Days of the Varenik 2009

At the beginning of October, in Supetar on the Island of Brac, the traditional autumn event, “Grape and Wine Festival”, is hold. The festival is a week of local cuisine devoted to the “varenik”, a traditional  preparation made from young wine, which makes traditional  Dalmatian meals even better and tastier.
Varenik is used as a condiment and is made by the long cooking and reducing of stum. The ancient Greeks and Romans used it. It is believed varenik is an aphrodisiac, and Roman soldiers used it as an energy drink to regain strength. Because of its high content in natural sugar, it was also used as a sweetener.

Few towns in Croatia have preserved the tradition of  making varenik, but the inhabitants of Brac have worked systematically at reviving it. With the festival, they want to bring back varenik as a condiment, used for centuries as a  crucial part of Mediterranean recipes.
On Brac, varenik is made from red grapes, while on Korcula it is made from  local white grapes. It is used as a condiment for various sauces, stews and wild game dishes. Varenik is also the basis for the production of aceto balsamico. Apart from its great culinary value, it is also excellent for digestion.

Duing the festival, Suptar restaurants will offer a variety of  dishes with varenik at promotional prices. The organizers  are also preparing a presentation and tasting of original Brac cakes and sage juice, prominent wine producers will present their wines, and visitors prone to an active vacation will be able to participate in the vintage, after which varenik will be prepared on the ranch “Palute”.

Read more about Brac island and check Supetar Hotels on Island of Brac 

Supetar Tourist Board www.supetar.hr