Rural Europe on the move English_chap7_13 | Page 9

Local Food Matters!
“I can no longer use local meat, butchered
at home. So I have to buy frozen meat,
slaughtered hundreds of kilometres away,
sometimes even imported from abroad.”
Hristo Kostovski
Economic Development of Rural
KruSevo sausage -
the passion
of a lifetime allspice. Hundreds of sausages at
During field visits we meet proudly. “But since our country has
different stages of ageing hang from
the walls around us. “The passion
of a lifetime is in this work,” he says
Areas in the Balkan region project producers of local cheese, honey, started conforming to the European
(ESSEDRA), the Standing Working paprika and sausages. Michele Rumiz, regulations, I can no longer use local
Group for Rural Development in Slow Food Officer for Balkans and meat, butchered at home. So I have to
South East Europe (SWG) and the Turkey describes his impressions of buy frozen meat, slaughtered hundreds
PREPARE network. the excursion: all fifteen of us struggle of kilometres away, sometimes even
to fit inside Hristo Kostovski’s small imported from abroad. Only that will
three main types of activities: First butcher’s shop, as he explains to us meet the HACCP requirements. But this
of all field visits which help us to get the secrets of cured pork production meat is not good quality, and I have
an idea of existing problems and in Kruševo, one of the highest towns to choose between following tradition
possible solutions of the people in the Balkans. The sausage of the and risking expensive fines, or making
dealing with local food; secondly same name, known all over North Kruševo sausage that is from Kruševo
a focus on the economic and legal Macedonia, has been produced only in name.”
framework in which transition can here for at least a century. With his take place; and thirdly work on large hands, Hristo shows us the less possible solutions through dialogue, used cuts of pork and beef that go cooperation and common actions of into the sausage, along with leeks, the stakeholders. herbs and spices, including mint and
The workshop programme included
4. Nicolce Nikolovski and Liljana Tanevska
launch Local Food Matters workshop
5. Nikolce explains local food dishes to Branka
Tome, Oliver Emmes and Christian Jochum
6. Hristo Kostovski and Kruševo sausages
85