When you think of prosciutto, you probably think of Italy, but if you've ever spent any time in Croatia, then it's likely you automatically link that word with Dalmatia - places like Drnis in particular. But what about Istria? The region is well known for its excellent cuisine, and Tinjan, an Istrian municipality, is now building its image on exactly what it does best - prosciutto. Grt acquainted with the up and coming Istrian Prosciutto House.

As Glas Istre/Mirjan Rimanic writes on the 10th of February, 2020, the Municipality of Tinjan is building its tourist image as the Municipality of Istrian prosciutto, with ISAP - the International Prosciutto Fair remaining the central event. Last summer, the first FIP ​​- Istrian Prosciutto Festival was held, which produced excellent results, and these two events, one in the autumn and one in the summer, will be connected by the Istrian Prosciutto House.

''The idea of ​​renovating the Istrian Prosciutto House was born about ten years ago, when it turned out that ISAP was heading in the right direction. This prompted us to think about bringing the prosciutto closer to guests throughout the year, not just during those three fair days,'' says Goran Hrvatin of Tinjan.

The Istrian Prosciutto House is, according to the him, an endeavor to see Istrian prosciutto in Tinjan be offered to guests 365 days a year. Since the municipality had a building on the road that it rented to various tenants, hairdressers, and at one time there was a market in it, it was decided that the house would be renovated to become the Istrian Prosciutto House.

''To dedicate a house in the centre of Tinjan to prosciutto was a logical decision, says the Hrvatin, because Tinjan area has long been known for its prosciutto. The tradition of excellent prosciutto in this region has never been neglected and good prosciutto could always be obtained in Tinjan. This is how the prosciutto fair was first created.

The building that houses the Istrian Prosciutto House boasts 160 square metres of usable space. Of these, 80 square metres on the ground floor and there are as many upstairs. If the sanitary facilities and storage are added, the Istrian Prosciutto House will cover about 200 square metres. On the ground floor there will be a space for tasting and selling prosciutto, which will be primarily Istrian, but also others which have been exhibited at ISAP.

In addition to prosciutto, there will be other local and indigenous products such as cheese, olive oils and wine. A table in the shape of ham is already under construction and will soon be installed in that space,'' says Hrvatin, expecting the ground floor of the Istrian Prosciutto House to be operational by June this year.

Arranging the floor, otherwise the prosciutto museum space, will take a little longer because of everything involved. Here, multimedia will present the public with traditional methods of the production of prosciutto, but also the more modern way of producing this prized delicacy of Istrian gastronomy.

''The renovation and equipping of the prosciutto museum will cost around 800,000 kuna, and the entire Istrian Prosciutto House will cost between 2.5 and 3 million kuna,'' says Hrvatin, satisfied with the dynamics of the works on this important building for Tinjan.

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As Glas Istre/Cristian Bruno Galic writes on the 11th of October, 2019, this year, the best prosciutto from Croatia, Austria, Spain, Italy, Hungary, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Montenegro will be presented to visitors in Tinjan. Each type of prosciutto presented by these excellent masters, given their geographical origin(s), has its own specificity and unique note in terms of both smell and taste.

This year's International Prosciutto Fair (ISAP), which will be held from the 18th to the 20th of October in Tinjan, will be full of flavours, aromas and of course, superb gastronomic experiences. In short, all of the manufacturers will exhibit the best and highest quality from their own respective productions.

However, another integral part of this famous event is a sport and recreational program for the whole family, as well as special surprises for visitors, such as guided tastings, through which participants will be able to learn from experts how to properly taste the prosciutto and enjoy the fullness of its truly unique taste.

Recreation lovers have ISAP 2019 Hiking awaiting them, which is scheduled for October the 13th, and guarantees an active and fun day in the nature of central Istria.

We know that walking is the most natural and healthy form of movement, and in order for all ages to enjoy a healthy life and the charms of Istria's nature, the 2019 ISAP hike is designed along an easy, 11.5-kilometre circular path, consisting mainly of forest and gravel roads. It all starts at 09:00 with a gathering at the school playground in Tinjan. Registration fees are 40 kuna per person (children under 14 pay nothing), and registration fees include refreshments, a hot meal at the finish line, an ISAP ticket, and sports entertainment and expert guidance.

For those who prefer to ride on two wheels, on the same day, October the 13th, a recreational bike ride has been organised. It starts at 10:00 in front of the main entrance to ISAP, and continues along a 25 kilometre long path. The registration fee for this recreational cycling tour through the heart of Istria is 50 kuna and includes lunch, refreshments on the trail and free admission to the three days of the fair.

A real treat for the adventurous follows a week later, on October the 20th, when the family team race begins at 15:00. It is designed so that the teams, using a map of Tinjan, discover checkpoints and accurately solve all the creative and fun tasks they will encounter during their treasure hunting journey.

All teams will receive a treasure bag at the beginning of the race, finishers will be given finishers' medals, and the best team will find the most valuable treasure - Istrian prosciutto. The entry fee is 40 kuna per person (children under 14 years old go free), and in addition to participation, it includes refreshments and a one-time ISAP ticket.

For those who decide to discover Istrian traditions through food and drink, a favourite moment will be the start of a guided tasting "Prosciutto and wine by Gustus", on October the 19th at 18:00 at the House of Istrian Prosciutto in Tinjan.

Blanka Sinčić Pulić and and Alfredo Cossetto, the famous Istrian winemaker from Kastelir (Vina Cossetto), will, throughout the one-hour trip, teach you all about the secrets of Istrian prosciutto, what makes it special and with which Istrian wine it's best paired with.

It will be possible to learn, for example, what distinguishes Istrian prosciutto from other Croatian and European prosciutto, and also why the champions of this excellent delicacy are so special.

For a price of 75 kuna, the cost of the one-hour workshop, you will also learn how to properly taste the prosciutto, what flavours and scents to pay attention to, and which wines best support the aroma of the prosciutto. All in all, it's a fantastic experience that true gastronomy lovers should never miss.

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The small town of Tinjan in central Istria, near Višnjan, hosts the International Prosciutto Fair each year, a highly anticipated and prestigious event which welcomes many prosciutto makers from all over the world and a large crowd each year.

This year, they're organising the summer variant of the event, held between July the 19th and the 21st, somewhat smaller in terms of the number of presenters, and also aimed at getting the tourists acquainted with this delicacy, the Istrian pršut.

The word mostly used to translate pršut to English is the Italian Prosciutto, although there are siginificant differences between what's called pršut in Croatia and prosciutto in Italy. It is an original Croatian product, with a protected geographical origin label (shared with Slovenia, as the Istrian pršut is made in both countries). It differs from other kinds of pršut one can find in Croatia, which is one of the reasons why it was protected.

To celebrate their premium product, the makers of pršut from Istria have been hosting the international fair, usually in October, but have decided that they need to present their products to the numerous tourists arriving to Istria, and to attract them to central Istria for a day.

While obviously not as big as the main event, this one will also be international and you'll be able to taste pršut made by the following producers: Pršuti Antolović, Pršutarna Dujmović, Pršutana Jelenić, Pršuti Milohanić, Pršuti Radetić, OPG Danijel Erman, OPG Franjul, Budak Pršuti, Compari Pršuti, and Pršutarna Tomaso.

In addition to all the meat, you'll be able to enjoy the cheeses made by the Robert Fabris, Orbanić Silvano and Cetina Franko family farms, olive oils by the Milohanić, Marčelo Rioža and Pinezić Anđelo family farms and honey from the Brečević family farm and Vinko Dantinjana.

Each day, the events start at 20:00, and the party will go on until 02:00 - so having some pršut in Tinjan will not ruin your day on the beach. Maybe, if there's a bit more wine involved, it might get in the way of the next one... There will be music and dancing, provided by the local bands.

Istrians sure know how to party.