Slavonian Farm Families

Jagodnjak, Croatia

The real kulen comes from family farms across Slavonia and Baranja. Every household has its own recipe, passed through generations. At kolinje (the winter pig slaughter), families make kulen from their best pork, season it with homegrown paprika, and hang it in smokehouses for months. The best way to buy kulen is to know someone in a village. Second best: visit the Kulenijada festival in Jagodnjak each June, where dozens of families compete and sell.