November 25, 2022 - The largest fair of local products in eastern Croatia is held on the Karanac fairground alongside the traditional Cvarakfest. We are yet to find a more Slavonian event.
As SiB writes, like every year, the fattest and tastiest festival in the region awaits on the last Saturday in November. A festival dedicated solely to no less than the truffles of Baranja – cvarci!
The Karanac winter fair is an event that offers the products of almost 80 local producers, mainly from the OPGs of Slavonia and Baranja. Here you can make sure you stock up your pantry shelves for the whole winter. Famous cured meat products from Baranja (kulen, bacon, sausage, ham, cracklings, lard...), wine, brandy, juices, cheeses, pastries, cakes, honey, ground red pepper, wicker baskets, wooden kitchen utensils, souvenirs, antiques, are only some of the things you might find here.
Naturally, no event in Baranja can do without its famous cuisine. At the Vasar (fair), you can taste local cobanac (shepherd's stew), bean stew from a clay pot, kotlovina (grilled meat and vegetable stew), grilled sausages, and carp on forks. Wash it all down with top-quality wine. Before you start, don’t forget your aperitif of homemade rakija!
As part of the Winter Fair, the sensational Cvarakfest is also held in the same place. This unique event is a competition in preparing cvarci (pork cracklings) in the traditional way by “melting” them in a cauldron over an open fire. The winner wins the title of Cvarak Majstor (Cvarak Master). If you don’t feel like you’re up for the competition and would just like a taste, you can buy some fresh hot cvarci directly from the competition cauldrons.
The programme of this year’s Cvarakfest is looking pretty good:
Saturday, November 26, 2022
09:00
- Cvarak cooking competition
- Fair of local products: cured meat, cheese, winter meat, cakes, Baranja gingerbread, rakija, wine, antiques, wooden products, woven baskets, jewellery, souvenirs, etc.
- A rich gastronomic offer: grilled sausages, carp on forks, beans in clay pots, etc.
- Mulled wine
12:00
Cvarak Majstor Award Ceremony
If you are looking to spend the day in nature, with the added benefits of good food and even better fun, trust us – visit the Cvarakfest and winter fair in Karanac. Knowing how things usually unfold in Slavonia and Baranja, you might even learn how to do it and apply for the competition to become the Cvarak Majstor yourself!
And if you’re unsure about indulging in your cvarci as they are, you can always put them away, turn them into drozda and bake them into delicious pogacice sa cvarcima.
For more, make sure to check out our dedicated Travel section.
