Croatia has something to offer for everyone, regardless of your interests. Enjoy
beautiful beaches with crystal clear water,
picturesque landscape, rich cultural
history and much more to make your
heart beat faster. The country offers a
variety of brands that have become
world famous over time.
In the following text we will tell you more about the history of some of
Croatia's most popular products that can be found in most grocery shops:
The story of the
yellowish seasoning powder began in 1958 in the research laboratory of the Croatian corporation
Podravka under the leadership of
Professor Zlata Bartl.
Vegeta is a salt-based mixture of the flavour enhancer monosodium glutamate with
herbs and various vegetables, which is used worldwide for seasoning dishes such as
soups, sauces or meat. Vegeta 40, as it was initially called, was launched in Yugoslavia in
1959. The company signed its first sales contracts with
foreign partners in 1967. Hungary and Russia were among the first countries to which the product was exported. Today, there are several varieties of Vegeta. If your dishes lack something, just add a
teaspoon of Vegeta to round off the taste. Vegeta is a
must-have in every kitchen.
Cedevita, the instant drink with nine vitamins, has been one of
Croatia's best-known brands for 50 years. It was created by the pharmaceutical company
PLIVA as a result of scientific research on the
necessity of vitamin intake in the body. At that time, Cedevita was packaged in glass bottles along with a dosage spoon and looked more like a
medicine. The product was sold exclusively in pharmacies. In
1993, 1 kg family packs were launched and six years later also 500 g packs. Today, the drink is also available in ergonomically shaped bottles with a special opening that makes dosing easier, as well as in 19 g sachets for preparing in your favourite café, but also in bottles called
Cedevita to Go, which are ideal for on the go. Cedevita is simply the perfect choice to
quench your thirst on hot summer days.
Kras is a Croatian food company
headquartered in Zagreb and
specialising in confectionery. Consumers have been enjoying the rich offer of various Kras sweets for a century. The production started in
1911 and until today the production of all three product groups consisting of,
cocoa products, biscuits and wafers and sweets has been developed. In 1952, the first
Kras Bonbonnièra was opened in the heart of Zagreb in the most famous street
Ilica. The queen of desserts, the
Bajadera, was launched in
1954. Two years later the thin chocolates were renamed "
Zivotinjsko carstvo" (translation: animal kingdom). They were especially popular with
children because of the included pictures of animals that could be
collected and stuck into an album. This was followed by well-known biscuits called "
Domacica", sweets called "
505" and many others.
Maraschino is a liqueur made from Dalmatian,
sweet-tasting Marasca cherries. The recipe was created in the
Dominican monastery in
Zadar in the early 16th century. The first distillery was founded in Zadar in
1736. Originally, the noble liqueur was only
available to the privileged and was also attributed medicinal properties. Even the greatest conqueror of the 19th century,
Napoleon Bonaparte, enjoyed this drink after lunch or dinner.
Enjoy your holiday in one of
our villas with a pool and get to know
Croatian products, which you can also give as a
small local souvenir to your loved ones at home.
Valentina Novak
26.4.2022
MY ISTRIA GUIDE
