PREDSEDOVANJE EU 2008 EU Presidency 2008 PREDSTAVITEV ...

Srečko Koklič
Culinary Trends
It would be hard to
find a better expert on
the topic of culinary
trends, both at home and
around the world. Srečko
Koklič regularly attends
culinary exhibitions and
competitions around the
world. He is one of the
pivotal organisers of the
Catering and Tourism
Convention held in
Slovenia.
He is employed at the Slovenian
Chamber of Commerce and
Industry as a consultant in the
Catering and Tourism Section
and the Tourism, Hotels and
Restaurants Association. He is
also Secretary of the Association
of Catering Employees and its
sections. Mr. Koklič is also a
founding member and Secretary
of the Association of Slovenian
Chefs and Confectioners.
Photo: Vivo Catering
The World Association of Chefs’ Societies (WACS) bestowed a special
honour upon him by electing him Continental Director of Southern
Europe. He now presides over WACS members in southern Europe,
which includes cooking moguls such as France, Italy, Spain, Portugal,
Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Malta, Romania, Serbia, Montenegro, Turkey
and Slovenia.
And, last but not least, Mr. Srečko Količ is a person who says with pride
that above all he is a chef at every opportunity. Let's take a look at what
he shared with us regarding the directions being taken by the current
culinary trends in the world.
»Smaller portions, hot-cold combinations, milder tastes, the use of
fresh herbs and scents, less spicy herbs, fewer sauces, foamy sauces
with unusual tastes acting as a supplement on the plate - that's how,
in a few words, I would describe the current trends in cuisine.
Appetisers consist of various groups of foods, combined to produce
a whole where colour co-ordination plays an important role, served
as a single dish or as a hot-cold combination dish.
Clear, double strength soups are returning to the menu, with
interesting southern additions already included in the soup or ready
to add as a supplement.
The main dish consists of basic key ingredients (various types of meat),
in combination with ‘thermally treated’ vegetables (cooked, au gratin
or sautéed) and with fresh vegetables on the same plate as the third
part of the main dish. Salads, in forms familiar to us Slovenes, are
practically non-existent abroad; but fresh vegetables are included in
both the appetisers and main dishes.
Sauces of various types (orange, caramel, vanilla or champagne),
perhaps somewhat unusually for us, are prepared from a base
acquired through hours of cooking (over a low heat). Quality foodstuffs
are used, to which the additives and herbs mentioned above are added
later. Of course, we shouldn’t forget a superior wine that will round
off the final taste of the sauce, selected from a choice menu.
Desserts appearing on the horizon are a combination of different
pastries, fruit, cream and ice cream, supplementing the taste and also
bringing a freshness to the conclusion of the meal. Ice creams are less
creamy and are more reminiscent of sorbets, with variations creating
quite unusual flavours and combinations at times.
Unfortunately, the pace of work frequently restricts those meals for
which more time is required, along with a well-set table. Thus, hot-cold
combinations of light meals and snacks are on the march, replacing
lunch or morning and afternoon snacks. All dishes are prepared in
forms that we can enjoy standing up and without the need for eating
utensils, requiring only a plate and paper napkin. Although they may
sound like the ‘sandwich variation’, these snacks can be prepared with
extraordinary creativity and are quite delicious. Bread, in various
shapes and made from a variety of dough, serves as the base, which is
then stacked with fresh or fried vegetables, roasted meat or seafood.
When serving meals other than during a break from work, the rule
applies, of course, that a glass of superior wine is also served – which
is a custom at an enviable level in Slovenia.«
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