December 20, 2020 - The fourth Split Gastroadvent was held at seaside restaurant Kadena, with the importance of vaccines, the Mediterranean diet, and the island of Hvar in focus. 

TV journalists were honored as the candle of love was lit on the fourth Gastroadvent Sunday, with representatives of tourist boards and Split-Dalmatia County.

Olja Martinic opened the fourth Gastroadvent Sunday to emphasize the importance of vaccines.

"A vaccine has no alternative and is most important in fighting viral infections. A quality lifestyle is of great importance. The human body needs macro and micronutrients daily, so it is crucial to take them in, ensuring daily activities and a good immune response to many challenges. A moderate Mediterranean diet ensures perfect synergy and optimal intake of nutrients that we store in our body. We have plenty of fruits, vegetables, and perfect traditional recipes at our disposal," said Martinic.

Fish products are a good source of zinc (Zn), micronutrients of great importance, which has a beneficial effect on the metabolism of macronutrients and carbohydrates, and protein synthesis. The role of Zn in the protection of cells from oxidative stress and the normal function of the immune system is significant. It is essential to consume enough fish, oysters, oysters, crabs, tuna, shellfish.

As 2020 marks the jubilee 10th anniversary of recognizing the Mediterranean diet, this year's theme pays great attention to the sea. The Mediterranean Sea boasts about 2.5 million km² and connects all countries of the original Mediterranean diet.

Following this theme, this year's Gastroadvent wreath is also dedicated to the sea and its preservation. The seafoam wreath symbolically and literally simulates the sea world and is created from discarded trash and plastic. The Mediterranean diet theme inspired prominent sculptor Nives Čičin Šain to send a message artistically: “Let's preserve our sea and the life in it that feeds many with its beauty."

The Kadena restaurant chef, the highly respected Braco Sanjin, prepared a stunning selection of plates from various types of seasonal small fish provided by the Gastro Ribarnica Brac fish market. 

Mario Jeličić Purko presented Hvar Hills winery, which is owned by his family. Hvar Hills manages a 30-hectare vineyard on the southern slopes of the island of Hvar, which is also one of the largest island vineyards in the Mediterranean. They presented four wines: Bogdanuša, an indigenous white variety of the island of Hvar, Pošip as the most important Dalmatian white variety, delicate Provencal Rosé Pius, which is a blend of several varieties, and Plavac mali Maior Rizerva from 2016, which recently won bronze at the Decanter competition in London.

The fish of the Adriatic Sea was presented by partner Gastro Ribarnica Brač, which makes fish more accessible through regular campaigns, and with its professionalism, guarantee safety, availability, and originality. The Amare brand, which focuses on "love from the sea," combines hand-cleaned meat of Adriatic shrimp, which is synonymous with quality and an indispensable food for restaurants and households, as well as marinated shrimp, marinated anchovies, and salted anchovies. Their novelty is the first burgers made of Adriatic shrimp and scampi, which have achieved notable success on the market. On the wings of this success, the idea for a burger made of Adriatic fish was created, more precisely, of four types of white fish and two types of bluefish. Along with domestic fish during the holiday season, at Centaurus d.o.o., you can get an excellent "Premium" cod (Bakalar).

Ecology and competence in gastronomy and tourism are the future projects of the Split School of Tourism and Hospitality. Under the leadership of director Ivo Bilić, the School of Tourism and Hospitality Management Split has been appointed the Regional Center of Competence in Tourism in the summer of 2018.

The regional center of competence in the tourism and hospitality sector is the name of a long-term project of the Tourist Catering School Split and partners.

The idea of creating a Regional Competence Center (hereinafter: RCC) arose as a need to improve human resources in tourism, and this school has been in development for about 10 years. Seven years ago, a model of the center was presented at the Ministry of Tourism, originally an idea for developing quality schools in tourism. The initial model was for Split-Dalmatia County with about 15 schools (mostly in Croatia) that educate for at least one of the occupations in the tourism and hospitality sector (there are about 100 schools in Croatia). The main goal was (and remains) that students have better exit competencies upon completing education and uniform in all schools. The important role of the RCC is to connect with the local community, and it will be manifested through two goals:

1) Projects with kindergartens and primary schools in creating habits among young people and encouraging reflection on tourism, and on the other hand as promoting our professions,

2) Participation in local (regional) events, creating habits among the population about the benefits and importance of caring for the guest-tourist. 

This year's Gastroadvent also features Mediterranean Food - MD.net, a project funded by the European program Interreg Mediterranean, worth 3.7 million EUR, and implemented by the Public Institution RERA S.D. for the coordination and development of Split-Dalmatia County. The project involves 14 project partners from 9 countries in the Mediterranean, aiming to popularize the Mediterranean diet. The main goal of the project is to strengthen research in this area following the UNESCO Convention on Mediterranean Nutrition, to raise the quality of food and life in 9 project partner countries, as well as promote the Mediterranean diet, which is recognized as the gold standard of proper nutrition, as well as its far-reaching beneficial effects on health.

This time, the Hvar High School and Petar Hektorović Elementary School in Stari Grad presented their products: sea salt infused with Plavac Mali and citrus zest, and traditional honey and black pepper biscuits 'paprenjak'. 

All products presented at Gastroadvent were evaluated, and the winner will compete at an international competition in Seville, Spain, next year. Split-Dalmatia County prefect Blazenko Boban announced High school "Brac" in Supetar with their 'varenik' tomato sauce as the winner! 

Split Gastroadvent is held every Advent Sunday at a new location, honoring a different group of journalists. 

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