The Rovinj Festival of Delicacies

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The Rovinj Festival of Delicacies Cultural and entertaining programme with performers of traditional Istrian music and exhibitors of local autochthonous products and souvenirs, the presentation and tasting of gastro-enological offer of Rovinj and the Istrian inland

For the upcoming season, the Rovinj Tourist Association has organised the Festival of Delicacies for the second year in a row. As opposed to the last year’s this year’s festival brought out more presenters as well as a richer and more diver

Presentation and tasting of food and wine characteristic of Rovinj and the inland region of Istria (including products from producers of prosciutto, cheese, olive oil, wine liquor and brandy. bread products, pasta, aromatic plants, mushroom products, fish and meat specialities, desserts) and demonstration of traditional trades and crafts (blacksmith`s trade, barrel making, pottery, bottle weaving, net weaving etc.).

Celebrities and leading-media journalists will partecipate in a culinary competition showing their culinary skills in special categories. Apart from the food and wine offer, the festival will feature enterteinment events as well.

Exhibitors:

Taditional crafts and trades:

Entertaining programm

This whole-day event will also include performances on two stages:

The evening entertainment program will start at 8.30 pm on Marshall Tito Square featuring performances by:

For the upcoming season, the Rovinj Tourist Association has organised the Festival of Delicacies for the second year in a row. As opposed to the last year’s this year’s festival brought out more presenters as well as a richer and more diverse music programme. During the entire day, all along the city waterfront, there were booths for tasting and buying the gastro-enological delicacies of Istria, which the peninsula is known for. The citizens of Rovinj and their guests were able to try the products of the Association of Producers of Istrian Smoked Ham, the Association of Agrorovinj, Pino Kuhar & Klara M, Agrolaguna, Ipsa Ltd., Olea B.B. Ltd., Aromatika, Mirna-Fishing, Marimirna, the Association of Sheep Breeders of Istria “Istrijanka”, the Association of Bee Breeders, Ziganta Tartuf Ltd., Darna Ltd., Brionian Ltd., Maistra Inc., Valata Ltd., Vinistra, Kalavojna Wine-Radeki Cellar, and the students of Eugen Kumičić Vocational High School. Along with food and drinks, there was a big interest in the presentation of products made by craftsmen from the old workshops such as blacksmiths, coopers, potters, and makers of bottles and fishing nets, whose work was immortalised by onlookers’ camcorders and cameras.

What makes the Festival of Delicacies of Rovinj more and more attractive for hosts and guests is the organising of the outdoor cooking duel. And while last year the competitors were journalists, tourism workers and politicians, this year professional chefs, journalists and editors, and actresses and singers expressed themselves, in the true sense of the word. In the first of the four-part assignment, which was the idea of Viljem Cvek, Maistra’s F&B Manager, the task was to prepare, as soon as possible, and as well as possible, Mediterranean peperonata with sea bass noodles and dumplings. The jury consisting of Odeta Sapač, the Manageress of the T.A. of Rovinj, Tomislav Gretic, Maistra’s Chef, and Antun Čehić, pastry making teacher decided that the most delicious meal was prepared by Mario Licul (Valamar, Rabac), while the prize for the general impression went to Zoran Milosavljević, the Chef of Istraturist in Umag. In the category for creativity, the most successful was Erto Radetić (Maistra, Rovinj), and the prize for the best quality meal preparation went to Drago Benvin (Plava laguna, Poreč).

And while professional chefs did not have any problems preparing meals, journalists and editors and actresses and singers had a bit more stage fright. Journalists and editors had to make crab risotto, while the show business people had to make arlecchino dumplings with squids and Istrian asparagus. In the journalists and editors competition, the prize for creativity went to Nuša Marović, editor of Gala Style, while the prize for the general impression went to the editor of the magazine Livingston, Tomislav Rukavina. The prize for the best quality meal preparation went to Nacional journalist, Tonko Vulić, while Budimir Žižović, journalist and editor of Radio Pula made the most delicious meal. The actresses and singers used their culinary skills and their performance to invite the spectators to the theatre. Film and theatre actress Nada Abrus, besides on the stage, showed her envious cooking skills which resulted in the prize for the best quality meal preparation. Her fellow actress Anita Berisha received the prize for creativity and actress and singer Antonia Šola the prize for the most delicious meal. The very likeable, the only man among women, editor and host of Good Morning Croatia, Davor Meštrović won the prize for the general impression. During the whole cooking competition, the talkative and funny host, Ronald Braus, was in charge of providing a pleasant atmosphere.

The name Festival of Delicacies was completely justified by the organisers. During the morning, 208 metres of apple strudel was handed out, while during the day one could have a tasty risotto made of bacon, smoked ham, mushrooms, and aromatic herbs. For its preparation in a giant frying pan, 70 kg of rice and over 170 litres of mushroom cream were used. Besides all that, one could have sea and meat delicacies made by Maistra workers at affordable prices.

When it comes to delicacies, one cannot forget the musical ones either. Many performers and musicians took turns on two stages. The introduction to the musical portion was performed by the members of the Brass Band of Rovinj, and after a great performance by the doyen of the Croatian music scene, Mirko Cetinski, the musical portion was ended by the group ABAzzia. Alongside them, the rest of the performers were members of the KUD Stjepan Ziza, the groups Labirinth, Dp, Angeli, Music Knights, Master Band, Party Band, Trio Rio, and Ad Libitum.

Under the sponsorship of the city, the second Festival of Delicacies of Rovinj, with the cooperation of Maistra, was organised by the local Tourist Association

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