April the 21st, 2026 – Croatian pumpkin seed oil has taken home four gold medals from an international competition held in the Belgian capital of Brussels.
As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, Croatian pumpkin seed oil from Varaždin has once again confirmed its quality beyond the country’s borders, winning four gold medals at an international competition in Brussels, as reported by HRT.
In competition with the best seed oils from from around the world, Croatian pumpkin seed oil drew plenty of attention to the tradition, knowledge and dedication behind every single little drop produced.
Back during the 1990s, pumpkin seed oil sadly almost disappeared from Croatia’s fields. However, thanks to persistent producers across the north of the country, today, Croatian pumpkin seed oil is by far one of the more profitable crops grown in the north. From carefully selected seeds to thick, dark drops – the production of pumpkin seed oil is not just a job, but a long and demanding process that requires plenty of knowledge, patience and a wealth of experience.
“We tried hard and worked on it a lot. We also studied scientific papers and applied them with people who have been doing it for many years, so we ended up finding our recipe,” emphasised the award-winning oil producer Andreja Petrović.
This recipe brought about great success, confirming what Croatian producers have long known – that it is a top-quality product. “This is already the third gold from Monde Selection, and we also had a champion in Varaždin County back in 2018,” emphasised the award-winning oilman Matija Patrčević.
“You have to dedicate your whole heart to this, and I say that when there is satisfaction in your work, then a fairly large result is achieved. The relevance of the evaluation of samples in Brussels stems from the strict analysis of each individual product. This is a medal, an award whose label can be placed on the product for the next three years and additionally advertised,” stated the head of the Administrative Department for Agriculture and Environmental Protection of Varaždin County, Dragutin Vincek.
This success is not only important for Croatian pumpkin seed oil producers, but also for the entire Varaždin region.
“If local OPGs (family farms) had larger agricultural areas at their disposal, if there were more of them, if we had more pumpkin seed oil in high quantities, we’d certainly conquer the world with it without any problem,” said Varaždin County Prefect Anđelko Stričak.
The benefits of consuming pumpkin seed oil have also been felt in China.
“There were even ideas to export a larger quantity to China, because they don’t produce pumpkin seed oil, but that is not our goal, our goal is to make it recognisable in Varaždin County. We want to make it a staple on tables throughout Croatia, and have the positive comments come rolling in from the likes of Korčula, Brač, and so on,” said award-winning oil producer and chef Damir Crleni.
Gold medals in the hands of local Varaždin producers is a reward for their efforts, as well as a strong message that tradition and quality can reach distant places from their very own humble fields and gardens.
