Sausage Festival in Turija | Tourist Calendar of Serbia

Kobasicijada (Sausage Festival) is a gastronomic, tourist, and humanitarian event that has been taking place in the Bačka village of Turija, not far from Srbobran, every last weekend of February for 37 years. These areas are widely known for their gourmet cuisine, and Turija is famous for its sausage, which has also found its place in the Guinness Book of Records.

The history of the origin of this event is very interesting. Supposedly, out of sheer boredom and usual teasing among neighbors, an internal competition for the best sausage was held on a snowy evening in 1985. Already the following year, about twenty hosts competed in the packed "Beograd" tavern, managing to both have a good time and make some profit.

It is said that the decision was made immediately - the competition would be held every year, with the proceeds going to charitable purposes. Thus, little by little, a three-day event was created, which in recent years has attracted up to 20,000 visitors.

The tradition that never breaks is also evidenced by the conflict with the church and the local priest, which occurred in 2004. That year, Kobasicijada coincided with the Easter fasting period, so the sound of funeral church bells mixed with the music as a sort of protest. Despite the risk of being excluded from society, the people of Turija still held their event.

The Kobasicijada - Turija Association was founded to organize the event. What the Association is particularly proud of are not the records but the humanitarian nature of this event. So far, they have provided two ambulances, an EKG machine, financial assistance for a school, kindergarten, library, and support for the poor and sick.

During the three days of the event, the main attraction is undoubtedly the making of the longest sausage in the world. With the aim of breaking the world record, the people of Turija decided to collectively make a sausage longer than 2 kilometers, and then extend it by one meter each year. Thus, in 2013, the Turija sausage was also registered in the Guinness Book of Records.

According to the official data recorded by the Guinness team, the diameter of the sausage coil was 3.97 meters, and after 7 hours of cooking, it weighed about 255 kilograms. Ten people from Turija made this giant pork sausage seasoned with salt, pepper, and paprika.

This event also includes essential stalls selling various meat products, as well as roast meat, stew, and other traditional dishes. The exhibitors are not only from Tur ija but also from other parts of Bačka and Vojvodina, although the biggest crowd gathers around the stall with local products.

The music stage is set in the center of the village, where cultural and artistic societies, trumpeters, bagpipers, and, of course, tamburitza players perform.

In addition to sausages, another trademark of this place is the turijska brica (Turija razor). According to legend, this specific blade has been known since the mid-18th century when the people of Turija served as border guards, and it has been preserved to this day. It is thin and sharp, and long enough for two fingers to protrude from a beer bottle.

The smell of sausages, the sounds of tamburitza, the sausage-making competition, the speed required to eat a portion of this local specialty, and the humanitarian aspect are the main highlights of the event in Turija.

This year's 38th edition of the Turija Kobasicijada will take place from February 25th to 27th. For more information about the upcoming event, visit the official website of the Kobasicijada Association.