The 12th International Culinary Festival "Biser Mora" (or Pearl of the Sea) was held over the weekend in the seaside town of Supetar on the island of Brač. TCN was on the scene to imbibe, indulge, and enjoy.
The island of Brač hosted the 12th Biser Mora culinary festival over the weekend, kicking off the island’s tourist season on a high note. The prestigious culinary competition was held from April 6th to April 9th and brought together more than 200 chefs from 25 countries.
A culinary affair that attracted over 1,000 visitors, journalists, and foodies, the now quiet town of Supetar was transformed into a thriving gastro-center - and the Waterman Svpetrvs Resort made the perfect host for this excited group of bon vivants.
Organized by SKMER - Association of Chefs from Mediterranean and European regions - Biser Mora is profiled as the most important competition of chefs in the Mediterranean. The festival is even rated as a first-class gastronomic and tourist event in Croatia.
Croatian cheese tastings by Puda
Barba salt-makers handmade in Slovenia
Fruit Mediterranean liquors by Paško
This year, chefs from France, the U.K., Poland, Albania, India, Denmark, Georgia, Mauritius, Italy, and Montenegro competed over three days in eight parallel kitchens. A record number of schools joined the competition this year as well, and the new competition for seniors proved to be a big hit.
Some of the chefs' creations during the event
TCN even got the chance to speak with Domenico Maggi, president of the World Association of Chefs’ Societies, who stressed the importance of uniting the chefs from the Mediterranean countries.
“A chef without good ingredients cannot make good food, and we are very lucky to live in the Mediterranean region. Food is the story of people, food contains tradition. Whenever I travel around the world I only eat the local specialties.
We organize competitions because it is a moment where we can bring our creativity and experiences and take in others. At competitions, we are able to meet many culinary colleagues and friends from different areas of the world and bring home so many ideas. This is the way to grow in our profession,” Maggi expressed.
Domenico Maggi with journalists from TCN, Bussiness.in, Gastronaut, Nacional, and 24 Sata.
Maggi also emphasized the importance of culinary education, and how gastronomy is crucial for tourism.
“We need to educate our young chefs to see the passion behind cooking and we need to motivate the young people to see this profession as amazing. To see that we can give emotion to our guests through food is something that is so important. We need to teach our students different languages, cultures - tourism is very important for our economy, and we need to give the best welcome for our tourists,” Maggi concluded.
Biser Mora created a culinary sanctuary for the exchanging of knowledge and skills, and as expected it was the place to be for networking. The program was full of masterclasses, cooking shows, and lots of tastings, and each evening hosted a different themed dinner - from traditional Dalmatian cuisine to Albanian, and Brač specialties.
Chicken Tikka Masala masterclass by chef Anil Grover
And there was even sushi!
Sushi by "The Sushi Guy" chef Peter Stoyanov
And desserts, of course...
But now, for the big announcement - Who was awarded the best chef in the region at Biser Mora?
A decision made by the international jury, Croatian Jadran Grančić won the gold!
A firm believer in a cooking concept that emphasizes only using ingredients that are available within 60 kilometers, this young Imotski chef has an impressive new title under his belt.
"My culinary philosophy is to work only with local ingredients. In other words, I will not serve truffles in Dalmatia, and I will only work with local foods that can be found within 60 kilometers of my kitchen. Here, I cook in the Podgora hotel Medora Auri and stick to the local and authentic cuisine, but with modern techniques and ways of serving,” said the winner.
Gogi Bazandarashvili from Georgia won silver, and Marc Pavel from Italy came in third.
Bravo, Biser Mora, for a truly wonderful (and tasty) experience. For all of the details from the event, you can find the full program here.
