This week in my city, Zagreb, Croatia, was a Festival of traditional Croatian products and food. It is an event which has been organized for fifteen years now. The reason for organizing such a manifestation is the world food day, which is celebrated every year around the world on the 16th October in honor of the founding date of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in 1945. and the International day of a rural women on the 15th of October.
95 exhibitors promoted their products there.
I took my camera and went to the fair with the intention to talk to the producers , try their delicacies and learn something new.
The aronia products dominated the first booth. The lady who proudly presented her products explained to me that aronia is the food of the future. Small black berries are natural healers. They even have cancer-fighting-benefits. The aronia berries have the highest antioxidant capacity among berries. It improves blood circulation. I tried the aronia juice.
At the same booth there was also some homemade plum jam, strawberry jam and garlic.
The next product that attracted me was thick pomegranate-honey juice. The lady who promoted this product told me that one spoon per day is enough. Of course I tasted it. A much stronger concentration of ingredients left a completely new flavor in my mouth.
Pomegranate is the richest plant with vitamin C, right after blackcurrant. It is important to say that vitamins do not get lost in the process of cooking.
Among other products you could find herbal plant seed syrups made from elderberry, nettle with honey or pine and numerous spices and teas.
These are various types of tea: elderberry, hawthorn, yarrow, broadleaf plantain or lemon balm.
The story of the next exhibitors was a bit different than the previous one.
The products were presented by a teacher and two pupils from an agricultural school. They told me that the pupils produce the products and present them at fairs. The school withdrew EU funds and invested to increase production capacity.
They presented honey, cherry, orange, and mint liqueurs,
teas and “The four thieves” vinegar whose story can be read on white wrapped paper attached to the plug.
Beside the food, jewelry was also represented at the fair.
These unique rings and bracelets are made of feathers and shells of ostrich eggs. The first thing I thought was that the jewelry pieces were fragile and it would break easily, but the lady told me that they are very firm.
This was the most colorful stand. The products were presented by a husband and his wife.
Their main activity is making and painting various objects and memorabilia souvenirs.
This is a bottle stand, in which a bottle actually holds itself. Very clever!
These are glycerin soaps.
The next thing I saw was a goat, as a symbol of dairy products.
Various types of cheeses.
The proud owner of cured meat products, dressed in a traditional dress was the only one who wanted to pose. Their slogan was „choose right eat healthy.“
Grease and cracklings. Prosciutto.
And for a better mood, there were also various types of wine presented. A wine made of blackberry.
And if that is not enough, you could buy the whole barrel of wine.
An inevitable addition to food are spices of course.
And the most recognizable are the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
A proud representative of honey and its products is of course a bee.
The bee presented various honey-based preparations, such as lip balms, natural soap.
These are Japanese quail eggs.
Various colors and shapes of pasta made from quail eggs.
And the best for last, a homemade walnut loaf. Who could resist it?!
I hope I managed to convey to you the atmosphere and that you enjoyed it.
So, eat well and be happy with a glass of wine :)