August 26, 2019 - Dugopolje prosciutto producer Smjeli was named the best at the 6th International Prosciutto Festival in Drniš.
At the 6th International Prosciutto Festival in Drniš, which was held from August 23 and 24, the championship title was taken by Smjeli prosciutto from Dugopolje, the Croatian Chamber of Economy (HGK) announced on Saturday, pointing out that HRK 150 million has been invested in the production of prosciutto in five years.
The two-day International Prosciutto Festival brought together gastronomy enthusiasts in Inland Dalmatia and exhibitors from Croatia and the region.
"Although the current production of prosciutto does not even meet 50 percent of the needs of the domestic market, it is encouraged by the fact that over the past five years more than HRK 150 million has been invested in new prosciutto production plants," said HGK Vice President of Agriculture and Tourism Dragan Kovačević at the opening ceremony of the event on Friday in Drniš, reports N1.
Kovačević points out that prosciutto is the key to the Croatian tourism we strive for, and is an added value for guests with higher purchasing power. Namely, guests in Croatia are looking for an authentic experience and learning about lifestyles and traditions through the wine and gastronomy offer, and products with the protection of geographical origin can achieve twice the price on the market.
At the EU level, Croatia has as many as 21 traditional indigenous products protected by geographical indication or designation of origin, including four different Croatian prosciutto types from Istria, Krk, Drniš, and Dalmatia.
“We believe that the prosciutto producers, especially the large ones, will better organize raw material production through the cooperative system, and that in the future we will meet the needs of our industry from our own pig breeding. Good raw materials, with standard production technology, is a key prerequisite for superior quality prosciutto,” Kovačević said.
The organizers of the 6th International Prosciutto Festival are the Tourist Board of Drniš with the City of Drniš, and the Association of Drniš Prosciutto Producers.
The festival aims to encourage the production and promotion of indigenous and traditional products, handicrafts based on tradition and originality, other cultural and traditional content, and the development and promotion of the overall tourist offer of the town of Drniš with an emphasis on gastronomy. Namely, besides prosciutto, which was awarded over the weekend, producers of cheese, wine, honey, and other local products were presented at the Drniš festival.
The prosciutto festival is also an opportunity to get to know the natural and artistic beauty of the Drniš area, the Krka National Park, the Čikola Canyon, and the works of Ivan Meštrović, in addition to gastronomy.
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