The Festival Taste the Mediterranean brings famous international chefs to Split

The World’s Best Female chef 2022, Leonor Espinosa is this year’s guest of honour

The 11th edition of the most prestigious Croatian festival of Mediterranean cuisine begins on Wednesday 4 October in Split. During the four days of the Festival (4-8/10) more than 30 top international and Croatian chefs will cook together in the best restaurants in Split. The guest of honour of this year’s festival is the Colombian chef Leonor Espinosa, the World’s Best Female Chef in 2022 named by the list the World’s 50 Best Restaurants. She will be cooking for the first time in Croatia, in the magnificent Heritage Hotel Martinis Marchi, in Maslinica on the island of Šolta. The haute cuisine lovers will have a unique opportunity to enjoy in the heart of Dalmatia the specialties of her restaurant Leo, in Bogotá, which is also on the list of the 50 best restaurants in the world.

The Festival’s visitors will have the choice between the exclusive gourmet four hands dinners, prepared by Michelin star chefs. or the special Mediterranean menus prepared by 13 restaurants: Artičok, Corto Maltese, Dujkin dvor, Dvor, Kadena, Martinis Marchi, Méditerranée-Hotel Ambasador, Noštromo, Pandora Greenbox, PiNKU fish&wine, Zoi, Zora bila and Zrno Soli.

The traditional opening party will take place in the city’s Fish market, where the legendary chef Zlatko Marinović – Noštromo will prepare some of his most famous Dalmatian dishes paired with Premium Croatian wines from Festigia and Belje.

“We are pleased that top chefs from the French association Gourmediterranee are coming this year again. Their president, chef Lionel Levy, from the Michelin starred restaurant Alcyone, Hotel InterContinental-Hotel Dieu in Marseille, and chef Frédéric Charlet will prepare an exclusive Taste of Provence dinner accompanied by selected French wines in Split’s Hotel Ambasador” said Ingrid Badurina Danielsson, director of Taste the Mediterranean.A unique dinner will be held in the private sumptuous salon of the baroque Cindro Palace built in the 17th century, which will be transformed into an elegant restaurant for the occasion. The dinner will be prepared by the host chef Marko Đurašević and the guest Japanese-French chef Ippei Uemura. As befits the ambiance, the dishes will be accompanied by sparkling wines from the Plešivica vineyards in Zagreb County. “This is what the Festival is all about: exchanging and sharing experiences, knowledge and good ideas, while preserving the Mediterranean cultural heritage”.

The daily programme of the Festival TTM includes 10 masterclass workshops for students of catering schools and for professionals, held by the guest chefs at the Hospitality school Oliva Allegra. Among the “teachers” there is the pastry chef Talia Richard-Carvajal from the renowned Danish bakery Hart Bageri, the Italian maestro pizzaiolo Massimo Quaglia and the Austrian chef Paul Ivić from the restaurant TIAN (1 Michelin*), a virtuoso of vegetarian cuisine. The young chefs who are just fighting for their positions in the world of gastronomy will have the possibility to participate in a competition in front of an international jury. The winners will be awarded by the retail chain Tommy, the Premium partner of the Festival Taste the Mediterranean. In cooperation with the Croatian Chamber of commerce (HGK Split County Chamber), the Festival is organizing three important panel discussions about the future and the challenges of sustainable tourism and gastronomy, the innovations related to the new technologies and the role of women chefs in “men’s” kitchens.

“I am glad that this festival opens the possibility of cooperation and education for our entrepreneurs and members of the Chamber of commercde, so that they can find out how to improve their business, and to be more efficient and on the path of sustainable development,” said Joze Tomaš, the president of the HGK Split County Chamber of Commerce.

The exclusive wine masterclass by the “BAROLO & BARBARESCO ACADEMY WORLD EDITION 2023 – Wines made from Nebbiolo grapes and similar varieties” is very attractive for the professionals. The Italian sommelier Sandro Minella will share his knowledge with his Croatian colleagues sommeliers Monika Prović and Daniel Čečavac.

“I want to congratulate all our restaurateurs who participate in this event and are part of this excellent programme. The top chefs coming from all over the world will take a part of Split to the world,” said Antonija Eremut Erceg, The head of the development department of the city of Split.

“Through a whole series of different activities we will offer to our guests an unforgettable experience of the Mediterranean culinary scene in the heart of Dalmatia. Nurturing Mediterranean cuisine is a real message of sustainability” said Alijana Vukšić, the director of the Split Tourist Board.

Taste the Mediterranean Festival is held under the auspices of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of the Republic of Croatia, The Croatian Tourist Board, the Split-Dalmatia County and the city of Split with their respective Tourist Boards.