March 15, 2019 - A list of the 100 healthiest foods have been known for some time and have been confirmed by experts around the world. While you can find these ingredients as a part of everyday nutrition and in many international catering establishments, you cannot, however, often see them on the menus of Split or Dalmatian restaurants, even though tourists say that authenticity is one of the most critical items in gastronomy.
To encourage local restaurants to use foods that are not only traditional but also healthy, famous Split nutritionist Olja Martinić organized an educational lunch called "50 Shades of Green". The name was carefully selected because the owners of the Split restaurant Zora Bila, Sandra and Dane, managed to craft a menu of five courses that included as many as 51 items from the world’s healthiest list.
The lunch, as expected, was very successful, and even paired each course with top-quality Dalmatian wines from Winebox, whose bases are also foods from this interesting list.
“Nutrition has never been as involved in modern gastronomy as it is today. Over the past ten years, the need for changing eating habits throughout the modern world has been intensified, and a lot of scientific research has contributed to this. Among the most deserving of proving the connection between human health and diet are two world-renowned scientists. The renowned Georg Mateljan is the author of the concept of the 100 healthiest foods in the world, and Mrs. Michelle Obama has also used his great knowledge in her project to improve eating habits. A distinguished biologist from Sorbonne (Paris), Prof. Dr. Duško Erlich, gave an incredible contribution to the study of the digestive system and its role in the usability of nutrients. Sharing important scientific facts with caterers who expect a productive season and thus show respect for guests was the basis for setting up the concept of this themed lunch. It is easy to pass on the knowledge along with the great and selfless support of the media that have been the true promoters of the Mediterranean diet all these years,” said Martinić.
At the top of this list is spinach, beets, asparagus, Swiss chard, tomatoes, broccoli, carrots, and cucumbers, and from the fruit, you can find raspberries, strawberries, melon, oranges, watermelon, bananas and kiwis. From dairy products, there are eggs and cow's milk from domestic production, and from grains, you'll find oats and barley. Parsley and basil, as well as black pepper, are at the top of spices and herbs, while beef and turkey from extensive farming are included in the meat.
The goal of this lunch was to promote the foods of the Mediterranean and brand Split on the increasingly demanding world gastronomic scene, said the duo behind Zora Bila.
Guests enjoyed tuna sashimi, soy sauce, young onions, ginger, chili paprika, avocado, and wasabi mayonnaise paired with an Ivan Dolac rose. The second course was orzoto with a scampi bisque and roasted shrimp, garlic foam, and edible gold paired with the Zlatarica Pilač from Vrgorac. Course number three was sous vide egg with asparagus, pancetta, and truffle, paired with the Debit Sladić from Plastovo. Course four was steak with a selection of vegetables and a sauce of yellow tomatoes, all cooked as George Mateljan recommended in his book, paired with the Sagul 2016 Plavac Mali from Winery Violić in Pelješac. And for dessert? Panna cotta with lemon, almond, orange, raspberries and a special liquor from WineBox.
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Sources: Skitopisi, Splitski Dnevnik
