The Karlovac County cuisine is rich and varied. Its combinations are the fruits of this fertile land and the hard work of the skilled people and are also an excellent form of the real experience of the whole area. The strudel, one of the best-known desserts of the region, has had a special place in the Karlovac gastronomy. It is particularly popular in September, thanks to all the fruits and berries characteristic of this time of the year: cabbage, plums, apples, grapes… and many others. There are also whole events and feasts dedicated to this dessert. 

And there was ŠtrudlaFest…

Did you know that the longest strudel in the world was prepared in Karlovac County? In September 2015, the hardworking pastry chefs and cooks, 50 people all in all, used 653 kg of apples and 230 kg of grapes to make the dessert requiring 825 kg of flour and various other ingredients. “From Jaškovo to the world… a strudel for Guinness” was the name of the event that produced the 1479.38 m strudel, thus making it into the Guinness Book of World Records and delighting some 3000 lucky visitors. 

This happy occasion marked the birth of the ŠtrudlaFest annual event, held every September, when nature does its best to enrich the recipes and ideas of the most experienced chefs and cooks. The event has its promotional and competitive elements, attracting both professional and amateur pastry chefs from several Croatian counties, competing to prepare the best strudel. Jaškovo, the place that initiated the whole story, and the site of the annual event, is now colloquially called the Strudel Village. 

Strudels all around

Apart from the fact that this one day each year Jaškovo and its immediate surroundings are suffused with the scent of various strudel fillings, visitors will find it hard to resist the offer in other Karlovac County restaurants. Namely, during that week in September, many establishments have their own Strudel Weeks, offering various fillings at promotional prices. Those are the so-called StrudelSpots and you can find the exact locations here.

If you wish to experience and taste the traditional Karlovac County cuisine, you must choose the strudel, too. Bon appétit!