September 14, 2022 – Croatia is full of interesting people. You can find them anywhere, from your local pub to remote islands. Somewhere between the two, we reached Branko Presečan. Originally from Virovitica in Slavonia, where he still lives in the winter, Branko likes to move to the sunny island of Hvar in the summer, where he runs an unusual little business, and quite successfully so. Branko grows chili peppers and produces hot sauce, chili marmalade, chili olive oil, and more. Spice things up and meet HvarBanesco.
It all started when his young son developed allergies in 1997. That event took Branko to Hvar, where he decided to buy a house so that the boy could spend more time under the sun, in the fresh Adriatic air which tends to help. Things progressed little by little, Branko and his wife ran a few different businesses, such as a brewery, restaurants, and real estate. In 2015, as Branko says, he finally found his passion.
A lover of spicy flavours, he kept looking for sauces and products that would be spicy and tasty at the same time, and failing to find them. Naturally, he decided to buy some chili pepper seeds and try his hand at it. He started by planting a few plants and experimenting in the summer kitchen. Recipe by recipe, through trial and error, Branko managed to produce sauces, marmalades, and oils which range from spicy, to very spicy, to extremely hot, but all are fragrant and flavourful. He added that his favourite piece of feedback came from an American customer. Brian discovered Branko’s products by accident but stayed an unplanned three days in Hvar just for HvarBanesco, which he found to be the only hot sauce that packed actual flavour, not just acidity and spiciness.
In 2016 Branko started planting more of the little hot peppers, and in 2018 he opened HvarBanesco. He only plants five varieties of peppers – Jalapeno, Habanero, Bhut Jolokia, Jamaican Red, and of course, the world’s hottest Carolina Reaper. He sells his products to local restaurants and shops, and he runs a webshop, where you can buy some delicious spicy stuff from anywhere in the world. The only slightly problematic country, he says, is the United States, where the postage and customs reach dreadful highs.
As for the organisation of work, Branko never tires and does it all on his own, from planting hundreds of plants, to picking them, to cooking. His family usually stays in Virovitica, though they do keep him company from time to time. Regarding future plans, Branko says he is quite happy with where he is at and doesn’t want to go commercial. He will keep experimenting in the kitchen though, perfecting the flavours, so stay tuned! If you’re feeling brave, try experimenting yourself, and get one of Branko’s Carolina Reaper products.
Chili pepper eating competition in Jelsa, Hvar.
All photos are courtesy of Branko Presečan and the HvarBanesco webshop.
For more, make sure to check out our dedicated Lifestyle section.
