As reported by Brac Online on February 18, 2016, cookbook Marenda on Brač is one of the finalists of this year's Gourmand World Cookbook Awards, esteemed competition for food and wine publications and blogs. Marenda on Brač is an extensive cookbook penned by Maja Duka, and it represents an homage to the time old Mediterranean tradition – marenda.
Marenda is a meal eaten around noon, celebrating traditional food that is not pricey but still miles away from today's cheap idea of fast food. Wine, olives, olive oil, octopus with barley, lamb tripe, chickpeas all found their rightful place in this fantastic book and even though some recipes may differ from village to village or from one island to another, they all represent the very essence of our lifestyle. Even in these fast paced times, the tradition of marenda lives on and when it comes to the island Brač, it is still consumed in the fields, olive groves, tavernas and restaurants. It is always prepared with seasonal ingredients so every time of the year has a selection of favourite recipes. Marendati (to have a marenda) means to sit down to a warm, home cooked meal, eaten most often with a spoon. It is, of course, served with a slice of homemade bread and a glass of good local wine.
This year's "Gourmand Awards" will be presented on May 29, in the Yantai Wine Bay in China. The Gourmand World Cookbook Awards were founded in 1995 by Edouard Cointreau and the competition is open to publishers in all languages and countries. Awards celebrate global cookbook and wine publishing and they are often described as the “Oscars of food awards".
All photos by Mario Kučera
