Taste the Mediterranean Festival presented at the European Parliament in Brussels

At the invitation of Željana Zovko, Vice-Chair of the EPP Representatives' Club and member of the Committee on Culture and Education, the organisers of the Taste the Mediterranean festival (TTM) and top chefs from Croatia were hosted by the European Parliament in Brussels on 15 July. The presentation of this international gastronomic event, whose tenth edition will take place in Split from 4 to 9 November 2022, is set to be presented with a tasting of Croatian delicacies at an evening at the La Maison d'Istria restaurant. Zovko and her guests also participated in the 'From the Heart of Europe' programme.

Black Risotto by TTM chefs

The conference was attended by Ingrid Badurina Danielsson, Director of TTM and Gault&Millau Croatia, Dubravka Tomeković Aralica, Executive Director of TTM and G&M Croatia, Matea Dorčić, Head of Maritime and Tourism of Split-Dalmatia County, and award-winning chefs Vesna Miletić, Fabricio Vežnaver and Zlatko Marinović.

Taste the Mediterranean Festival delegation and Željana Zovko

In her presentation, Željana Zovko explained how the Taste the Mediterranean festival has become one of the most important gastronomic events in the Republic of Croatia.

TTM menu evenings for EU parliamentarians in Brussels

"The Taste the Mediterranean Festival has for 10 years now become the top gastronomic event in Croatia, where domestic and international cuisine is celebrated by the Gault&Millau trophies and Michelin stars, food producers, winemakers, the hospitality sector, the media and all lovers of the Mediterranean culture of life"- Zovko said at the conference, adding that it is a great pleasure to see Split chosen as the permanent centre of this international culinary manifestation.

The La Maison d'Istria team - Fabio Forlani, Bojan Radetić and Roland Goršić, Željana Zovko, chefs Vesna Miletić, Zlatko Marinović and Fabricio Vežnaver

Ingrid Badurina Danielsson, Director of Taste the Mediterranean and Gault&Millau Croatia, and Dubravka Tomeković Aralica, Executive Director of Taste the Mediterranean and Gault&Millau Croatia, spoke about the marketing and the importance of this Festival for the promotion of the Croatian gastronomic scene, culture and tourism. Renowned chefs from Zagreb, Istria and Dalmatia, awarded with Gault&Millau Croatia trophies, shared their life experiences in gastronomy and gastronomy with the judges of the conference: Vesna Miletić of Tač restaurant (Chef of Traditional Cuisine 2019), Fabricio Vežnaver of Pergola restaurant (Chef of the Year 2021) and Zlatko Marinović - Nostromo (Chef of New Traditional Cuisine 2021). Matea Dorčić, Head of the County Administration for Tourism and Maritime Affairs, spoke about the offer of Split and Dalmatia, as well as the branding of Split-Dalmatia County as a major tourist destination.

"Mediterranean food is not just food, it is a cultural heritage and a way of life that connects our far-famed gastronomy, intercultural dialogue and creativity to the use of world food products delivered in an authentic way" - said Željana Zovko.

This was also the focus of an evening organised at the "La Maison d'Istrie" restaurant in the centre of Brussels, attended by representatives of the European Parliament. Naime, the partner of the Taste the Mediterranean dinner and festival, "Tommy" restaurant for this occasion from Croatia, delivered all the dishes from its premium programme, and the evening was jointly hosted by guest chefs from Croatia and chefs from the Istrian restaurant in the centre of Brussels. Guests will enjoy the evening's fish and meat specialities: tuna tartare, sea bass carpaccio, octopus salad, cuttlefish risotto, cuttlefish fillet with chard, janjetina with vetch, and traditional Dalmatian desserts - croquant, bobici and mandulat.

The food is washed with wines from the Bačić winery on the island of Korčula and Crvik from the Dubrovnik region.

Dalmatian wines at an evening for EU parliamentarians in Brussels

At a conference at the European Parliament, the representative of Zovko and the organisers of the Taste the Mediterranean Festival particularly highlighted how the Croatian Mediterranean diet is recognised by UNESCO and is on the inventory of the non-material cultural heritage of humanity. All those present at the conference, as well as the guests at the evening, were invited to visit Split and Dalmatia for the duration of the Festival and thus directly experience the tastes, sights and pleasures of the Mediterranean.

The Mediterranean Tris

"The Festival is an opportunity to share the experiences of international and local chefs and to educate young people about culinary trends. Taste the Mediterranean presents Dalmatia and Croatia as an attractive Mediterranean food & wine destination, and this year the Festival will announce November as the month of gastronomy in Split" - said Ingrid Badurina Danielsson.

Marc Declerck, Director Gault&Millau Benelux, Ingrid Badurina Danielsson and Dubravka Tomeković Aralica - Directors G&M Croatia

Photo: Jadran Babić