Dishes that you will find at every Varaždin table

“It is better for the village to disappear than its customs” – is an old Croatian saying that you must have heard before. But have you heard the saying: “It is better for the village to disappear than its traditional snacks”?. Neither we are, but after this article, we are sure that this saying will enter your fund of “smart ones”.

Today we will end the cycle on “Guardians of tradition, taste and smell of Varaždin area” which we started with Varaždin klipič, Zagorje štruklji, Vabučin, Trnovečka makovnjača and Varaždin gingerbread which you can read more about here, and continued with Šemovečka kelešica, Mlinčani kolač, Kučanski koščičjak, Zagorje acacia honey and honey brandy that you have the opportunity to read about here.

We believe that you have all heard of gibanica, but have you heard of gibanik?

Vidovečki gibanik is protected by the trademark of the Intellectual Property Office, and just one bite brings you back to your grandmother’s warm embrace and carefree childhood. There is no original recipe, and everyone associates their grandmother with the best and most delicious one. This is exactly what gives it a special charm as one of the most valuable culinary achievements derived from the Varaždin region, more precisely Vidovec.

However, the trademark document of the Intellectual Property Office brings the following recipe for the Vidovec gibanik:

dough:

• buckwheat and wheat soft flour (in equal proportions) / 0.25kg
• a little milk
• a pinch of salt
• a tablespoon of homemade fat

stuffing:

• 1 pumpkin or white beet
• cow cheese / 0.5 kg
• sour cream / 1dcl
• 2 tablespoons wheat grits
• 2 eggs
• butter / 15dkg
• 1 bun soaked in milk
• Salt
• 1 teaspoon of sugar

It is most delicious when all the ingredients are homemade, and here’s what it should look like:

After Vidovečki gibanik, it’s time to add the missing puzzle to this Zagorje puzzle. The symbol of Hrvatsko zagorje, an autochthonous Croatian breed, without which no Christmas in the Varaždin region can pass, is, you guessed it, the Zagorje turkey. It is prepared in various ways, but the most famous one is baked in the oven and served with Zagorje mlinci or potatoes.

If you also serve Ludbreg horseradish and Varaždin cabbage spiced with awarded Varaždin pumpkin oil in addition to mlinci, you will get a complete Zagorje meal, but also a real feast.

Varaždin cabbage is not the “ordinary” cabbage we find in stores (most often imported from China). It is produced exclusively in the area within the administrative boundaries of Varaždin County, it is adorned with a VeeMee QR code, and it has a sharp smell and a bitter-spicy taste.

Fresh or cooked, pickled or spiced, it is an ideal side dish at any time of the year. It is rich in vitamins from groups B, C, E and K, and when you add a few drops of dark green Varaždin pumpkin oil, which is rich in vitamins from groups A, D, E and K, you will get a real vitamin bomb.

From farmer’s appetizers and well-known main dishes to sweet dessert snacks and sips – this was an exciting gastronomic journey through the Varaždin area.

While waiting for the next blog, which we will write when we return from some ancient times (remember, apart from gastronomical, this was also a journey through time), greets you

Your VeeMee Advisor