During the past week, from October 4 to 8, Split transformed into a paradise for lovers of Mediterranean cuisine for four days. The Taste the Mediterranean festival, in its 11th edition, attracted foreign and domestic visitors, who participated in professional workshops, panels, and masterclasses by top chefs from Michelin-starred and Gault&Millau-rated restaurants during the day, while in the evenings they discovered the richness of Mediterranean cuisine and ingredients from around the world. A special experience was the exclusive dinner prepared on the island of Šolta by the best chef in the world for 2022, Colombian Leonor Espinosa.
– It was a unique experience. Professionally very challenging, but my team and I received all the necessary support from the local team of Heritage Hotel Martinis Marchi and the excellent chef Marko Đurašević. This place is beautiful, and I am sincere when I say that I enjoyed every moment we spent here – said Leonor Espinosa, who also presented her foundation FUNLEO, whose mission is to preserve traditional agricultural cultures and improve the quality of life in impoverished Colombian communities that cultivate them, to the participants of the panel discussion ‘Witches from the Kitchen’.
This year’s edition of the festival opened in a special ambiance, the Split fish market, which was transformed into a top restaurant that evening. Traditional Dalmatian specialties, which the best chef in the world also enjoyed, were prepared for guests by the famous Split chef and restaurateur Zlatko Marinović Noštromo and his grandson Stipe. The perfect pairing of Dalmatian flavors with products from other Croatian regions was proven by the pairing of dishes with top continental wines from Belje and Istrian Festigia, as well as a selection of President cheeses served with fine homemade jam. The entire experience was complemented by the dynamic performance of Colombian singer Mar Botero.
In collaboration with the Split Chamber of Commerce and its president Jozom Tomašem, the festival hosted experts from various fields in three panel discussions that connect professionals from gastronomy, tourism, production, and service industries from Croatia and abroad. On the panel about the impact of sustainable development on tourism and gastronomy, H.E. Laura Gil Savastano, the Colombian ambassador to Austria and non-resident ambassador to Croatia, also participated. As part of the presentation of Colombia – the guest country at the Festival, she highlighted the Colombian government’s commitment to sustainable tourism.
– In Colombia, 240 types of fruit grow. Protecting nature, culture, and local populations is our mission. We have chosen top quality instead of mass tourism because it will destroy our biodiversity – said Ambassador Gil Savastano. Tonči Glavina, State Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of the Republic of Croatia, spoke about the final phase of the state reform of the domestic tourism strategy. Filip Verbanac talked about the contribution of Coca-Cola’s Raise the Bar Academy to improving service quality in the HoReCa sector, Jelena Tabak discussed the efforts of the hospitality sector to remain relevant in the hospitality industry, while Renata Vincek revealed how the Kvarner Tourist Board attracts film and TV productions through gastronomy and the promotional film ‘Make Your Own Movie’.
Taste the Mediterranean also provided valuable educational content for future chefs. In masterclass workshops at the Oliva Allegra hospitality school, ten top world and domestic chefs taught them over two days, including Paul Ivić – a virtuoso of vegetarian cuisine from the Vienna restaurant TIAN, Italian pizzaiolo Massimo Quaglia and pastry chef Talia Richard Carvajal from Hart Bageri Bakery in Copenhagen. In the competition for pairs of motivated young chefs, the winners were school student Viktorija Bašić and Marino Simunić from the restaurant Artičok, and the festival’s premium partner Tommy awarded all competitors. The Barolo & Barbaresco Academy World Edition 2023 presented an exclusive wine masterclass on the famous Barolo and Barbaresco varieties for sommeliers and wine experts. The masterclass was led by renowned Italian sommelier Sandro Minella with Croatian sommeliers Monika Prović and Daniel Čečavac.
