LJUBOVIJA SMELLS OF TRADITION AND SOCIALIZATION: SUCCESSFULLY HELD GASTRO FEST IN LJUBOVIJA

Ljubovija - On Saturday, May 10, the smells of local specialties and a good atmosphere spread through Ljubovija, because the 16th Gastro Fest was held, a traditional manifestation that every on the second Saturday in May, it gathers culinary enthusiasts.
60 teams participated in the competition program, while numerous visitors enjoyed tasting, socializing and rich supporting program. In addition to the culinary competition, the Gastro Fest was also a cultural event this year, with performances by children from PU "Poletarac" and KUD "Azbukovica", who opened the event at 12 noon. Special attention was attracted by the Serbian Order of Svibor Knights, whose members performed a display on Vojvode Mišić Square of Serbian knightly wrestling, reviving the spirit of tradition and chivalry.

While the contestants were preparing the ingredients for the fish soup and stew, the students of "Petar Vragolić" Primary School and "Vuk Karadžić" Secondary School were baking dumplings and preparing cakes. for all visitors to the event. A special competitive category was made up of teams from women's associations, which are in the frame competition "Traditional Serbian dishes according to our grandmothers' recipes" presented forgotten tastes from family cooks, nurturing local cuisine and customs. This discipline was the first to be evaluated by an expert jury composed of professional chefs: Milorad Aćimović - Aćima, Jordan Nastanović and Saša Mišić, this year's promoter of the event, known to the general public from the show "Hell's Kitchen". The competition also took place in the preparation discipline kačamaka, which, along with cooking goulash, was a novelty at this year's Gastro Fest.

In the afternoon, the first participants of the IRON ULTRA TRAIL race started arriving in Ljubovija, which was conducted in two stages - from Valjevo to Ljubovija, and DJ BELL was in charge of the musical part of the program.
The organizer of the event is the Tourism Organization of the Municipality of Ljubovija, under the patronage of the Municipality of Ljubovija. Gastro Fest was supported by numerous sponsors: Valjevsko Pivo, Aleva, Teslina brvnara, Aleksandar tehnika, Poljoprivredno gazdinstvo Janjić and Minas market.

Winners in the competition program:

discipline: fish stew
1st place - "EKO BOX" Srebrenica
2nd place - Fish restaurant "Mladost" Čačak
3rd place - "Banatski kulinari" Kikinda
The most original Drina stew: "Tadića vajati" Drlače

discipline: goulash
1st place - "Bistro" Bratunac
2nd place - "Majstori" Ljubovija
3rd place - Gornje Košlje

discipline: kačamak
1st place - Gornje Košlje
2nd place - Women's Association "Evgenija" Ježevica
3rd place - Cafe "Šansa" Valjevo

discipline: traditional cuisine of old Serbian dishes that were loved in the kitchen of our grandmothers
1st place - Women's association "Zlatne ruke Resave" Stenjevac, Despotovac
2nd place - Women's association "Svjetlost" Ugljevik
3rd place - Slavenka Drčelić
most authentic dish: žganci
medal - TEAM "Đed 1 and Đed 2" from Belgrade