Strategic project of Central Dalmatia: The foundation of the Dalmatian brunch is excellent local food and a traditional recipe

12. October 2024.

The Dalmatian brunch project values ​​the rich gastronomic heritage and the art of food preparation in central Dalmatia and as such is intended to preserve the identity of the Split-Dalmatia County and create an additional offer for tourists. 

By creating this project, the Tourist Board of Split-Dalmatia County made an important step towards self-sustainability in tourism, connecting restaurateurs and farmers, and especially in the promotion of authentic offers. 

Tavern Bajso and local groceries

One of those involved in the project is Ante Tomaš Bajso, owner of the Bajso Tavern in the Old Village of Jesenice between Split and Omiš. A family tavern that evokes the spirit of old times has been welcoming guests for over 20 years. It was started by Jure Tomaš Bajso, and today it is run by his son Ante, but his father and other family members also help.

"We are a traditional Dalmatian tavern that offers exclusively Dalmatian food. On the menu are meat, fish, baked goods, roasted lamb, buzare, octopus on salad, prosciutto, cheese - everything that is specific to this region", Ante told us, highlighting as an additional advantage the wonderful view of the sea that can be seen from the spacious terrace.

The stone house, normally about two centuries old, was bought long ago by his grandfather and his father Jure was born in it. The beginning of today's hospitality story was a former small tavern where about 15 people could gather. 

The facility provides a traditional ambiance, and the Bajso family is in business with Dalmatian tradition and quality. The atmosphere here is family, everything is relaxed, and therefore family get-togethers are most often held.

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To prepare their dishes, they use mostly meat or fish, which they try to get from local fishermen, while, for example, they get potatoes from farmers in Imotski. This entrepreneur is constantly working on connecting with small OPGs in order to have the highest quality food. 

You can't do everything, he says, but they try to get most of it from local farmers, while they buy meat from a few local butchers. They do not look at the price, but at the quality that guests recognize and are ready to pay more for.

Dalmatian brunch

Brunch in Dalmatia is not just an ordinary meal, it is one of the symbols of the Dalmatian way of life. Konoba Bajso joined shortly after the project was launched, which the owner saw as a good opportunity - which soon proved to be correct.

"Dalmatian brunch represents the core of Dalmatia, brunch is a very important part of the day because it also represents rest during hard work, it is also socializing", describes Ante, adding that it has been important since ancient times, when heavy people had to have lunch, which was a form of rest, socializing and refreshment. 

We ask him if, according to this, the popularity of brunch in Dalmatia is returning, to which he readily replies that, in his opinion, its popularity has never been in doubt.

Offer

The TZ announced the branding of catering facilities and products with a special certificate. Restaurateurs, small producers, winemakers and oil producers, as well as agencies for gastronomic tours of Dalmatia, are invited to join and contribute to the connection. 

"In this sense, we made a series of documentaries, which tell the story of brunch, but not only as a gastronomic experience, but as an experience of Dalmatian life. We combine culture, art and food", she said in the last interview for our portal Ivana Vladović, director of the TZ Split Dalmatian County.

The Dalmatian brunch is largely about connecting restaurants and OPGs, and most of all about promoting the authentic offer so that we don't lose ourselves. It 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 heart of our tourist product, says Vladović. 

"Each of our foods can become part of a brunch. Specifically, with us, it is peka, a dish that we prepare for a total of two to three hours", continues Bajso.

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Excursion Andrija

The project also got involved Lada Rakić, owner of the OPG of the same name, who runs the Andrija Resort with her husband in the village of Kotezi, near Vrgorac. 

This picnic spot offers the greatest gastronomic pleasures of local Dalmatian cuisine. In a relaxed atmosphere, guests can enjoy homemade prosciutto, pancetta, cheese, homemade beer on a skewer, lamb on a skewer, as well as various combinations of grilled meat and vegetables, as well as tripe, goulash and other delicious traditional stews. 

"We also prepare our specialties as brunches on a daily basis. We attract guests with affordable prices, and drinks are included in the price of brunch. In addition, our portions are really generous", says Lada, noting that brunch must be just like that - good, plentiful, traditional and affordable.

She has been in the hospitality industry all her life, that's what she knows and what she likes to do. When, after returning from abroad, they opened this facility as part of OPG, they immediately started with brunches. People started coming, leaving satisfied, and so a good word about them spread.

Tourists are looking for tradition and local flavors 

Since they are engaged in agriculture, they produce a lot of food themselves - potatoes, capula, rastika, lettuce, tomatoes, celery, parsley, carrots and others. They also have their own wine, liqueurs, nutmeg, herbal tea, sour cherry...

There are also hens that provide them with eggs. What they don't have, they buy from the surrounding area because it's important to them that it's homemade, tasty, seasonal and healthy. They buy local cheeses, lamb and veal from local producers, with whom they have excellent cooperation.

They have excellent reviews on Google maps, so more and more people find them that way, but there are still a lot of people who stop on the way south or back. Whenever they are offered brunch or a traditional dish, tourists are delighted - they are looking for it, because they can find classic dishes anywhere. Guests of the surrounding holiday homes also come to them and return, which is a very good sign.

"There is an increasing demand for homemade, traditional, on a spoon - the way it used to be eaten. They also ask about beans with sausages, peppers, sarma... If we have it on offer, they will take this on a spoon rather than mixed meat from the grill", says Lada, adding that it doesn't matter whether they are Germans, Italians, Poles, Czechs or ours who come here on vacation - they all love local cuisine and that's why the Dalmatian Brunch project has huge potential.

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Winery Balić

Karlo Balić from Šolta, he has a tavern where he offers his wines, and he is currently in the process of 'sorting out' the documentation so that he can start offering local food, something autochthonous and simple. He wants to enter the Dalmatian Brunch project because he thinks it is very good.

He recalls how his daughter once picked tomatoes that the guests from America who happened to be there saw and were delighted. "They looked as if they were seeing a tomato for the first time in their lives, took pictures of it and laughed with satisfaction", describes Balić.

He points out that it is important for guests to see that the food is local, they want to know what they are eating... That it is freshly picked, healthy and tasty, and it is best when they see where it was picked. They have their own seasonal vegetables, but for now they grow small quantities, only for their own needs.

"Guests really like to hear the story that goes with the product on offer, they ask for more, they don't just want to quickly drink or eat and move on, they are looking for an experience, interesting facts about food, they want to know where they come from, how they are grown, they are eager for new flavors, and they are looking for and special ambience", reveals this vine grower and winemaker who takes care of around 9000 vines.

Quality, quality, quality...

Ante Bajso emphasizes from the beginning of the story that the emphasis must be on quality. He also noticed that a lot of restaurants are already included in the Dalmatian Brunch project, and they are mostly high-quality catering establishments. 

In order for everything to be at a high level, excellent food is necessary from which the dish is made. When you have something to work with, it is not a problem to make a good final product, he believes.

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Bajso recommends to restaurateurs to connect as much as possible with local producers, with small farmers because this is also a certain guarantee of quality - it is much easier to grow a good product when it is not grown on a large scale, he points out.

The imperative of the project is that brunch dishes are a permanent part of the catering daily offer

The Tourist Board of Split-Dalmatia County emphasizes that they are extremely satisfied with the development of the project. Presentations of Dalmatian Brunch have been successfully organized in several European cities, including Zurich, Munich, Prague and Sarajevo, and presentations on the American market are also planned.

"These presentations met with a great response among representatives of the tourism and public sectors and the media. Further presentations of the Dalmatian Brunch on foreign markets are also planned, and we are currently targeting the American market, where we have been recording better numbers in the last few years. Americans are tourists who especially appreciate authenticity, which is why we will present the richness of traditional Dalmatian cuisine to them through the Dalmatian Brunch project.", point out from TZ Split-Dalmatia County. 

Also, they are nearing the end of production cookbooks which contains recipes for traditional Dalmatian dishes, advice from respected chefs, and sketches and stories about the philosophy of brunch.

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"This cookbook is the result of several months of work, a field tour of the entire county, conversations with long-time restaurateurs and chefs, and recording their recipes and authentic stories about Dalmatian dishes. We are happy that the newer generations, as well as those who may have forgotten the richness of our cuisine, will have the opportunity to find out what was eaten in the past, that they will turn to the healthy Dalmatian cuisine and that instead of 'ready-made food' when they are in a hurry or don't have time, they will cook what a simple Dalmatian dish that, for the most part, requires only a few ingredients and spices", statements from the TZ of the Split-Dalmatia County. 

The word about the project is spreading and more catering facilities and local farmers are expressing interest in getting involved, they add and emphasize that they will continue to work on strengthening cooperation with caterers to ensure that brunch dishes are a permanent part of their daily offer.

"Guests will have the opportunity to enjoy local dishes throughout the year. For example, during Advent, as well as other seasonal periods, we plan to introduce dishes adapted to that period. In this way, the Dalmatian brunch becomes not only gastronomy, but also a part of everyday life", conclude from the TZ of Split-Dalmatia County. 

Photo author: Mateja Vrčković

The content was created in cooperation between HrTurizam and TZ Split-Dalmatia County.

12. October 2024.