The inspiration for Pašman forces his people to make a number of organic products, and when the colourful colours of the island and the interior of the Matulić family farm in Pašman are combined, indescribable pleasures arise. For eight years, they have been offering completely organic and healthy food and cosmetics, with the highest quality ingredients, and for that, they have received a number of international awards. Of course, all this requires special effort, will, and above all love for this beautiful Adriatic island!
Ana and Krsto Matulić offer a food and cosmetic range based on the fruits of the island. "Krsto deals with the food part, and our most famous product is fig vinegar Pašman Libre, for which we received the Superior Taste Award 2018 in Brussels and the International Taste Award 2020 in Italy with 95 out of a maximum of one hundred points, with a jury and judges award", Ana proudly tells us as she holds a bottle in her hand that reflects the freedom to enjoy Pašman.
"Aceto is made exclusively from fresh figs. We have a circle of people picking our figs and collecting them in plastic buckets to keep all the juice from them. Figs are used to make a sort of liquid mass, which makes a mixture like a sweet young wine. It is cooked until about 35 per cent of the sugar is reached ", Krsto tells us about the production of Pašman Libre Aceto. After cooking, it is placed in wooden barrels made of wild cherry, specially made for Aceto. It is aged for at least a year, and the Matulićs managed to keep the Aceto, which has been in the barrel for two years! There are also plans for a small amount of Aceto that will age for six years, and the idea of preserving twelve-year-old Aceto that will look almost like honey is especially fascinating!
Aceto seeks a microclimate characterized by the coldest winter and the warmest summer. Because of its sugar, Aceto has an alcoholic fermentation, so the cold blocks that process, Krsto explains the reason why such a special production is needed. The barrel is always open, there is no stopper on its top, so the Aceto vaporizes. Its taste is enticing and the fig feels unmistakable!
Three different types of Pašmanero hot sauces are also recognizable products of Matulić. Pašmanero also received the Superior Taste Award in Brussels. In their field, Matulićs grow 28 types of chillies and make three sauces of the same name from them: Pašmanero with a mild vinegar and wine vinegar are of medium strength, while the one made with figs is very spicy. Krsto tells us that it is great with all kinds of sauces, with meat and tortillas. As is usually the case in our association, we immediately tried it alone, with a piece of bread. Pašmanero is a great chilli sauce, spicy-sour in taste, and we will definitely use it in many dishes!
In addition to the two most famous products, Pašman Libre and Pašmanero, there is also Pašman vinegar, aged in a barrel and prepared according to a traditional island recipe. In the shop, you can find various salts and marmalades, as well as marinated rubs and gilthead sea bream. Krsto designed chocolate with Aceto and olive oil, which is an additional channel for the promotion of excellent Aceto. We exclusively tasted this chocolate which at the time of our visit was not yet on sale and we enjoyed it as well as the excellent Viljamovka prepared for guests like us!
When Ana started producing soaps with olive oil she probably had in mind a number of other natural cosmetics that stand out from the traditional soaps and lotions that can be found along the entire Adriatic coast. She succeeded in that, so in the Matulić family farm, you can find entire lines of cosmetics for facial care: face creams, hands, face serum, facial cleansing foam into which all the beauty of the Mediterranean has merged. Various face and body creams, balms and oils are also based exclusively on natural ingredients that are collected on Pašman. Indeed, this island is a real source of health and beauty, and homemade soaps Smokvun, Slavuja, Lucmarin, Sea soap, Sensual and Ruža are the bearers of the Croatian island product label!
Matulićs are engaged only in this production, they do not have apartments for rent to tourists, which further increases the fascination with their activities and the will to live and work on the island. All these flavours and cosmetics are available to everyone through the webshop, but a visit to Matulići is an unavoidable part of staying on Pašman!
OPG Matulić
Pašman 2, 23262 Pašman
Krsto.matulic@gmail.com, modusvive@gmail.com
https://www.opgmatulic.com
+385 (0) 98 994 1634 Ana Matulić i +385 (0)95 551 8084 Krsto Matulić
Photos by: Cristiano Diaz
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