![]() ![]() Eight vineyards produce wine from the slopes of the Moslavačka gora Mountain. A snake and staff, symbolizing medicine, is combined with an oil rig.)Īleksandra joked with me that Škrlet is Ivanić’s “yellow gold,” a grape varietal that’s indigenous to the Moslavina region. (The integration of the medical and crude industries is represented in a graphic above the entrance to the Naftalan hospital. Azerbaijan is the only other place on the planet where the oil is found. Ivanić discovered its natural resource of Naftalan in the 1980s, which is rare. The facility is dedicated to the treatment of inflammatory skin disorders, such as psoriasis, and features creams and bath oils made from the medical Naftalan oil. Slightly further away is Naftalan Special Hospital for Medical Rehabilitation. Unfortunately, today it’s drying up and production will soon be shutting down. Ivanić attracted the nickname “Little Kuwait” for its generous crude supply. The headquarters of the oil and gas utility INA is located a few blocks from the festival, along with several other company buildings. One hundred years later, after World War II, Germans led the first industrial production and oil drills can be seen around town. (The Naftalan Special Hospital for Medical Rehabilitation was built to treat skin disorders, specifically due to the discovery of Naftalan oil.)īlack oil began bubbling up from the ground in 1855, when it was pulled by hand. Ana Gašparović, president of the Association of Heritage Friends and a local tour guide, educated me on Ivanić Grad’s “black gold.” It’s a designation given to the town’s three prominent native oils-pumpkin, petroleum, and Naftalan. I thought I’d seen what the town had to offer when things went in a different direction. (Not far from the festival, INA’s oil drills can be seen around town.) That right there is enough for me to gulp it. For us ladies, it’s an ingredient in skincare products that help hydrate the skin and eliminate the appearance of wrinkles. It can improve heart health by lowering cholesterol and reducing high blood pressure. In this regard, pumpkin seed oil is on par with Croatia’s other superfood-olive oil. They’re a rich source of vitamin E, zinc, omega 3- and 6- fatty acids, and antioxidants. ![]() (Award-winning pumpkin oil, along with seeds coated in chocolate and other toppings, are frequently displayed on vendor tables.)īeyond trail mix and culinary applications, pumpkin seeds have serious medicinal credentials. My disappointment over the pie was replaced with glee over the oil. I’m pretty sure I’ll be sprinkling it on everything. I was instructed on proper usage-don’t cook with the oil only use it raw cover food such as leafy greens and bean salad drizzle it on strudel and vanilla ice cream add to soups and stews for nutty sweetness. I’ve had the store-bought oil and I will never do that again, there’s absolutely no comparison to Cro’s homemade product. I knew why as soon as the oil hit my tongue-I was blown away by the flavor. (A dried soup mix, made with 100% pumpkin, is a unique product.)Īpparently, bučino ulje is a prestigious business, I noticed that several bottles displayed “winner” stickers. An entire street was dedicated to OPG’s selling this nutty-tasting oil and other pumpkin products. So sad…įresh pumpkin seeds and pumpkin beer were abundant however, and pumpkin seed oil-bučino ulje-was the prize at the festival. (The sweetest pumpkin at the festival was working the crowd near his family’s product table.)Ĭroatians love all sorts of fresh vegetables, why don’t they cook and eat more pumpkin? Because the squash is considered animal feed. My first-ever serving there at the festival was pretty darn good. Had I tasted bučnica? The savory pastry is a pumpkin strudel, popular in and around Zagreb, and made with pumpkin, fresh cheese, cream, and eggs wrapped in a thin dough. What about pumpkin bread, surely this bread-forward culture loads it into the bakeries? No again. I met the wonderful Aleksandra, and asked where I could find pumpkin pie. ![]() My stomach led as I walked off the train in Ivanić Grad the next morning. How fun would it be to sample Croatia’s versions of this fall favorite and pick up some new treats too?! What do they have here that’s different from what we have at home? As it turns out, quite a lot. (The annual bučijada in Ivanić Grad, outside of Zagreb, is one of the town’s largest fall festivals.) ![]()
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