for coming. from 5% (in 2019) to as much as 22% in 2022/2023. 

The Split-Dalmatia County has made a huge step forward in this field and positioned itself with the Dalmatian Brunch project, which brings traditional Dalmatian cuisine and gastronomic customs back to the forefront. It is a strategic project that aims to bring traditional Dalmatian dishes back into the restaurant offering, connect caterers and family farms, and promote authentic offerings.

I constantly emphasize that in our tourism strategy we must be who we are - Croatians, not bad copies of others. Authenticity is the very essence of tourism, because people travel to learn about new ways of life and cultures. 

Guided by the fact that quality tourism does not and must not come at the expense of the quality of life, Ivana Vladović The director of the Split-Dalmatia County Tourist Board (TZ SDŽ) states that the goal of the brunch ritual was to faithfully portray the specificity of life in Dalmatia, a time when you stop, take a break, and truly enjoy good food and good company.

“The Dalmatian Brunch project does not only promote gastronomy, but also the authentic Dalmatian way of life. All its relaxation, temperament, emotion, color, chatter, and even lively discussion. And all this used to take place at the table during brunch. During a break from work, usually from 10 am to 13 pm, the working class, who had been on their feet since early morning, would sit down at the table to refresh themselves with simple, yet rich and extremely nutritious “spoon dishes”, states Vladović.

As it always should have been, but in our tourism development we have somehow lost ourselves. This is about the Dalmatian identity, the way and culture of living that we should not be ashamed of. On the contrary, it should be at the core of our tourism product. 

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Photo: Mateja Vrčković / Source: TZ SDŽ

It is precisely these fragments of domestic life and local customs that the SDŽ Tourist Board decided to "package" into a top-notch tourist product through the Dalmatian brunch concept. Initially, the branding of indigenous Dalmatian dishes such as tripe, pašticada, gregada, tingul, cod was started with the aim of returning them to the restaurant offer, as well as the entire concept of joint "brunching". A key step in the project was networking with catering facilities and local OPGs in order to connect short supply chains. Currently, 40 catering facilities and OPGs are included in the project. For facilities participating in the project, it is crucial that they are not seasonal, that they use ingredients from local producers in the preparation of dishes and prepare them in a traditional way, that they use local wines in their offer and that they serve brunch from at least 12:00 to 14:00.

At the very beginning of the project, "Dalmatian brunch" packets with gastronomic specialties of this region,  prosciutto, salsa, mandulata, arancini and olive oil crackers, were also distributed on all flights of the domestic airline Croatia Airlines, from April to August. 

The project itself includes a number of chefs, as well as the association "Chefs of Mediterranean and European Regions", who have designed master classes and conducted education on the topic of gourmet branding of destinations.

The Split-Dalmatia County Tourist Board presented the Dalmatian Brunch project in Munich, Essen, Sarajevo, Zurich and Prague, at numerous fairs, as well as to the tourism and public sectors, tour operators, travel agents...

"The reactions from the tourism, public and private sectors are extremely positive, which confirms the value and potential of this project. Around 40 catering establishments and OPGs in Split-Dalmatia County have expressed interest in participating, which makes us happy and motivates us. Our guiding principles in the project are, above all, quality and authenticity, which is why we have clearly communicated the criteria that the establishments must meet from the beginning of the project, and which, we believe, has attracted all those who want to work on promoting gastronomy and jointly invest in branding the destination. What we have noticed is that some restaurants have started to introduce brunch and ready-made meals into their daily offer and advertise this on their channels, which makes us extremely happy because it means that this idea is spreading", Vladović emphasizes, adding that they have devoted significant attention to the education of all relevant stakeholders in the tourism sector, organizing a cycle of free training courses in collaboration with top chefs, during which they trained participants in the preparation of Dalmatian brunch dishes, improving serving techniques, and other key aspects that contribute to the quality of the gastronomic offer. 

"We believe that training the staff in the hospitality facilities that will participate in the project is of crucial importance in order to ensure the experience is at the highest level." emphasizes Vladović.

The next phase is the start of the tour of the facilities, the awarding of certificates and the "Dalmatian Brunch" sign, which will be visible at the entrance to the facility itself. A cookbook is being prepared that preserves the flavors and aromas of the past, in which recipes for authentic Dalmatian dishes can be found.

"After the certification process of the facilities is completed, we plan to launch a digital marketing campaign via social networks and other digital channels in order to raise the visibility of the project, gradually build the brand of the Split-Dalmatia County as an excellent gastronomic destination, and in addition, we will also target guests who are already in the destination with the campaign so that they are informed about this tourist offer," points out Ivana Vladović.

It is important to emphasize that it is crucial that the brunch ritual is “revived” by the local population. Only in this way can the project become sustainable, that it becomes an integral part of the local population’s rituals, and then tourists will also embrace the local way of life and culture. We are the narrators and ambassadors of our tourism. We have to live it so that the story is credible and “alive”, and not a kind of “theater performance” for tourists. The point is to improve the quality of life for the local population, and tourism is added value. 

For this reason, one of the important steps to bring the concept of brunch closer to the wider public and all visitors was the filming of the documentary series "Dalmatian Brunch", consisting of eight episodes. The series was also translated into English and began airing on Croatian Radio and Television in October.

/ / / Excellent move: The Dalmatian Marenda series is starting to be shown on HRT

/ / / Awarded the first certificates for catering facilities as part of the Dalmatian brunch project

"When it comes to the local population, we believe it is important that they also feel connected to the project, as this will enable the long-term survival of the project, sustainability and nurturing of our tradition and customs through the brunch ritual. The show on HRT was a complete success because it allowed the general public in Croatia to become acquainted with the concept of brunch, but also to restore interest in traditional Dalmatian cuisine among our population. Our goal is for the Dalmatian brunch to become an everyday part of life throughout the year, which is why it is crucial for this project to take root among the local population, and we will certainly actively work on making brunch a recognizable brand among all visitors. We want the Split-Dalmatia County to become synonymous with top-notch gastronomic offerings and for our visitors to enjoy everything our region has to offer," concludes Vladović.

Watch the entire Dalmatian Brunch series on the YT channel Central Dalmatia

Photo: Mateja Vrčković / Source: TZ SDŽ

*The article was originally published in the hrturizam newspaper. Would you like to receive the hrturizam newspaper? Join the hrturizam family and stay up to date with all the tourist information.

Author  Goran Rihelj

January 27, 2025