Tradition meets taste in beautiful Betina

by croatiaweek
September 3, 2024
in Entertainment

Taste like….marenda

Mark your calendars for Saturday, 7th September at 10 a.m., for the fifth “Taste like… marenda” event, organised by the Šibenik-Knin County Tourist Board and the Betina Tourist Board.

Betina will host a rich gastronomic offering, featuring wine tastings from Vinoplod Šibenik, Baraka, Birin, and Livaić wineries, an intriguing culinary story, an exhibition of traditional dishes, excellent live music, a showcase of Betina’s traditions, workshops for both children and adults, and a market selling local products from small farms and artisans.

Vinoplod Vinarija Šibenik

Due to its location, appearance, and unique architecture, Betina is considered one of the most beautiful places on the Adriatic.

Taste like…marenda

In addition to a diet rich in shellfish, the local diet in Betina traditionally included a variety of vegetables, with a particular focus on pulses such as broad beans, chickpeas, kidney beans, and peas.

Na moru Restaurant – Betina

A well-known local vegetable is the Betina tomato – a large, fleshy variety used to make a tomato concentrate every autumn.

Other vegetables cultivated in the area include cabbage, potatoes, Swiss chard, cucumbers, and more, which the women used to sell from Zadar to Šibenik.

Many dishes and stews were made using these ingredients. In Modrave, near Lake Vrana, the people of Betina had extensive olive groves, producing olive oil renowned for its unique flavour, which was even delivered to the royal court in Vienna. Modrave was also home to vineyards that produced wine and prošek, a sweet dessert wine that was a key ingredient in Betina’s famous pastries – pršunate (fritters).

The historical importance of these foods will be explored in the fascinating culinary story “A Mouthful of Betina Marenda,” narrated by guides from UTV Mihovil Šibenik. This story will be complemented by an exhibition titled “How Our Ancestors Ate,” which will be displayed at the main event location, Trg na moru.

Taste like…marenda

Betina was once home to many shipyards, and every day at 10:30 a.m., women would bring their husbands working there a meal known as marenda in baskets.

The time for marenda was marked by the ringing of a bell in the largest shipyard, which could be heard throughout the town. Upon hearing the bell, all the shipbuilders’ wives would head towards the shipyards with their marenda – recounts the Betina Tourist Board.

Traditional marendas in Betina will be prepared by the teams from the Na moru Restaurant, Stari mlin Restaurant, and Konoba Treva, accompanied by fine wines from Vinoplod Šibenik Winery, Birin Winery, Baraka Winery, and Livaić Winery.

M.S.A.Q. will ensure a lively atmosphere with a blend of different music genres in their unique and recognisable style.

Joining the marenda will be KUD Zora Betina, the oldest folklore group in the Šibenik region, which diligently preserves its cultural and artistic heritage – songs, dances, chants, rhymes, and humorous verses, all of which are invaluable treasures for this community of shipbuilders, craftsmen, and fishermen.

KUD Zora Betina

Local products from small farms in Betina will be available for purchase, including olive oil from OPG Buntić and OPG Zlatko Srdarev, honey from OPG Ledenko and OPG Ante Bulat, flowers and succulents from OPG Gorka Trokić, jewellery from the BeYou craft shop, cow’s cheese and yoghurt from OPG Ranch4me, almond oil and flour from OPG Juron, and cosmetic products made from lavender and olive oil from Franka Roca Craft.

Betina is renowned for its wooden shipbuilding, which dates back to 1740, with ships built here being supplied to markets from Zadar to Kvarner and Istria.

Knot-tying workshop

The most famous product of Betina’s shipbuilders is the Betina gajeta – a sturdy working boat designed for transporting cargo (such as livestock, vegetables, tools, and people) to offshore properties. The tradition of wooden shipbuilding has endured to this day and is a true craft artistry.

The skill of building the Betina gajeta was recognised as an intangible cultural heritage in 2015 by the Museum of Betina Wooden Shipbuilding.

At the Betina marenda, you’ll have the opportunity to participate in a knot-tying workshop (suitable for both children and adults), led by the team from the Museum of Betina Wooden Shipbuilding.