The jury is in: you'll have to head to Istria.
The first Croatian National Pizza Championship took place in O'Hara pizzeria in Zagreb on February 12, 2018, gathering the most skilled masters of the craft from all parts of the country.
The champion title went to Romano Seferović of the Pizza & BBQ Buffalo in Vodnjan, Istria. The acclaimed pizzaiolo topped his creation with home-made salsa, sheep-milk cheese with truffles, buffalo mozzarella, boškarin cattle sausage, cherry tomatoes and Istrian olive oil, creating a perfect combination of authentic Istrian ingredients and winning the hearts of the entire panel of judges.
Seferović said he was over the moon for having won the title, as he has been working as a pizzaiolo since his high school days. He named the winning pizza after the Buffalo pizzeria in Vodnjan, providing the Buffalo crew with even more motivation to stay on top of the game.
The contestants had to prepare two pizzas in 20 minutes - one Margherita for the judges to rate the quality of dough, and another as their original creation. The jury rated the degree of fermentation and the structure of the crust, as well as its taste, with negative points awarded for a messy display or unprofessional presentation.
Fourteen pizzaiolos participated in the contest; the top three received prize money, with the winner Seferović also scoring a chance to participate in the World Pizza Championship.
Pizza & BBQ Buffalo was opened in 2016, rapidly becoming one of the leading pizza places in Istria. Its co-owner Igor Orlić stated they are very pleased with this achievement, which they see as proof that following trends and perfecting their products was the right approach to business. "Pizza has always been a popular dish in our region, but we're the first who have decided to step up and offer something better. The combination of top-quality ingredients and premium Istrian products is the main reason we remain on top of the Croatian gastro scene for two years now", said Orlić.
Source: Glas Istre
