October 24, 2022 - Celebrating the very best of local quality produce while showcasing the magic of a Dalmatian island in late October - Korculanske Pjatance 2022 was an event that had it all. A blueprint for Croatia's luxury gourmet offer. 

An awful lot is written about the quality of Croatia's gourmet offer, as well as initiatives to prolong the season. Currently, the Croatian National Tourism Board is trumpeting its national campaign, Croatian Tourism Month, which on paper looks like a great idea. A 35% discount off all participating businesses to allow locals and tourists to enjoy the very best of Croatia at a more affordable price. Except very few businesses have signed up, as it is peak season in continental Croatia, and currently there are only 5 restaurants and wineries in the whole country are participating in this pointless initiative. 

Meanwhile, on the island of Korcula, a little-known but rather sensational food and wine event celebrated its fifth anniversary - one of the most enjoyable, tasty - and educational - gourmet festivals I have attended in my time in Croatia. 

It had everything, and Korcula shone, basking in the late autumn sunshine and the considerable richness and diversity of its culinary credentials. 

(The bedroom view, October 22, 2022)

About the festival first of all, from the official website:

The first edition of Korculanske Pjatance, a food and wine festival, was held in the spring of 2017. when the best Korcula restaurants united in the desire to present the local population and visitors with the best of Korcula's wine and gastronomic offer. Motivated by the success of the first edition of the festival and driven by the desire to create a gastronomic event of the highest possible quality, the aforementioned catering establishments founded the association "Korculanske Pjatance" in January 2018. Nurturing a centuries-old gourmet tradition woven into the identity of the city and the island, the main goal of the association is the development of Korcula as a high-quality tourism destination based on top gastronomy, oenology and original hospitality.

Through a variety of food and drink offers, Korcula caterers present Dalmatian cuisine as a combination of traditional and modern, created in harmony with the seasonal benefits of the Adriatic gardens below and above the surface of the sea. Local connoisseurs present their gastronomic achievements at popular prices with creative menus designed especially for this occasion, which will change daily during the week of the festival.

Autumn is a logical season for the event, taking into account the wealth of seasonal foods that ripen or have their qualitative peak precisely at this time of the year.

Autumn thus asserted itself as an inspiration that, in addition to Korcula chefs and chefs, the famous Korcula and Peljesac winemakers could not resist, for whom wine, vines, the sea and the (half) island are inexhaustible inspirations for new stylistic interpretations of Posip, Grk and Plavac mali, many of which will be presented during the week of the festival, and will certainly mark the 2022 harvest and determine wine trends in the coming season.

(Stairway to Heaven, Korcula Old Town, October 22, 2022)

One doesn't have to be long on Korcula to realise that this is an island with a rich heritage and one which is fiercely patriotic to its local produce and traditions. No cheap Chinese souvenir shops here, but ones filled with local arts and crafts, olive oil, and those two magical Korculan whites - Grk and Posip.  

The sheer diversity of local dishes on Korcula makes it (I believe) the only island which has its own book of recipes for its indigenous cakes (Sweet Korcula has no less than 35 local recipes - all of them delicious).

And so to the festival, which was a combination of culinary celebration, discovery and education - something for everyone against a backdrop of social interaction and relaxation after an excellent tourist season.  

Korculanske Pjatance 2022 opened in trademark bright sunshine with a superb presentation of the wares of members of the LAG 5 Fest association. 

Including a very generous selection of local wines. 

An outstanding constant part of this year's festival was the daily marenda (price 60 kuna) hosted by Restaurant Planjak - fabulous local fare with sizable portions at a very affordable price.   

Among the honoured guests and participants was Dalmatia's leading caricaturist, Tisja Kljakovic Braic, whose depiction of daily life in Dalmatia is a true work of art. Tisja had an exhibition of her incredible work in the town park throughout the festival. 

Her latest book, 'Oni' was a Christmas gift a couple of years ago, and it was nice to come face to face with my favourite cartoon - Sarma, Day 5. 

You can take a tour of some of the exhibition in the video above. 

Day 1 came to a VERY strong close, with two outstanding dinners, this after an afternoon masterclass at Konoba Mate in Pupnat from Slovenian Michelin Star chef Igor Jagodic. 

Oyster lovers headed to De Canavelis for a Wine and oysters eno-gastro workshop with WSET lecturer Kruno Filipović & EventLab, moderated by Morana Zibar. Meanwhile, at Korcula's own Michelin Star restaurant, LD Palace, Michelin star chefs Kevin Bonello (The Xara Palace, Malta) & Marko Gajski (LD Restaurant) with the support of the winery Korta Katarina & Meneghetti, put on a culinary extravaganza. 

Early risers with a sweet tooth on Day 2 were rewarded with a pastry masterclass by one of Croatia's leading pastry chefs, Tea Mamut. 

This was followed by a superb look at the wonderful world of rare island indigenous varieties, led by Ksenija Matic at Filippi. 

Coming from Hvar, I was amazed at just how many indigenous varieties there were on Hvar alone, before discovering that islands such as Solta, Vis and Korcula all had varieties specific to their own individual island.  

Lunchtime? It must be marenda at Restauant Planjak.  

Education has been a key aspect of the philosophy from the inaugural event in 2017, and this year was no exception.  The City Museum was the venue for two presentations; the first by LAG SKOJ, LAG BRAC, and LAG 5 presenting the 'Collect the island' project, which was followed by a lecture by Ana Marusic Lisac B Sc. on the certification and protection of island goods. 

There were no places available for the star event that evening - a superb 8-course dinner by Slovenian Michelin Star chef Igor Jagodic, more than ably supported by Tea Mamut's dessert.  

Education, activity, and affinity to nature kicked off the third day, as the emphasis shifted to the village of Zrnovo, the host of most of the day's activities. Energetic participants were up early to forage for plants in the forests under the watchful guidance of Sani Sardelic. 

A successful morning's foraging yielded an impressive and varied haul. 

Which was put to very good use in the workshop. 

There then followed what was arguably the best part of the whole event, a VERY relaxed and lazy afternoon of indulgence at the excellent Eko Skoj in Zrnovo.

Where the food just kept on coming, Korculan speciality after Korculan speciality.  

An undoubted highlight was a dish I had never heard of before - skopac, which translates as castrated lamb. Superbly prepared.  

A very encouraging thing I noticed this year was the level of participation and engagement from other islands, and it was great to catch up with leading Jelsa winemaker, Ivo Dubokovic, for example - one of several familiar faces from Hvar.   

The theme of education was never far away, and Ivo Kara Pesic mr.phil gave an extensive adn thought-provoking presentation on the Slow Food Movement. This was followed back in the city museum by a lecture on The science and art of food experience, by Daniela Angelina Jelinčić, Ph.D. from the 
Institute for Development and International Relations, Zagreb. 

Meanwhile, there are certain people one cannot visit Korcula without saying hi. High on that list is Smiljana Matijaca, whose outstanding Cukarin pastry show is internationally acclaimed. And full of dangerous calorie traps. The Marko Polo Chocolate Bomb was a new one to me. Sensational.  

The final day kicked off with an early morning visit (too early for this correspondent) to OPG Komparak and a lesson in ecological beekeeping with Vlaho Komparak. 

But I did make it for the daily marenda at Planjak - lamb shank peka.

And how about this for a trademark Korculan desert display?  

There was swimming, there was walking, there was chilling in the cafe - a very relaxed few days enjoying this magnificent town and all it had to offer with very few tourists.  Idyllic. 

And one final dinner, this time at Hotel Korcula, with a wonderful touch from the Korculan community, as the first public presentation of a rather special wine in honour of a very special man was presented. 

Korcula was rocked 3 years ago by the tragic passing of Drazen Matkovic, the popular sommelier at LD Palace. A pillar of the community who touched the lives of everyone he met, Drazen lives on in the hearts of many on the island, and the wineries of Korta Katarina, Bire and Krajancic came together to produce a stunning cuvee in Drazen's honour called DraMa (using the first parts of his first and last names). 

A fitting end to an extraordinary few days of Korculan culture, hospitality, gastronomy and community. It was a true pleasure to be a small part of it. 

You can follow Korculanske Pjatance on Facebook - see you there for the 2023 edition.  

And whether or not you go to the festival, I do heartily recommend that you get up for sunrise at least once on your next visit. As you can see from the video below, it is truly magical.  

And don't forget to check out the drone view, courtesy of Steve Tsentserensky. 

****

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October 6, 2022 - The organisers would like to invite you to join the celebration of the traditions and food on the island of Korčula, the festival called Korčulanske pjatance, this year held in October for the first time, in the weekend of 20-23.

The unique island gastro story was started in 2017, and this year's festival will be the fifth edition. The festival is held all over the town (and some locations on the island, outside of the confines of Korčula town), and this year they are offering a variety of visits by famous chefs, lectures, workshops, just hanging out with the people in the industry, exhibitions, fairs and thematic evenings, and you will also get to discover the secrets of the autumn on the tastiest island in the Mediterranean.

Some traditions are tastier than others, and the autumn on the plates of the people of Korčula is a good enough reason to visit. Previously, the festival was held in the spring, but the brief autumn version of the festival held (courtesy of the pandemic) in 2020 led the organisers to explore the season of grape and olive picking again this year. This year, the restaurants involved in the festival are Fillipi, Radiona, Lešić Dimitri, Cupido, Nigra, konobas Mate and Škafetin and traditional producers Eko škoj.

If you're following the scene in Korčula, you might recognize that there is a restaurant with a Michelin star on the list (Lešić Dimitri restaurant), with two other Michelin-recommended establishments from Korčula also participating in the festival: Fillipi and Konoba Mate. The effort to brand the island on the national and global scene, with restaurants supporting each other in their work and cooperating in the organisation of such a festival can only be applauded.

Thanks to the Pjatance, the island of Korčula has seen a lot of education in terms of the most recent trends in modern gastronomy. In the last four festivals, most of the star chefs in Croatia held workshops or shared their experiences, including David Skoko, Hrvoje Zirojević, Dino Galvagno and Rudolf Štefan, chocolate maker Stiv Kahlina and many others.

This year's opening on the well-known Rotonda will bring together the islands of Hvar, Brač, Šolta and Vis, and their products will be offered at the fair, organized in cooperation with LAG 5. The cult restaurant Planjak in Korčula, a locals' favorite, will try to teach the visitors the island art of "marendavanje" (translating "marenda" is not easy. Words marenda and gablec are used in different versions of Croatia for basically the same thing, a meal that can be compared to what would be called "brunch" in English, but it's definitely NOT that. You need to come to Korčula to learn if you want to know more). The masterclass lectures will be held by the famed chef Igor Jagodić and pastry chef Tea Mamut, and there will be a workshop on collecting the herbs on the island, led by the curator Sani Sardelić. There will be a few wine workshops held, as well as lectures on olive oil, protecting and branding of various island products, beekeeping etc.

Daniela Jelinčić, PhD of the Institute for development and international relations will present her scientific findings to the public for the first time, in her lecture on the science and art of the experience of food. And, this year, after being closed for many years, a part of the festival's program will be held in the newly renovated Blue Club nightclub/bar, which will be open to the public after many years.

Themed dinners will be held in many restaurants with affordable prices: Kevin Bonello, a chef from Malta will work with Marko Gajski from Lešić Dimitri, and Igor Jagodić and Tea Mamut will also work together. There will also be an exhibition of works by Tisja Kljaković Braić in the Town Park in Korčula, mostly dedicated to the food.

To find out more, visit the website, FB page, or Instagram.

February 23, 2020 - One of the great gourmet festivals returns for its third edition. If you are a foodie, don't miss the Korculanske Pjatance Spring Food and Wine Festival. 

I do feel a little guilty having a secret love for Korcula, having lived on Hvar for so many years. 

In my defence, I was initially seduced by the very best, as Korcula's most famous Brit and owner of luxury boutique hotel Lesic Dimitri invited me over for lunch one late August day. Conversation with Michael was as delightful as the Lesic fine dining, a selection of Grk and Posip, and that refreshing terrace breeze. I still remember writing about that first proper Korcula visit - few blogs have been more of a joy to write. 

I have visited Korcula many times since, as well as catching up with Michael whenever our paths cross in Zagreb, but my favourite time to visit is early May, for a foodie festival which takes place at a great time of year in pre-season, and is as close to Dalmatian gourmet heaven as I have experienced here in a festival. 

The Korculanske Pjatance Spring Food and Wine Festival is, for me at least, one of the best adverts of the finer things in life in Dalmatia, and a blueprint of how to develop gourmet tourism in the shoulder seasons. 

The weather in early May is usually gorgeous, with many taking their first swim of the season. The focus of the festival is on local products, celebrating the outstanding quality of Korculan food and wine. Several restaurants have come together to offer a rich selection of menus, as well as cooking shows and fascinating workshops. In the first year, the family came too, and my two young daughters really enjoyed the pasta workshop at Filippi, before foraging in the woods to find the herbs necessary for Petra Jelicic's pastry workshop in Pupnat. As well as the beach and desserts at Tara's Lodge, of course.  

This year's event has just been announced - four days from May 7 - 10, and if you are a foodie and in the area, put it in your diary. To get a flavour of the festival, check out the official video teaser above, or the list of articles TCN wrote as part of its coverage here.

More details of this year's Korculanske Pjatance are coming - you can follow the latest on Facebook. 

April 27, 2019 - The second day of this year's Korculanske Pjatance Korcula Spring Food and Wine Festival took an outstanding look at one of the pillars of Dalmatian society at Bistro Radiona - 'marenda', the Dalmatian brunch.

Korcula in Spring is mesmerising. This is my second visit to the island of Marco Polo at this time of year, both to the excellent Korculanske Pjatance Spring Food and Wine Festival. It is fast becoming one of my essential entries in the calendar, for it has everything Croatia could - and should - be offering in its shoulder months. 

But how to beat the incredible start of the opening day, where Konoba Maha in Zrnova played host to an extraordinary display of local nibbles, washed down with tequila and a copious quantity of Korcula's famed Posip and Grk wines? The wise ones among us kept a little space for the evening spectacle - and arguably the event of the festival - a 5-course special at Lesic Dimitri Palace, paired with Korculan wines and introduced by Master of Wine Jo Ahearne. 

What could possibly compare to that, I pondered to myself, on an early morning stroll (see video above), taking in the breathtaking gorgeousness of this historic old town jutting out into the Adriatic?

First up on day 2 was 'Marenda - the Art of Dalmatian Brunch' at Bistro Radiona, a waterfront restaurant a short walk from the old town. 

Marenda is a double-edged word for me, and for many years, it had a really negative connotation for me. 

State institutions have an official break in the middle of the morning, also called Marenda. It is so-called as the hard-working officials who have been pushing paper around for at least a couple of hours, close the office and go for a coffee break and perhaps a snack. Nothing wrong with that, you might think. The only problem for those visiting officials in places like the tax office is that one never knew the time of the marenda, and so a locked office might be your reward for coming at the wrong time. And not only that - the normal marenda time was half an hour, just enough time to enjoy a nice leisurely coffee and gather some strength to push more paper around until lunchtime. So when I saw an advertised marenda time of 10:30 - 11:00, I would make sure I was in position by 10:59. Only to find that half an hour often became 45 minutes or an hour. Ah, life on a Dalmatian island. 

But then there is the other type of marenda - the actual eating. The so-called Dalmatian brunch. And as I was about to find out, the Art of Brunch at Bistro Radiona on Korcula was a feast indeed. 

I wasn't too sure what to expect, but I liked the warm welcome above. 

And you can't go wrong with a little prsut to kickstart proceedings.

We took our places at our table for two, our first mission to do battle with this wonderful plate of oysters. 

A little marinated anchovies never hurt anyone, and I particularly enjoyed the fragrant rock samphire and caperberries. A really strong dish, which tasted every bit as good as it looked. 

A little goat and fava bean stew.  

While my friend opted for the limpet and sea snail tagliatelle.

The sea snails were quite chewy and easily prized from their shells. 

There were more courses available, but I had had more than enough. Until the selection of traditional Korculan desserts came out.

And who can resist a little light rozada? 

A truly exceptional presentation of the art of marenda. I will be back!

You can follow Bistro Radiona on Facebook.

To learn more about Korcula, check out the Total Croatia guide, Korcula in a Page. 

April 27, 2019 - The 3rd edition of Korculanske Pjatance, the Korcula Spring Food and Wine Festival, got off to a glorious start at Konoba Maha, in trademark glorious weather. 

Of all the Croatian tourist destinations trying to implement strategies for the future, one of the most interesting and enticing is the island of Korcula. 

Like much of the rest of the coast and islands, Korcula is blessed with so many natural treasures - nature, beaches, heritage, culture and pristine seas. 

And outstanding food and wine. 

Putting these components together and trying to build a destination with an outstanding gourmet off which will attract higher spending quality guests rather than setting for the mass market is something that Korcula has been implementing for some years now, and with considerable success. 

Korcula Town has several boutique festivals in the shoulder season, including the Korkyra Baroque Music Festival in September but if you are a foodie, there is only one place to be at this time of year. 

Korculanske Pjatance, the Korcula Spring Food and Wine Festival, is now in its third edition, and it has already become an unmissable part of my TCN travels on the second day of this, my second visit. A series of workshops, cooking classes, wine paired meals and other culinary activities highlighting the Spring flavours of this must flavoursome island is one of the best gourmet promotional concepts I have seen in my time in Croatia. Various Korculan restaurants host the events, and with the island's winemakers providing their excellent Grk, Posip and other local varieties, this is a festival to satisfy even the most demanding gourmand. 

This year's festival started at Konoba Maha, near Zrnova, with an opening ceremony with (quite a few) nibbles. for media, partners and participants. The slow-burning fire gave a taster of the meat and tuna tasters, which would follow, but there was plenty to sample before then. 

And before we could even get to the wine, an obligatory 11 am tequila cocktail, which hit the spot rather well. 

Many of the island's top chefs had prepared various delicacies, and Lesic Dimitri chef Marko Gajski was busy applying the final touches. It was to be a busy day for young Marko, who would later serve up an astonishing 5-course special at Lesic Dimitri Palace, with wine pairings provided by Master of Wine Jo Ahearne, who had popped over from the neighbouring island of Hvar, where she is the first Master of Wine making wine in Croatia, all from local indigenous grape varieties. 

It was also my first visit to Konoba Maha, and the setting was superb. There is a trend in Croatia to develop agro-tourism businesses, and while the quality of the end product can leave a little to be desired at times, Konoba Maha is showing what can be achieved. The garden is lush with a rich and aromatic selection of local plant life, with a section which also provides vegetables for the Maha kitchen. It is a divine spot in total isolation. 

A divine spot, even with the food. But add in a few bites to eat... 

A selection of the initial offerings while the slow cooking happened a few feet away. 

Korcula is famous for its white wines of Grk and Posip, and both are regarded as among the best white wines in all Croatia. A number of the island's winemakers turned up to support the event. 

With a rather an impressive selection of Korculan wines to try. And with a cocktail workshop to come at 15:00, followed by that Lesic dinner, it was necessary to pace oneself a little. 

From wine to cocktails, and there was plenty of engagement from participants in the workshop, which this correspondent had to leave soon after it started due to a prior commitment. 

There was so much to look forward to in the next day and a half. That dinner at Lesic Dimitri Palace.

Learning about 'marenda', a type of Dalmatian brunch the following morning. 

Before a 6-course dinner with celebrated Croatian chef, Dino Galvagno, back at Konoba Maha. All this before a Galvagno masterclass on the topic of Wild Edibles and Entrails the following morning. For details of more events at Korculanske Pjatance, follow the festival Facebook page. 

And put it in your diary for next year. 

April 12, 2019 - Gourmet heaven in Spring, as historic Korcula comes alive with the Korculanske Pjatance Spring Food and Wine Festival.

It was without doubt the nice thing we did as a family last year. 

And if someone asked me to cherry pick a Croatian gourmet experience, I don't think I could have done better than a 5-course special at arguably Croatia's leading luxury boutique hotel, Lesic Dimitri, whose restaurant is in the Michelin Guide, with wines from Bire, who was coincidentally celebrating 20 years of his iconic Lumbarda winery, most famous for its Grk. A perfect introduction to a fabulous food and wine festival on Korcula, which this year returns from April 26-30. You can read about the opening night here.

Tara's Lodge in early MayTara's Lodge in early May with such glorious Korcula weather - it was impossible to get the kids to get in the car back to Varazdin. And the workshops! My kids adored the homemade pasta masterclass at Filippi, and foraging for herbs with pastry chef Petra Jelicic before learning how to use them to make some outstanding desserts in another Michelin-rated restaurant - Konoba Mate in Pupnat. 

Could that outstanding programme be bettered? Impossible! Or so you would think. But this year's programme looks tantilising indeed. Check out the press release and programme below. 

And I know that we Brits are not famous for our food (at least in terms of high quality), but what a fantastic opening night combination to start the festival. British owner of Lesic Dimitri will be the host, and Londoner Jo Ahearne MW, the only Master of Wine in Croatia, will make the short journey from her adopted home on Hvar, to sort the wines. 

This is a truly fabulous event - don't miss it. 

SPRING FOOD AND WINE FESTIVAL KORČULANSKE PJATANCE

Dino Galvagno, Hrvoje Zirojević, Jo Ahearne, Marko Gajski, Biljana Milat, Lucija Tomašić, Damir Šarić and others famous names of the Croatian food and wine scene, will be our guests at the third edition of the Spring Food and Wine Festival Korčulanske Pjatance, which will be held from 26th to 30th April, organized by Korčula’s finest restaurants. 

Korčulanske pjatance is already recognized by the profession and the media. Last year we offered creative plates defined within the framework of modern Croatian cuisine, with additional guest appearances from people like the famous chefs David Skoko and Steven Pieters, or pastry chef Petra Jelinić. 

This year, masterclasses will be held by some of the most famous names of Croatian culinary art, chef Dino Galvagno who is in top 10 Croatian chefs, chef Hrvoje Zirojević, recently established as the chef of the year in the Gault&Millau, gourmet guide and successful young pastry chef Lucija Tomašić. The art of making homemade bread will be presented by Damir Šarić, and Jo Ahearne, a British Master of Wine who lives in Croatia will preside over our Wine Night with her personal selection of the best wines from Korčula. 

All the Festival visitors will enjoy our Chef’s creativity, great seasonal produce and the finest local wines at special prices. 

The Korčulanske Pjatance Association brings together the finest Korčula restaurant: Adio Mare, Aterina, Barić, Filippi, LD Restaurant, Marco's, Nonno, Radiona, Konoba Maha, Konoba Mate as well as OPG Eko Škoj, a producer of organic local olive oils, jams and herbs. They all take their inspiration from locally grown, seasonal food and herbs. 

This year's Festival will see collaboration with the Petar Šegedin High School in Korčula, which will host masterclasses in their well-equipped demonstration kitchen. 

The value and importance of the Festival and Korčula's gastronomic offer has once again been recognized by the most prestigious global gastronomic guide Michelin which for the second year in a row has assigned three recommendations, for LD Restaurant, Filippi Restaurant and Konoba Mate. Together with our visiting experts local chefs will be presented, primarily chef Marko Gajski, a participant in this year's Chef's Stage in Šibenik, Biljana Milana who recently won the prestigious Gault&Millau award for pastry chef of the year, and the Slow Food Pelješac Association, whose members will hold a workshop for children. Participants will also take part in a cocktail workshop in cooperation with Coca Cola and an education course on local olive oils.

FESTIVAL PROGRAM

Korčula and surrounding places

26 – 30 April 2019

26.04.2019.

11.00

Konoba Maha

Official opening of the festival with presentation of participants, business partners and other associates – for invitees of festival and public media

15.00

Cocktail Workshop – Powered by Coca Cola

19.00

LD Restaurant

Korčula in the Bottle – five-course dinner with wine choices by Jo Ahearne - Master of Wine

27.04.2019.

11.00

Bistro Radiona

The Art of Brunch – traditional brunch of Korčula

14.00

Demonstration Kitchen at the Petar Šegedin High School in Korčula

Pastry shop Mala Truba – healthy desserts and bread made of homemade yeast and whole-wheat flour workshop

19.00

Konoba Maha

Guest chef Dino Galvagno – multi-course dinner with wine

28.04.2019.

9.00

Demonstration Kitchen at the Petar Šegedin High School in Korčula

Masterclass: Wild Edibles & Entrails – chef Dino Galvagno

19.00

Korčulanske pjatance

Lagoon Regata – dinner for regatta participants

29.04.2019.

11.00

Demonstration Kitchen at the Petar Šegedin High School in Korčula

Slow Food Peljesac Association – Lecture and workshop for children

15.00

Demonstration Kitchen at the Petar Šegedin High School in Korčula

Masterclass: Sea on the Plate – chef Hrvoje Zirojević

19.00

Aterina Restaurant

City museum of Korčula – Culture of nutrition through history of Korčula, lecture powered by Aterina snacks

30.04.2019.

10.00

Demonstration Kitchen at the Petar Šegedin High School in Korčula

Eko Škoj and Sensory analysts of Korčula island – presentation, tasting and education about olive oils of Korčula island

19.00

A joint dinner of all “Pjatance” participants for all gourmets

23.00

Festival After Party

Follow the latest on the official Facebook page.

February 13, 2019 - Korcula is quietly establishing itself as a luxury gourmet destination, and if you want to see it truly shy, late April is the time to be there.

After the snow and the cold, the sun is beaming through my Varazdin window, and thoughts turn to one of the nicest times of year - Spring in Croatia. 

One of my highlights of 2018 took place in Spring last year, a rather delightful discovery on Korcula. The weather played fair, and the long May bank holiday weekend was spent at the 2nd Korcula Spring Food and Wine Festival, Korculanske Pjatance. 

A group of restaurants from the town and surrounding villages put on an outstanding selection of dinners, cooking classes, workshops, wine tastings and live music that really worked well. Included were two of the stars of the Dalmatian dining scene, Michelin-recommended Lesic Dimitri and Konoba Mate in Pupnat. We were fortunate to arrive for one very special occasion, the 20th anniversary of the Bire winery in Lumbarda, famous for its Grk, where the Bire wines were paired with a 5-course classic from Marko Gajski, resident chef at Lesic. 

With accommodation right on the beach at Tara's Lodge at Zrnovska Banja, the kids took to the Tara motto of Eat, Sleep, Beach, Repeat with gusto. In between, there was foraging for herbs in the woods near Pupnat for a dessert workshop with celebrity pastry chef Petra Jelenic, and a pasta-making masterclass with Filippi, which my daughters enjoyed immensely. A wonderful family event. 

Korculanske Pjatance returns this year from April 26-30, during the Easter Holidays, so there is even more reason to head down to this lovely Dalmatian island. You can follow the event on Facebook. 

Stay a few days longer, until May 3, and enjoy yet one more festival, Sparogijada. If you have never tried wild asparagus before, you are truly missing out. Much more bitter and concentrated than traditional asparagus, it is one of the most eagerly-awaited times of year for locals, who disappear into the fields to forage for their own supply. 

You don't have to do that, as the asparagus comes to you in the form of the Sparogijada festival, which is described as follows by the Korcula Tourist Board:

Taste traditional dishes made with asparagus, a delectable plant found in Korčula's nearby fields.Taste traditional dishes made with asparagus, a delectable plant found in Korčula's nearby fields.

The asparagus is a favourite seasonal ingredient picked during the April-May period.

Students of Korčula culinary school prepare various dishes with asparagus and other local ingredients. For those with a sweet tooth, they prepare traditional Korčula cakes and pastries.

Keep up with the latest from this lovely island with our Total Korcula section. 

More positive international column inches for southern Dalmatia, as the Scottish Sun raves about the foodie experience in Dubrovnik and on Korcula on May 27, 2018. 

May 7, 2018 - Continuing TCN's look at the recent Korcula Spring Food and Wine Festival, Korculanske Pjatance - a herb and pastry workshop in a divine off-the-beaten rustic restaurant deservedly in the Michelin guide. 

Continuing our look at the recent Korcula Spring Food and Wine Festival, Korculanske Pjatance, which finished on May 5, 2018 - a pasta masterclass from the family restaurant Filippi.