zagreb city of 10
aBove everyThing else, ZagreB is The Converging point as well as being the intersection of all the regional gastronomies of croatia, and more often than not offers a selection of the best from each of them. this is clearly visible on the city markets – 13 larger and 10 smaller ones, but most of all at the central market known as dolac, ideally located only meters from the central square, on an elevation at the same level as the cathedral. in every i ts activities precede its very existence, since back in the 19th century lively, often acrimonious discussions raged over the location of Zagreb’s central marketplace, what it should look like, who should build it, maintain it and, of course, who should use it. For centuries, Zagreb has been trading in the open and in accordance with strict rules. Records dating from 1425 tell us that trading in fresh fish was defined with far more precision than it is today: should they happen upon fresh fish that had been on display for too long, the unforgiving market inspectors of the day would cut off the tails of such fish, thus reducing them to second class goods. The history of Dolac, from the first initiative for its construction to its opening day, provides excellent material for a chronicle of scandals, one which did nevertheless have a happy ending. Today, this is a market with an open-air section and a covered area on two levels, logically organized, well laid out and free flowing. The supply primarily reflects seasonal food production by regions. The most interesting in this wide selection of produce are products by small, family agricultural holdings. Although economic logic dictates that small producers should work together in order to survive the onslaught of cheap goods from the world markets, the logic of gastronomy shows us that small producers provide a fantastic impetus to quality produce and, in particular, to a high standard of gastronomy. Goods are sometimes more expensive TourisT Board of The CiTy of ZagreB Kaptol 5; 10000 zagreb; tel.: +385 1 4898 555 fax: +385 1 4814 340 E-mail: info@zagreb-touristinfo.hr www.zagreb-touristinfo.hr respect this is the most prestigious market in croatia. on Dolac than on other <strong>Croatian</strong> markets, but that is logical: regional markets are mostly supplied by local producers; to Zagreb markets they bring the best that they can offer. Dolac is therefore a daily meeting place for the culinary stars of Zagreb, known and unknown. In their own words, this is where they start cooking. According to Ana Ugasrkoviæ, the rising star of the Zagreb gastronomic stage, good cuisine consists of 90% of good buys. The ability to select the best ingredients at the optimal time in the season is the basic art of a good gastronome, one upon which top quality cuisine is based all over the world. croatian <strong>Gastronomy</strong> 45