|
Explore the Tastes of an old Rovinj Batana in “Maistra’s Gastro Experience School”
During the times of romanticism and their sailboats, Rovinj was Istria’s most significant maritime hub, fishing center and shipyard.
This spirit of a fishing town lives on today. In Rovinj today, just as long ago, old flatboats sway in the harbor and tell us stories about many fishing families, and share with us their traditions, customs, practices and way of thinking. Explore the culture of this region by learning about the “meals from the batana” that the “people who live by the sea” heartily prepared from ancient times. Later, under the protective eye of St. Euphemia, set out on a fishing trip and then come back to prepare traditional meals featuring fresh daily catches, in the company of our world-class gastro expert.
Cooking Course - Fish dishes
Program
Day 1 - Friday
Presentation of program and associated activities with accompanying welcome drink: Rovinj’s Pelinkovac (vermouth) and other traditional liquors from domestic distillery
Introduction to Viljam Cvek, cooking course leader, who will tell us the stories of “meals from the batana - flatboat” and will present the entire theme of the course to us, as well as the basic techniques used to prepare meals featuring fish and seafood. This will be followed by a practical cooking session with assistance provided by the Maistra gastro team.
Professionally led sampling session of Istrian olive oil, a base for the preparation of all fish meals
Group dinner. Meals prepared by course participants will be consumed, paired with fine Istrian wines, and enjoyed in the authentic ambience of the once Benedictine monastery, a structure located right by the sea that has been renovated into an elegant fish restaurant.
Day 2 - Saturday
After breakfast, in the early hours of the morning, you will be introduced to the life of a fisherman by getting into a trawling boat and sailing out into the open sea in search of fresh fish. Once your nets are thrown into the water, as you await your catch, partake and enjoy in the playing of traditional card games: Briškula and Trešeta, pole fishing, or the singing of songs that the old fishermen sung. Following the retrieval of fishing nets will be a well-deserved lunch featuring freshly caught fish grilled and served on the boat.
In the afternoon hours, now convinced that the fish is indeed fresh, we will return to our cooking school, and the company of Viljam Cvek and Maistra’s gastro team where we will uncover the secrets of meal preparation featuring fish and seafood.
Group dinner. Meals prepared during the course’s practical session will be served with a fine Istrian wine that best compliments it.
Day 3 - Sunday
Breakfast will be followed by a sightseeing tour of the city of Rovinj, including its narrow streets and the Baroque church of St. Euphemia, as well as the unique eco-museum “House of Batana” dedicated to the small Rovinj flatboat.
Afterwards, at the pier by the waterfront, we will load into a batana and sail along the rocky coastline of the old city and view the city of Rovinj from its most picturesque angle - from the sea. We will visit a spacio - a traditional tavern and place where fishermen get together to hang out. In the autochthonous ambience of the spacio, a traditional fish lunch will be served and demonstrations will be made in bottle weaving and fishnet braiding, while authentic bitinade (melodies) are being sung.
During lunch, course participants will receive a certificate for the successful completion of Maistra’s “Gastro Experience” School, as well as a complimentary gift from their host and a book of recipes.
Maistra’s DMC department guarantees program
realization. For further information and reservations,
please contact:
DMC Department
Maistra Ltd., Obala V. Nazora 6, 52210 Rovinj, Croatia
tel: +385 (0)52 800 217, +385 (0)52 800 209
fax: +385 (0)52 800 383
e-mail: dmc@maistra.hr
www.maistra.hr |
Program is led by
Viljam Cvek
“Maistra’s Gastro Experience school” is led by Viljam Cvek, a world class gastro expert whose company, along with the company of the selected Maistra cooking team, you will enjoy during food preparation. Viljam Cvek has mastered the culinary arts over the years in Croatia, and has been able to demonstrate his skills at many important projects and Croatian gastronomy presentations throughout the world. He is the author of several cookbooks - “101 MENUS from Kitchens of the Istria-Primorje Region”, “Meals for Holidays and Special Occasions”, “Creative Cooking with a Mediterranean Flavor”, “A Spoonful of Pleasure - Culinary Postcards” - and he was the winner of many acknowledgements, the most significant including: “Europe’s King of Chefs” in Hungary 1999, the Swiss “Cuoco d’oro internazionale” award in Lugano 2000, and the prestigious “Collegium Cocorum”, awarded by the Italian federation of gastronomists, in the year 2002.
Accommodation
Maistra Hotels & Resorts
Date
The program includes the following services
- accommodation
- buffet breakfast offering a wide selection every day
- a welcome drink featuring traditional strong alcoholic beverages from local distilleries
- two professionally led cooking sessions using only freshly caught fish and seafood, as well as other fresh victuals for food preparation
- two dinners (Friday and Saturday)
- distribution of materials containing recipes and cooking advice
- professional presentation and sampling of Istrian olive oil
- trawling boat excursion and lunch on the boat featuring fish freshly caught with nets
- sightseeing tour of the city of Rovinj
- batana ride around the old city
- fish lunch in a spacio with traditional Rovinj songs, so-called bitinade, and demonstrations in bottle weaving and fishnet braiding
- complimentary gift: authentic handicraft or autochthonous product and book with recipes used during the cooking course.
|