April the 16th, 2022 - The Croatian Prosciutto Days event is set to be held in the City of Split this year, as lovers of cured meat from Drnis, Krk, Istria and beyond gear up to celebrate this delicacy.

As Morski writes, Croatian prosciutto, presented through its four brands (Dalmatian, Drnis, Istrian and Krk) is one of the most attractive elements of the gastronomic heritage and cultural identity of Croatia. Tradition, autochthony and quality are all confirmed by certification and the standardisation of production, and domestic producers united in the Croatian Prosciutto Cluster are able to deliver a top product of uniform quality.

''We're promoting prosciutto (Croatian: prsut) as a traditional autochthonous gastronomic product and we're working on positioning thw Republic of Croatia as a gastronomic destination,'' they pointed out from the Croatian Prosciutto Cluster. Croatian prosciutto has become one of the most powerful products on the domestic market, in the production, distribution and sale of which excellent business opportunities are provided.

The continuous growth of production, the need for continuous improvement and creating the preconditions for a serious market breakthrough, have encouraged us to gather the best producers together every single year, as well as the greatest experts and businesses involved in the production of Croatian prosciutto. The Days of Croatian Prosciutto event is a traditional professional and business gathering dedicated to achieving two groups of goals - the continuous improvement and raising the level of product quality, its protection and promotion and connecting stakeholders in the production and distribution chain to achieve business growth,'' they explained from the Croatian Prosciutto Cluster.

This year, the City of Split will be the host of  Croatian Prosciutto Days, and it will form as a professional and business meeting dedicated to the country's most famous cured meat delicacy, which will be held on April the 22nd and 23rd. The goal of the Croatian Prosciutto Days event is to promote this much loved, traditional gastronomic product and preserve the gastronomic heritage of the Adriatic regions from which it hails. From an economic point of view, this expert meeting encourages the exchange of knowledge and economic cooperation between pig production, slaughterhouses and prosciutto production, as well as all participants in the "from field to table" chain.

The wish of the organisers of 2022's Croatian Prosciutto Days is to present the best examples of good practice from across Dalmatia, Kvarner and Istria as part of the event, and with the exhibition, socialising and professional work, they'll try to contribute to strengthening the Croatian prosciutto brand and its valorisation in the food and tourism industry.

On the first day, Friday, on April the 22nd, the Park Split Hotel will host the grand opening with a series of workshops and round tables with the aim of improving the production and business of the prosciutto industry, as well as expert evaluation and proclamation of the best prosciutto present. The next day at Prokurative at 08:00, an exhibition-exhibition event will be organised, where prosciutto producers will present themselves to the public. Visitors will also be able to see, taste and buy prosciutto from different Croatian regions.

Despite the growth of production, increasing quality and the fact that prosciutto brands are protected on the EU's single market, much of the offer is still based on imported substitute products. During the meeting, a round table and workshops will be held, and through dialogue an attempt will be made to find a common language in order to strengthen the brand of Croatian prosciutto as an autochthonous delicacy.

For more, check out our lifestyle section.

January 5, 2022 - Key ingredients of the Mediterranean diet are becoming the most recognizable Croatian products in the world.

The pandemic and stagnation in the world market have further emphasized the need for Croatia to focus on its food production. This is especially true for meat and meat products. Nevertheless, the potential certainly exists because according to the calculation of the Faculty of Agriculture in Zagreb, in 2018, the self-sufficiency of the Republic of Croatia in meat production amounted to 70.64%, reports T.portal. 

Croatian Member of the European Parliament and negotiator of the EPP Group for the Committee Opinion on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection on the 'Field to Table' Strategy, Tomislav Sokol, managed to fight for the protection of traditional Croatian products such as kulen and prosciutto.

"The European Union is determined to make the food system healthier and more sustainable. This does not mean giving up our traditional meat products such as Slavonian kulen and Istrian or Dalmatian prosciutto. Moreover, I am sure that our products, known for their top quality and traditional production methods, do not threaten citizens' health. As a member of the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection, and as a rapporteur for European citizens, I intervened in the text of the Opinion on the European Commission's Field-to-Table Strategy to protect the production of traditional Croatian products," says Tomislav Sokol.

Croatia has significant production potential in this sector, which opens new economic and development perspectives, especially for the Croatian countryside. Europe must become self-sufficient in producing quality and healthy food, and Croatian agriculture and the food industry must be integral elements of this system.

Sokol ensured that the Mediterranean diet does not qualify as unhealthy in that Strategy. Namely, other political groups in the European Parliament agreed on the text of the Opinion, which would label European, and thus the Mediterranean diet, unhealthy. However, during the negotiations on the specific amendment, Sokol insisted on changing the text of this act, which would mark the European and Mediterranean diet as unhealthy.

"I must admit that I was quite surprised when I noticed in the text that our diet was to be declared unhealthy. Flat and unfounded claims must not occupy space in official documents of the European Parliament. From the beginning, I was clear in my position, and I am glad that I was able to convince other fellow Members of my position. We are proud of our Mediterranean lifestyle and diet that includes the use of fresh foods, fish, fruits and vegetables, and essential olive oil," explains Sokol.

It should be reminded that the 'Field to Table' Strategy defines key priorities for setting up a sustainable and healthy food system, and the fact that the Action Plan accompanying the Strategy envisages the adoption of 27 legislative and non-legislative acts until 2024 shows how complex the implementation of this Strategy will be.

To read more about lifestyle in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.