,s\n Bu»v
IABSRJI
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geacollege
Faculty of Entrepreneurship
THE ISLAND OF PAG AND ITS CULINARY RICHES
Pave Ivic*
University of Applied Sciences Baltazar Zaprešic,
Croatia pave.ivic@bak.hr
Ivan Protega
University of Applied Sciences Baltazar Zapresic, Croatia ivan.protega@bak.hr
Abstract
Gastronomy is an important form of cultural distinctiveness of a country. In the age of selective forms of tourism, more attention is paid to emphasising a country's indigenous gastronomic offer. The island of Pag is since long ago known as an island of sheep breeding. Due to its geographic location directly beneath the Velebit mountain, agroecological factors for pasture are quite unique. North wind from the Velebit mountain ("bura") spreads sea salt all over pasturages, and as a result, both sheep milk and cheese from Pag have distinctive traits. The signs "Croatian Quality" and "Croatian" on these products from the island of Pag imply Croatian autochthonous tradition. Besides the well-known and renowned Pag cheese, gastronomic offer also includes lamb, cottage cheese and other produces, which makes this island an exceptional and rich gastro-destination. The purpose and result of this research on the island of Pag is to obtain the guidelines for development. Research method includes the direct visit of all participants and data analysis.
Key Words
Gatronomy; Island of Pag, Croatia.
'Corresponding Author
Advances in Business-Related Scientific Research Journal, Volume 9, No. 2, 2018
INTRODUCTION
In marketing literature, the authors define the price as one of the four instruments that enable comprehensive marketing management. Moreover, it is important that the change in one instrument without regulation of other instruments generally does not give an optimal result.
One such "trademark " of our country is Pag cheese, which is actually a side product of sheep on the island of Pag and the basics food of the poor shepherds on the island, now it stands side by side with one of the most famous French and Swiss cheeses, and is of respected and well-known specialty, and one of the most famous indigenous gastronomic products of our country.
The island of Pag is one of the largest Croatian island. Because of its location, below the Velebit mountain, exposed to frequent salty winds that cause specific vegetation on the island. Given that only sheep could take advantage of the small grass and lack of it on the island, during centuries sheep breeding was developed. Today, the island of Pag is famous for its breeding of sheep and goat meat and dairy products.
Pag cheese production has changed much in the last 30 years. Monopoly over its production took over three cheese factories, while production in households has drop to minimum, and slowly falling into past. Now Pag cheese production are investing more resources, adopting new technologies and new knowledge, and more effort and resources are invested in its convergence to masses of consumers.
A key role in bringing the product to masses has promotion, which is a form of mass communication that can be considered as vital marketing function, although the promotion is only one phase of marketing which aims to inform potential customers about the product in order to obtain higher demand for that product. Promotion is the sum of the activities through which the company seeks to familiarize consumers with its products with the help of communicative media and personal and impersonal persuasion. Promotion effect on demand because it turns need into a desire that with the purchasing power exceeds to demand. Successful promotion often makes the difference between successful and unsuccessful products companies, directly or indirectly facilitates the exchange of convincing the target group to accept certain product. This work has the theme of promoting indigenous gastronomy, on the example of Pag cheese, and will show what kind of attitude towards the promotion have three existing cheese manufacturers on the island, how to invest in the promotion, and which promotion instruments most used, as well as point out potential flaws .
ISLAND PAG AND HIS CULINARY RICHES
The island of Pag is one of the largest Croatian island. He is the fifth largest island in Croatia, a long coastline of 302,47km is the most coast developed island in Croatia. The appearance of the island is one of its specialties. That island is very long, more than 60km, and very narrow, 2 to 9.5km.
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Picture 1: Geographical location of the island of Pag
Source: www.tzkolan-mandre.hr
The first records of Pag are from the Roman era. The earliest name for the island, Cissa (Kiss), was recorded in the works of the Roman writer Pliny in the first century, and probably the Illyrian origin. Later, the Croats changed name to Caska, and the settlement still exists in the Pag Bay. Today's name for the island originated from the Latin word "pagus" which means "village". Thanks to its position just below the Velebit mountain, throughout the year there is a supply of fresh and clean continental air, which is beneficial to the development of agriculture on the island as well as the growth of low vegetation, which is the basic food for sheep.
The inhabitants of island Pag has highest revenue income from tourism, followed by agriculture. As the foundation of agricultural activities on the island, farming stands out, especially sheeps. Sheep production is based on high quality, selected, alternative to mass production of meat and dairy products. The most famous island specialties are lamb, cheese, cottage cheese and ham.
Lamb has always been a brand of the island. Due to its special taste and high quality, today we can find it in all the restaurants around the Croatian and the world. With the lamb, far more famous is cheese, which has a prominent high among the world cheese. Less known are dairy product made from sheep's milk like curd.
GASTRONOMY - RESEARCH
Gastronomy can be defined as
1.	culinary profession, knowledge of different foods and ways of
2.	preparation; or the cult of selected food and culinary skills. Another definition says that gastronomy is knowledge of food, preparing meals, select beverages and serving guests.
Catering in a broader sense means the relationship between culture and food, as well as the art of preparing, serving and consumption of food. Concept of catering covers all issues related quality, quantity and methods of food preparation. In a narrow sense, it is the art of eating, which in itself
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includes many arts such as creative adaptation or invention of culinary recipes choice of foods and ways of cooking and serving. It can also be considered and applied as art and falls in service activities.
Given that the concept of a good meal varies according to geographical regions and social classes, excellent catering can be considered as an interdisciplinary science that encompasses anthropology, biology, agronomy, history, psychology, sociology and philosophy.
The basic elements of cooking and crafts are:
-	Culture dishes and flavours
-	Culture - looking dishes
-	Culture taste
-	Cultivating environment where food is served
The gastronomic offer of some country today is celebrated as one of the key elements of preserving the cultural identity of the country, so many efforts are being done to preserve and promote indigenous gastronomic products.
Croatian gastronomy is heterogeneous and is known as the gastronomy of various regions. Its modern roots date back to Proto-Slavic and ancient times. The differences in the choice of ingredients and preparation methods are most obvious on the mainland and coastal regions. The continental gastronomy is characterized by the earlier Proto-Slavic and the more recent contacts with the more famous gastronomic orders of today - Hungarian, Viennese and Turkish. The coastal region is characterized by the influence of the Greeks, Romans, Illyrians and later Mediterranean gastronomy -Italian and French.
Many Croatian traditional festivities are associated with food, regardless of whether they relate to labour (crop harvesting or threshing, grape harvest and christening of wine, the completion of houses), religion (mostly catholic christmas, easter, pilgrimages, celebration days of local patron saints ) or at significant moments in an individual's life (baptism, wedding, birthday, etc.). Some festivities are public, such as the Dionysian St. Martin, who is celebrated on farms, in wine cellars and restaurants, while others are almost exclusively in the family (weddings, christenings, Christmas, new year, Easter, etc.).
Every holiday is characterized by a specific dish. A stew of pork and potatoes eaten on pilgrimages and fairs, cod is prepared for Christmas eve and big friday, pork is eaten on new year's eve, donuts are an inseparable part of carnival festivities, and in the south they prepare a similar cake, "hrostule". Ham and boiled eggs with green vegetables are served at Easter, while desserts comprise traditional cakes (eg. pinca), goose on St. Martin, while turkey and other poultry, and cabbage served at Christmas.
TERM AUTOCHTONY IN GASTRONOMY
The term "autochthony" in gastronomy is used for traditional foods, those that are made from ingredients that are traditionally found in an area from where a particular dish originated. For meals that are prepared by exact
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recipes and served in a certain way and in accordance with the customs of the region.
PAG LAMB
The island of Pag is known for its sheep farming, which thanks to the specific (scarce) diet have a distinct taste. Pag sheep never live indoors. All their short life is spent outdoors. Shortly after the lambs are bring forth they food is combined with young grass salted with "bora", very strong wind. On Pag lawns grass is varied, but usually not characterized by an abundance of water as much as nutrients. Pasko herbs and low shrubs smell good, is often curative, such as sage (nightingale), Helichrysum, routes, "brsake", "mlica", "Zelenice", Tusc and many others, small leaves and growth. Because of this way of eating, lamb has a distinct taste, put in the words of connoisseurs and gastronomes, reason that makes the best lamb in Croatia.
PAG CHEESE
Because of the centuries - old way of making cheese, it is a trademark of the island Pag, specialty known not only in Croatia but also throughout Europe and the world. The specialty cheese is the basic raw material - milk sheep. This milk has a special flavour because it contains ingredients that sheep milk from other areas have not. The island of Pag is a rugged, stingy grass and covered with layers of salt that wind throws during the winter storms. Because of this mix of grass variety of flavours with the addition of sea salt, which sheep graze, their milk taste highly and specifically.
Cheese production on the island of Pag is dating from the time of development of sheep on the island of Pag. Still in 1774. the travel writer Alberto Fortis in his Journey through Dalmatia wrote that the most important Pag products: sea salt , sage honey, wool and cheese. The traditional way of producing this cheese has remained to this day almost unchanged. The only difference is extinction of making cheese "on hand" and the introduction of the mold, and use of pasteurization in industrial production Pag cheese. Cottage cheese can be purchased during the winter and spring months. Due to high demand, old cheese is rarely found. Cottage cheese is much softer and lighter than the mature (old) cheese.
PAG CURD
Since the sheep milk is rich in milk fat, after making cheese from "surotve" that remained after heating while stiring gently till boiling occurs allocations other second cheese, which is called the Pag curd. It is soft and soluble and eaten as a spread or topping cakes and pancakes. "Surotva" in which the fringe left was used as a beverage, and surotvom without skirts were fed pigs that gave special Pag ham, another food specialty of the island. Another product from sheep's milk and butter, which is a rule corn mashing smote curd which had been added to the water. After a long preparation of curd on the surface swam to the finest butter smearing on bread. It is obtained by boiling butter cake, spice porridge or rice and other dishes of Pag. Today, the butter is no longer true because the traditional way of making cheese in
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households is declining. Most of the production of cheese and curd have taken three major production manufacturers on the island .
PROSCIUTTO
In addition to lamb, cheese and sheep products, Pag is also known for Prosciutto. Production of indigenous dishes is in decline because fewer people are farming pigs. Pork production on the island of Pag, by the end of the 19th century has had an important role. Now with ham production are mainly dealing the inhabitants of the southern part of the island, in the villages Dinjiska and Vlasici. Rarely it can be found in the other places. Pag prosciutto is considered a very high quality, mostly because of its used of home salting, island salt and dried in the strong winter storm. Pag prosciutto, due to extreme salinity, is rarely used alone as a food, and today has become a delicacy that is served on special occasions, usually with cheese.
RESEARCH OF TOURISTS REVIEWS
As part of the research for attitude of tourists toward gastro offer of the island, using a sample of 100 respondents who were stopped at the exit from the island, in particular, the bridge. The survey questions led to the results and attitude of tourists towards gastronomic offer.
Table 1: Questions for tourists on the island of Pag (year 2012, sample of 100 tourists)_
Is this your first time on Pag?	Are you familiar with the gastronomic offer Pag has?	Did you consume Pag cheese?	Did you consume local lamb?	Did you consume Pag curd?	How would you discribe the cuisine of island Pag?	Will you visit Pag again?
YES 35%	YES 62%	YES 85%	YES 58%	YES 25%	EXCEPTIONAL 87%	YES 86%
NO 65%	NO 38%	NO 15%	NO 42%	NO 75%	GOOD 13%	NO 14%
Source: Own survey.
The result of the survey shows that tourists experienced great pleasure from the island gastronomic offer, in relation to autochthony and specificity.
CONCLUSION
One of the basic cultural characteristics of any country or region is also its culinary wealth and as such should be nurtured. Croatia as a country has a diverse gastronomy that varies from region to region. And within each region there are also differences and special features that indicate a specific local environment.
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Thus the island of Pag has long been known as an island of sheep. Due to its geographical position, just below the Velebit mountain, where special conditions for sheep grazing were developed. Exposed to frequent and severe shocks from Velebit "bora" island is covered with low vegetation, is rugged and sprinkle with salt storm that scatters through the winter. Precisely because such a diet Pag sheep is special. Lamb has always been an attribute of the best and highest quality meat in Croatia.
For the same reason, and milk of sheep in particular. This milk provides the basis for making the best known and most esteemed culinary specialties of the island, and you could say one of the most respected specialty of entire Croatian - Pag cheese.
This cheese was being done in households across the island, but only in the last 15 years is driven by serious industrial cheese production in the three larger islands Cheesemakers. It has started to invest in new technologies based on new knowledge. Today, the cheese itself is relatively high, and the demand for this delicacy is certainly there.
Although awareness and importance of promotion is there, she herself is underrepresented in the cheesemakers business, with the exception of "Gligora" that used every element of promotion and invest a lot of effort and capital into the promotion. The remaining two cheese manufacturers exploit some elements of promotion while other elements were neglected, and seems to consider the reputation of the cheese itself as sufficient promotion. Although the Pag cheese delicacy is known throughout the Republic of Croatian territory from the time when production was limited to private households and as such is unique today in the time of increasing competition in the market, there is an existential need for promotion as a means of survival in a saturated market.
REFERENCES
Kotler, P., Keller, K. L. (2008). Upravljanje Marketingom. Mate d.o.o. Previšič, J.,, Ozretič, D. D. (2007). Osnove Marketinga. Adverta. Meler, M. (2002). Marketing. Ekonomski Fakultet u Osijeku.
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