Vegeta (condiment) explained
Vegeta is a brand of savoury condiments of dehydrated vegetables, spices, and MSG, produced by Croatian food company Podravka. It is considered a staple of Eastern European cuisine.[1] [2]
The product was originally developed at Podravka's labs in Koprivnica, then part of Yugoslavia, in 1958. Zlata Bartl, a Bosnian Croat chemical technician who created a popular line of dehydrated soup packets, led the team that developed Vegeta.[3] It was first sold in 1959 under the name "Vegeta 40", and first exported in 1967 to Hungary and the Soviet Union.[4] Vegeta has been produced by Podravka in Koprivnica since its introduction, and is also manufactured in Poland, Austria, Hungary,[5] and Tanzania.[6]
Vegeta was a commercial success for Podravka and led to an economic boom in Koprivnica. Bartl, who became known as "Auntie Vegeta" (Croatian: Teta Vegeta),[3] was made an honorary citizen of the city before her death in 2008.[7] Nielsen named Vegeta the best-selling universal food seasoning in Europe in 2021,[8] and the products are sold in 40 countries worldwide.[4]
There is also a "no MSG added" version for those avoiding monosodium glutamate.[9]
Ingredients
The ingredients of Vegeta include (according to the 2008 product packaging):
Average contents of 100 g of Vegeta| Energetic value | 583 kJ (137 kcal) |
| 9 g |
| 24.5 g |
| 0.6 g |
| 23 g | |
External links
Notes and References
- Web site: My Family Can’t Cook Without Vegeta . Sam . Smart . 25 August 2023 . Bon Appétit . 25 September 2023.
- Web site: This Is the ONE Seasoning I Put on Everything . Michelle . Baricevic . 1 August 2021 . . 25 September 2023.
- Web site: Zlata Bartl, the woman behind the best-loved spice in the Western Balkans . Nikola . Đorđević . 6 February 2021 . Emerging Europe . 25 September 2023.
- Web site: Vegeta history. 25 September 2023. Podravka d.d.. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20140125235422/http://www.vegeta.com/history-making-of. 25 January 2014.
- Web site: Vegeta: The Croatian Seasoning You Should Know About . Nikita . Ephanov . 26 August 2022 . Tasting Table . 25 September 2023.
- Web site: Vegeta Producers Podravka Open Factory in Africa= . 19 February 2017 . Croatia Week . 25 September 2023.
- Web site: Teta Vegeta: Woman from Sarajevo who invented the most popular Yugoslav Spice! . 5 March 2020 . Sarajevo Times . 25 September 2023.
- Web site: Vegeta – the best-selling dehydrated food seasoning in Europe . 20 February 2022 . Croatia Week . 25 September 2023.
- Web site: Products -- Vegeta. Podravka d.d.. 2015-07-25. 2015-07-25. https://web.archive.org/web/20150725080048/http://www.vegeta.com/products. dead.
