Chef Duje Kanajet- Young Talent of the Year 2018
Traditional, home-style cooking is the foundation for the dishes, but with innovation and creativity
Duje Kanajet is the head chef of the ARTiČOK restaurant in Split. As a representative of the young generation of chefs who have significantly changed the Split gastronomical scene, Duje stands out for his creativity, imaginativeness of his dishes and an innovative approach to traditional recipes. Although he enjoys cooking immensely, he also faces day to day challenges of the mentally and physically demanding work of a chef. Those who are not truly dedicated to this kind of work quickly become demoralized, especially if they are young and feel like life is passing them by.
This is not the case with Duje. He has loved cooking since primary school. “When I was in the sixth grade, my mom gave me the famous Croatian chef Gama's cookbook as a gift. Even today, my mom’s cooking is the best in the world for me. That is why I follow the recipes as well. Traditional, home-style cooking is the foundation for my dishes, but the preparation itself requires innovation, creativity, and thinking very carefully about the whole concept. We all have piles of notebooks at home where we jot down recipes and procedures,” said the young chef in a recent interview in which he also explains how Croatian guests are sometimes reluctant to welcome innovations in gastronomy because they are used to “old-school” ways of cooking. That is exactly why he believes that traditional recipes should be interpreted and presented in a different, more contemporary way. The idea was instilled in him by his mentor, chef Hrvoje Zirojević, one of the most famous Croatian chefs. Duje’s success was recognized early on in his career when he won the gold medal for his risotto at the 2015 International Cooking Competition known as Pearl of the Sea Culinary Festival, held in Supetar on the island of Brač. Still, it is his desire to continue to learn, explore, and see what other chefs are doing.
The Gault&Millau Croatia Young Talent of the Year Trophy definitely represents a great incentive for the development of his future culinary career.
