Introduction
Zlatibor prosciutto (dried and smoked meat) is one of the most famous local dry meat products made according to the traditional procedure exclusively at Mt.Zlatibor. In addition to the very desirable sensory properties, it is featured by a high protein content which makes it a valuable food product from a nutrition point of view. The inhabitants of Mt.Zlatibor are known as producers of meat and meat products because that area, with its natural climate characteristics , is pre - destined to be a livestock breeding region. Even in the century before the last one, Zlatibor people were well known as producers of dried beef, pork and mutton and their products were appreciated in the markets in Belgrade and Sarajevo and also they often arrived to Vienna and Budapest. Today, the dried meat products are the most important items in the rich variety offer of culinary specialties of Mt.Zlatibor, followed by dairy products.
The natural environment where pastures are seen everywhere around, is an ideal area for cattle breeding, i.e. meat production for production of Zaltibor prosciutto.The ecologically clean area, high mountain pastures with a grass cover of great abundance in plant species and of an exceptionally high nutritional value, are an extraordinarily good potential to produce good quality feed for animals.
When asked what makes this prosciutto a unique product, the answer given a few decades ago was just the uniqueness of nutrients, which is reflected in the specific floristic composition of the pasture vegetation, but also specific micro-climatic conditions prevailing at this mountain.
As a raw material for the production of Zlatibor beef prosciutto,the musculature of the highest quality body parts (leg, back, steak) is used from grown up cattle, of a domestic colorful Simmental breed, that are bred at Zlatibor mountain or in the wider area of the Zlatibor District.
Zlatibor mountain is situated in western Serbia,and the tourist center / resort of this mountain which has the same name is 230km away from Belgrade. It takes about three hours of driving to get to Mt.Zlatibor from Belgrade along the main road connecting Belgrade to the Adriatic/ Montenegrin coast. Only at Mt. Zlatibor,three large air currents create a wind rose beneficial to humans, but also to the products from the Zlatibor area. The warm winds of the Mediterranean Sea and the crystal -sharp air of the Alps and the Dinarides, meet the strong currents from the Carpathian Mountains just above Zlatibor mountain, bringing pleasant smells of the clean and healthy winds from three continents. Meat producers prepare their products according to traditional recipes .
The territory of Cajetina municipality belongs administratively to the Zlatibor district and covers an area of 647km which includes the geographical wavy plateau/ highland between the rivers of Susica and Uvac and of Tara and Murtenica mountains, with a mountain range of Zlatibor as the central and main part of the rose of winds.
www.rpk-uzice.co.rs
Quality characteristics of Zlatibor prosciutto
The finished product should contain:
- from 40% to 45% of water (optimum 45%) - salt contents in the finished product should be in the range from 4% to 5%. In regard to sensory indicators, the finished product must have the folowing features:
- a uniform size of pieces (when produced from the same anatomical parts) - a moderately firm consistency - the surface of the product must have the same brown-red color without the presence of soot and resin - at the cross-section, the muscle tissue must be red (without the presence of dark rings on the periphery) and with a moderate presence of lined fat tissue - taste and smell must be pleasant, specific, characteristic of dried and smoked beef.
www.rpk-uzice.co.rs
Name of the place to visit:
Mackat, a village at the foot of Mt. Zlatibor, where the population produce prosciutto traditionally
Zlatibor, the most beautiful and visited mountain in Serbia, near the city of Uzice
Where to find typical health products (Farms, agritourism, Center for Agrifood research, etc...)
List of producers of agrifood products/farms/ Center for Agrifood in the selected area
1. Nikola Brkovid Kačer 0641889600 2. Slobo Zlatiborac doo,Mačkat 0648733605 3. Mitar Marid Mačkat 0644694608 4. Dragoljub Šopalovid-Perica Mačkat 0644487353 5. Dragan Andžid Mačkat 6. Radomir Rade Šopalovid Mačkat 0642668349 7. Dušan Stojanovid Mačkat 0641966190
www.rpk-uzice.co.rs
8. Radovan Andžid Mačkat 9. Vladan Stojanovid- Mirko Mačkat 0665040450 10. Aleksandar Radojičid Mačkat 0642632188 11. Vladimir Andžid Mačkat 0641354496 12. Ilija Stojanovid-Ružica Mačkat 0643879998 13. Zoran Šopalovid Mačkat 0642871751 14. Miloš Zarid Max Zara, Kačer 15. Miloš Radovanovid Šljivovica 0641230369 16. Milenko Tanaskovid Mačkat 0600390399 17. Radoje Bojovid Kriva Reka 0643069291 18. Radomir Jankovid Rožanstvo 0631132289 19. Filipovid-Carevid Kriva Reka 0643276904 20. Mišo Stojanovid-Joletid- Ilija 0646174410 21. Gliša Stojanovid Mačkat 0641416818 22. Dragoslav Rajevac Branešci 0641486328 23. Dragan M. Stojanovid-Badžo Mačkat 062454064 24. Branko Petronijevid Golovo 0603835101 25. Mirko Berid Pršutana Adim, Mušvete 26. Nikola Smuđa –Branko Zlatibor 0648570505 27. Dragan Kurdubid Kriva Reka 0641219960 28. Miroslav Stojanovid Mačkat 0642915965 29. Rade Stojanovid ZR ERA, Kriva Reka 0641220124 30. Miloje Stojanovid Mačkat 0642364921 31. Radosav-Obrad Šopalovid Mačkat 063638064
Where to eat:
The Restaurant “Kod Baja” , Mackat
The center of Mackat village
Tel: +0381 (0)31 834 – 061
Email: [email protected]
The “Mačkat”Restaurant
www.rpk-uzice.co.rs
The center of Mackat village
Tel: +0381 (0) 31 834 195
The “Lojo”Restaurant
The main road connecting Uzice and Zlatibor
Tel: +381 (0) 31 831 887
Email : [email protected] http://www.zlatibor.org.rs/
The Mona Zlatibor Hotel
Address: Naselje Jezero 26
The center of Mt. Zlatibor
Tel: +0381 (0) 31 841 021
Email: [email protected]
Where to sleep http://www.zlatibor.org.rs/en
www.rpk-uzice.co.rs