Split serves 5,000 free portions of traditional Dalmatian dish for St Domnius Day

(Photo: Grad Split)

Split marked the feast day of St Domnius and the City of Split Day on Thursday with the distribution of around 5,000 portions of the traditional Dalmatian dish janjetina s bižima at Prokurative Square.

Large crowds of residents and tourists gathered after the religious procession to take part in one of the city’s most popular annual traditions, which forms part of the wider Sudamja celebrations.

The dish, a traditional combination of lamb and peas, was prepared from the early hours of the morning by members of the Association of Chefs of Mediterranean and European Regions (ŠKMER), assisted by around 80 volunteers.

(Photo: Grad Split)

Among those taking part in the serving of meals were Split mayor Tomislav Šuta, deputy mayors Matea Dorčić and Ivo Bilić, and City Council president Igor Stanišić.

Organisers used more than 300 kilograms of lamb, including 27 whole lambs, along with 150 kilograms of peas, over 200 kilograms of onions and more than 100 kilograms of carrots and other root vegetables.

(Photo: Grad Split)

The recipe also included 40 litres of olive oil and 20 litres of white wine. Additional ingredients included prosciutto bones, two large pieces of pancetta, 10 kilograms of parsley, 10 kilograms of garlic, 13 kilograms of tomato concentrate and between 100 and 150 litres of tomatoes.

The dish was seasoned with salt, pepper and bay leaves, before being finished with butter and grated cheese.

(Photo: Grad Split)

The annual gastronomic event once again proved to be one of the central attractions of the Sudamja festivities, highlighting Split’s Mediterranean spirit, culinary heritage and strong sense of community.