Students on Croatian island producing carob syrup, jelly, cookies and other delights
- by croatiaweek
- in News
(Photo credit: Učenička zadruga “Bravura” – Vis)
ZAGREB, 8 Feb (Hina) – Carob, a Mediterranean plant valued for centuries as a foodstuff, was brought to the island of Vis in the 4th century by the Greeks, but later it lost its importance, however, its role has been revived by the students of Vis High School Antun Matijašević Karamaneo through the Bravura cooperative.
The cooperative was founded 11 years ago by local teachers, who wanted to develop an entrepreneurial spirit in their students and nurture the island’s heritage.
Given that Vis is rich in carob , at the initiative of the County Public Institution for Coordination and Development RERA, which recognized the work of Bravura, they started working with this very useful plant.
(Photo credit: Učenička zadruga “Bravura” – Vis)
RERA soon included them in the Mediterranean diet project, where they worked on the autochthonous food project, and workshops were organized at the school where they were taught by entrepreneurs and owners of family farms.
Teacher Emilija Jončić says that there is an indigenous carob variety in Komiža called Komiški tust or Komiški krupni rogač and claims that there is the oldest carob tree in the world.
(Photo credit: Učenička zadruga “Bravura” – Vis)
On Vis today, there are numerous carob arboretum plantations, with specimens that are older than 500 years, said Jončić.
From syrup and jam to carob cookies
At the beginning, the students collected carob around the school, and bought some from the agricultural cooperative, after which they were able to start production.
(Photo credit: Učenička zadruga “Bravura” – Vis)
“First, we made carob syrup, which is used as a dressing and a drink. Instead of sugar, we used honey in the syrup. We didn’t stop there, we made carob jam from the must left over from the syrup.
(Photo credit: Učenička zadruga “Bravura” – Vis)
We made those two products for the project RERA,” says Jončić.
They produce all this in their school.
