Kulen is the pinnacle of traditional Croatian gastronomy, especially valued in Slavonia, Srijem and Baranja, where the art of making it has been developed over generations. This renowned cured meat product made from carefully selected pork cuts and enriched with a unique mixture of spices, is a symbol of a rich culinary heritage and a source of pride for the local community, which cherishes it with love and presents it at the Otočka Kulenijada (the Kulenijada of Otok), one of the longest running (the second oldest in Croatia) and the most famous kulenijadas in the country.
— Kulen is the pride of Croatian gastronomic offer and the most valued sausage product in Slavonia, Srijem and Baranja. At the end of the 19th century, Josip Lovretić, ethnographer and writer, but also a native of Otok, wrote:
“They choose the best meat for the kulen, they don’t mince it, but cut it, salt it, pepper it, fill the whole intestine with it as best as they can. When they want to dry it, they put the kulen in a piece of old netting; it must lie on salted meat for eight days. Then they hang it in the chimney with other meat.”
At first glance, the recipe for this gastronomic delicacy is very simple, but every nuance is important. The best parts of pork, cleaned of fat and connective tissue, are used in making kulen. It is believed that it is better to cut the meat for kulen than to mince it. Also, one needs to perfect the right ratio of mild and hot pepper to be added to the mixture, as well as the right amount of salt. Great attention is also paid to the nutrition of pigs, and it is widely believed that the best kulen is made from the mangulica and black Slavonian pigs, which are fed on Slavonian oak acorns. There are even discussions about whether kulen should be cut in slices as thick as a finger or, as the most valued Croatian sausage, enjoyed thinly sliced.
The answers to all these and some other questions are to be found at the Otočka kulenijada, one of the longest-running and most famous Kulenijadas, which has been held for more than two decades.
