Renowned as the region which manufactures Vegeta, a seasoning which is one of Croatia's most famous culinary exports, the Podravina area has recently presented a new hit. In a village of Veliki Bukovec, in Varaždin county, they have come across the Orehovec family whose range takes the appreciation of duck to a royal level.
Their brand, Royal Duck, is a line of fully organic products, including duck pâté, duck fat and smoked duck breast. Flavourings such as pumpkin seed and truffles accompany the rich taste in some of the fancily presented options.
Reviewers have highlighted the Royal Duck range for its quality and for being quite unlike anything else found in Croatia. In some parts of Croatia, particularly those close to the Hungarian border, corn-fed duck and goose liver is a traditional specialty, an ethical alternative to foie gras.
Royal Duck's range is available via export so everyone can now make the comparison themselves. Though these days it is less traditionally used, because of its high content of saturated fats, duck fat provides the best results for roasting potatoes, not least because of the high temperatures it can be taken to without any damage to its flavour.
This feature is part of Time Out Croatia's commitment to support businesses, commerce and non-profit organisations during the period of social distancing.