Štrudlafest in Jaškovo

Štrudlafest ZlatnŠtrudlafest in Jaškovo near Ozalj will be held from 5 to 6 September 2026. The event's opening hours are on Saturday from 10:00 to 22:00 and on Sunday from 10:00 to 21:00.

The center of new activities will be Dvorišće tete Marice, where workshops will be held on making traditional ceramics and painting strudel plates, making gingerbread hearts and making jalba lace. A special attraction within this space will be Tesla's corner in collaboration with Nikola Tesla Experience, and a competition for the best Croatian strudel will be held in collaboration with Pivovar Medvedgrad, where savory and sweet strudels with beer will be prepared. The cultural and social program is enriched by the Golden Grandma competition organized by the Zora Foundation, and the gastronomic heritage will be revived by the presentation of the historical strudel by Dragojla Jarnević in collaboration with the Karlovac City Museum.

Anyone looking for activities and exploring the Ozalj region can enjoy guided cycling tours Štrudla by bike, safari adventures Štrudla by kayak on the Dobra River in the village of Grdun, or guided walking tours Štrudla step by step. There is also a ranch with Highland Scottish cattle, and the Žganjer restaurant with a tradition of more than half a century. The traditional Žitna lađa in Brođani also offers a special experience. Great news also comes from Karlovac, where Aquatika - the Karlovac freshwater aquarium, has joined the event, offering all visitors a discount on tickets and a fun prize draw of 100 mu soms.

The cultural part of the festival brings together the largest number of cultural organizations to date. During both days, Štrudlafest will host KUD Mura, KUD Izvor Rakovica, KUD Sv. Juraj Draganić, as well as guests from Zadar County and Slovenia.

On Saturday, September 5, the program begins with the official opening at 10:00, followed by the selection for the Golden Grandma and the announcement of the winner. The afternoon is reserved for beer gastro workshops, a beer strudel making competition, and entertainment such as the Rally kids corner and the Štrudlomaniac picnic. The evening musical highlight of Saturday belongs to the concert of the Daleka obala group under the symbolic name MARICA zna.

Sunday, September 6, begins with activities for the youngest through Vura za dicu and children's village games in the Children's Orchard. The gastro stage on Sunday brings the exotic gastro show Nepal in Jaškovo, the pairing of strudel and liqueur, the story of Dragojla Jarnević's strudel, and reminiscing about making the famous 3-kilometer strudel with ambassador Aunt Vesna. The musical finale of the Štrudlafest festival, with a performance by Laura.

Program on the website. This year's Štrudlafest is being held with the support of the Croatian Tourism Board, the Croatian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Karlovac County and the City of Ozalj, the Žganjer restaurant, and the Zora Foundation.

Strudel with beer, turkey and spinach

Ingredients for the crust:

400 g plain flour

6 tablespoons oil

6 g salt

2.5 dl lukewarm water

or a package of ready-made strudel crusts

Ingredients for the filling:

700 g turkey shoulder

1 onion

3 cloves garlic

200 g fresh spinach

150 g feta cheese

2 dl Zlatni medvd beer from Pivovara Medvedgrad

0.5 dl oil

salt

pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika

grated lemon zest

This simple main course takes a total of 80 minutes to prepare, of which 60 minutes are for preparation and 20 minutes for baking.

The process begins the day before by marinating the meat for 24 hours before baking. Pour oil, the above spices and 1 dl of beer over it, cover with cling film and leave in the fridge. The next day, remove the meat from the fridge and bake in an oven preheated to 180 °C for an hour and a half to two hours until completely tender.

If you are using ready-made strudel crusts, preheat the oven to 200 °C and prepare a large baking sheet that you grease well with oil. If you decide to make your own homemade crusts, knead a smooth dough from flour, water, oil and salt with a mixer for about five minutes. Place the dough on a plate, oil it, cover with cling film and leave to rest for 1 hour.

During this time, clean and chop the onion and garlic and sauté them in oil until soft. Then add the fresh spinach, stir briefly to wilt, pour in the remaining 1 dl of beer and let the liquid reduce completely. Remove the roasted meat from the oven, remove the bone and chop it. Add the minced meat to the onion and spinach mixture, stir and leave on the heat for a few minutes to combine well.

Remove the filling from the heat to cool, then stir in the chopped feta cheese and grated lemon zest. Spread the prepared meat and spinach filling evenly over the stretched crust, roll up and carefully transfer to a baking sheet. Before baking, brush the top of the strudel with oil and bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until the dough is a nice golden color. Cool the baked strudel slightly and serve with a glass of cold beer.

Strudel with apricots, beer and almonds

Ingredients for the crust:

400 g plain flour

6 tablespoons of oil

6 g of salt

2.5 dl lukewarm water

or a package of ready-made strudel crust

Ingredients for the cream:

3 egg yolks

35 g thickener

500 ml milk

50 g vanilla sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

pinch of salt

100 ml whipping cream

Ingredients for the filling:

700 g apricots

80 ml Zlatni medvd beer from Medvedgrad Brewery

70 g honey

70 g toasted almond flakes

50 g semolina or crumbs

2 teaspoons vanilla flavoring

grated orange zest

The preparation begins with making the cream. Pour 400 ml of milk into a medium saucepan and heat until boiling. In a separate bowl, use a whisk to combine the egg yolks, thickener, vanilla sugar, a pinch of salt, vanilla extract and the remaining 100 ml of milk. Pour the resulting mixture into a pot of boiling milk, reduce the heat and cook, stirring constantly, until it thickens and boils, about 3 to 5 minutes, and after bubbles appear, cook for another minute. Transfer the cooked cream to a heat-resistant container, place cling film directly on the surface to prevent the crust from sticking, and leave at room temperature for an hour, after which transfer it to the refrigerator to cool completely. Blend the cooled cream briefly, pour in the whipped cream and mix for another two minutes, then store it in the refrigerator until the strudel is assembled.

For the homemade crust, knead the smooth dough with a mixer for about five minutes from the flour, water, oil and salt until it starts to separate from the edges of the bowl. Place the dough on a plate, oil it, cover with cling film and let it rest for at least an hour.

While the dough is resting, prepare the filling by washing the apricots, removing the pits and cutting them into quarters. Place them in a cooking pot, add honey and beer and cook over medium heat until most of the liquid has evaporated. Then stir in the vanilla essence, grated orange peel, semolina or breadcrumbs and toasted almond flakes, mix well and leave the filling to cool.

For the final preparation, preheat the oven to 250 °C and lightly grease a large baking sheet with oil. Spread the cooled cream evenly over the thinly rolled out pastry or prepared ready-made crusts, and sprinkle the apricot and beer filling over it. Carefully roll up the strudel, transfer to the baking sheet and brush the top with a little oil. Reduce the oven temperature and bake the strudel for 20 to 30 minutes until it turns a nice, crispy golden colour. Cool the baked delicacy well and serve with a glass of chilled beer.

PHOTO Strudelfest: Demjan Rožman, Dora Jurinčić

PHOTO strudel recipes: Marina Obradović

FOTO Štrudlafesta: Demjan Rožman, Dora Jurinčić

FOTO štrudli za recepte: Marina Obradović