Workshops within the framework of the annual event »Culinary Millennia« at »Žumberak – Samoborsko gorje« Nature Park«
Culinary Millennia are workshops of prehistoric, Roman, medieval and traditional Žumberak cuisine. They have been held at the Archaeological Park in Budinjak since 2005 and attract more and more participants every year. A two-day event is held every September. Unlike the usual smell of earth or darkened museum spaces in the Archaeological Park in Budinjak, in those days it smells of a Roman salty product - liquamena and exotic spices brought to this area from travels in the Middle East by medieval merchants many years ago. The scents of the past spread from culinary workshops in which visitors prepare dishes according to historical recipes...
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Public Institution »Žumberak – Samoborsko gorje Nature Park« in the Budinjak Archaeological Park holds an innovative culinary event, i.e. a manifestation called »Culinary Millennia«. During the event, workshops are held to prepare dishes from prehistoric, Roman, medieval and traditional Žumberak cuisine.
Purpose and goal of the event “Culinary Millennia”
Culinary workshops were organized in 2005 and 2006 for the first time and their main purpose was to improve the offer of the Archeological Park and revitalize and represent the intangible heritage of the region. The basic aim of the program was to provide a detailed overview of the past and to pay equal attention to the valorisation of culinary customs of different periods. The character of the archaeological park enabled us to include natural resources in carrying out of the program and hence some of the ingredients needed for the preparation of meals on the workshops were collected in their natural surroundings. One of the major goals was to enable the visitors to actively participate in the program.
The course of the event “Culinary Millennia”
A program begins with a tour of the Archaeological Park in Budinjak (Croatia), where visitors can see and hear about the attractions along the Trail of the Princes. After an easy and instructive walk, visitors gather in front of the Eco Center Budinjak, where workshops are held. Visitors, usually divided into four groups, prepare food from different historical periods in a guided manner. Thus, in the open space equipped with fireplaces, dishes are prepared according to prehistoric, Roman, medieval and traditional Žumberak recipes. Dishes are prepared in special ways as they have been prepared in the past. Visitors get to know the ingredients that were used in cooking during these periods, learn about culinary procedures, dishes, learn about habits, interesting stories and enjoy the flavours of food from past periods.
More information on the course of events and workshops within the “Culinary Millennia” you can find in a description of the Public Institution “Nature Park Žumberak – Samoborsko gorje” and on their website http://www.park-zumberak.hr/
Unusually spicy wine – Conditum paradoxum
One of the interesting drinks that was prepared and drunk in the area of Žumberak during Roman cuisine (as well as this drink was prepared in the former Emona (name for Ljubljana more than 2000 years ago) is Conditum paradoxum, which in his book The Art of Cooking also describes the famous Apicius. Unlike the other recipes cited by Apicius, the recipe for Conditum Paradoxum is surprisingly accurate with the exact amounts of ingredients and the preparation process. This is quite unusual for written ancient Roman recipes. However, we are preparing Conditum paradoxum in a slightly customized way today and this wine is usually part of the “Culinary Millennia” event.
Source:
1) Želle, M. (2007). »Tisućljeća kulinarstva« – radionice pretpovijesne, rimske, srednjovjekovne i tradicijske kuhinje u Arheološkome parku u Budinjaku. Zagreb: Etnološka istraživanja. http://www.emz.hr/downloads/pdf/ei/ei_12-13/ei12-13-20Zelle.pdf.
2) BIC Ljubljana. 2014. Emona 2000. Projekt študentov gostinstva in turizma ter mentorjev BIC Ljubljana.