Slaninijada in Kačarevo | Tourist Calendar of Serbia

Slaninijada (Bacon Festival) is an international gastronomic event that takes place every year in late February in the village of Kačarevo, not far from Pančevo.

As the name suggests, bacon is the main reason for gathering, but other dried and smoked meat specialties should not be overlooked either, as there is an abundance of them in Kačarevo during February. The locals of this village proudly claim that Kačarevo is the oiliest village in the world.

During the last weekend of February, more than 300 stalls are set up in the center of the village, both outdoors and indoors, offering not only meat but also other traditional products. In addition to bacon made from domestic Yorkshire pigs or mangalitsa pigs, the most attention is drawn to hot cracklings.

During the four days of the event, up to 10,000 visitors gather in Kačarevo, including those who come from as far as China, France, Italy, Russia, and neighboring countries.

Kačarevo is a multi-ethnic village in southern Banat where a tradition of preparing bacon with a unique taste has been created through a combination of different customs and cuisines. As they say, the "košava" wind is an important factor for the uniqueness of Kačarevo bacon, as it contributes to its characteristic drying process.

The tradition of making bacon in these regions is connected to the preparation of seasonal field work, which is unimaginable without bacon. Moreover, farmers often say that bacon has sustained them.

Like the Turijska Kobasicijada, this event also originated in a tavern. In mid-January 1988, during the usual winter leisure time, the first competition for the best bacon in Kačarevo was organized within two weeks. Besides entertainment, the goal was also the interaction and connection of different ethnic communities in this area who shared the tradition of making this delicacy.

The competition for the best homemade bacon involves an exhibition of authentic homemade bacon made for personal use, not for sale. An integral part of the event is the Golden Crackling competition - a competition in rendering lard, and the Golden Cauldron competition - a competition for the best pork stew.

The two-day event is complemented by local housewives who serve traditional "forgotten" dishes prepared according to grandma's recipes.

Perhaps the most entertaining part of the event is the piglet race under the slogan "Catch me if you can," where a visitor receives a piglet as a gift if they arrive first.

Serbia's entry into the process of negotiations with the European Union in the early 2000s also meant the implementation of some European laws, one of which is the ban on public pig slaughter. This led to certain changes in Slaninijada, and in the last two decades, only meat products have been exhibited without the participation of the audience in preparation. However, preparations for Slaninijada still begin months in advance, usually from December when pig slaughter traditionally takes place in Serbia.

Sculptor Ratko Vulanović confirmed that Slaninijada is much more than a bacon exhibition. Back in 1991, he created the first bacon sculpture in the shape of a shank, 16 meters high and weighing an incredible 5 tons. It was the first bacon monument in the world, but not the last. Over the following years, the artist made various shapes from this specialty, including a house.

This year's Slaninijada in Kačarevo is scheduled to take place from February 16 to 19.