Fruit Shops Are Making A Comeback

Just a couple of decades back in Croatia, if you happened to ask someone if he buys organic, he would not understand what you mean. And when you would finally explain that it is healthier food that is certified and not contaminated with pesticides and chemicals, a Croat would probably look at you confused and say: „Yeah...? Just like everything else here.“

And then you would feel kind of silly for asking. 

Phase One: Botanic Titanic

But it was just a cultural misunderstanding, some time back we only wished we could afford all these fancy chemicals that would make our apples and pears twice the size and more enduring than an Egyptian mummy. Instead we had what we had, an organic utopia, and we didn't appreciate it at all.

And of course where there is a demand, there is a supply, and soon we got exactly what we wanted.

Phase Two: Clone Wars

Then, as our economy was growing over time, our pockets filled with a little more coins and we could harvest our fruit and veggies a bit more efficiently. About the same time the shopping malls came, pushing out most of the small business shops (fruit shops as well) in the process wherever they went.

And finally, we had the apples that could survive an alien invasion and win a beauty pageant at the same time (kind of like a Scarlet Johanson in the new Avengers 2, but less deadly). All of them, all of our mentioned apples, started looking, smelling and tasting the same. And customers figured out something is wrong with this cloning enthusiasm. (We thought of using Scarlet Johanson reference again, but we figured that a reference to an army of Scarlet clones would just miss a point altogether).

We could point fingers in many directions about who is responsible for the decrease of food quality in this phase, but let's stick to the facts. Our parents and grandparents will all tell you the same, the food started to smell and taste different. And it's not just a nostalgia. If you go on a vacation in let's say Pasman Island and try local food, you will notice a significant difference compared to the food in the city. But by the time most of us figured this out, our market was flooded with hidden GMO, suspicious imported food and fruit that age better than Jane Fonda, Keanu Reeves and Naomi Campbell combined (which, if you're a woman who spends a lot of time on beauty products, is very frustrating, seeing a tomato winning an aging battle effortlessly without even trying).

Phase Three: Organic Panic

Finally, we have learned that bigger and shinier is not always better. Researchers have shown many medical complication caused by chemicals that we ignore while choosing food simply because we were too lazy to read the nutrition tables. A trend of healthy food and lifestyle is becoming increasingly popular, along with the fitness awareness. All of this influenced the slow but noticeable return of the small local fruit shops. They can offer something that big food supermarkets and chains can't.

They can offer us trust which is the only category the larger stores will never win.

So, here is a couple of our personal favorite local food shops, ready for you to try them out.

1. Greencajg

Located at Heinzlova Street number 4, this local gem offers a wide range of not only organic fruits and vegetables but also other products that are produced in a natural and healthy way such as beauty products and seasonal ingredients. It is also popular for its non-gluten food, almond flour, coconut flour, sesame flour and coconut oil – but their top products are and have always been organic apples. Try them out and find out why. :)

Image credit: Greencajg Facebook page

2. Povrće i voće svemoguće

The translation is ''Almighty vegetables and fruit'' and it is located at Freud Street 7, they pride themselves in more than 160 providers of Croatian food. Even the owner provides his home grown vegetables planted on his land near Čazma. The prices for this fruit and other healthy products are close to those at a regular market, which is more than a fair deal.

Image credit: Povrće i Voće Svemoguće Facebook page

3. Grga Čvarak

It was named after a famous character from a children's literature. This place brings you a bit of nostalgia in a way that it brings you food as good as our grandparents can remember. This shop is located in Vrbani, and it offers fresh food and vegetables, organic meat, domestic pasta and sweets for diabetics. The owners claim they try and test all of their product samples before bringing them to shop. They want to make sure their customers get only what they deserve - the best.

Image credit: Grga Čvarak Facebook page

4. Zdravi Pinklec

A touch of Zagorje Region available online through Zdravi Pinklec webpage. They keep fresh fruit and vegetables from Zagorje, jam, eggs, cheese and many more products coming straight from their land. Their main plus is the delivery right to your door, wherever you are. Very approachable way to get fruit from a village right to your home address, without even getting out of the chair.

Image credit: Zdravi pinklec Facebook page

And there you have it. Now you don't have to wander to get organic products on your table. We hope you are going to taste some of our suggestions, which we are sure you will enjoy.

Once more, at the end of this article, we have learned not to judge a book by its cover, nor a fruit by its looks and beauty. It's the inside that matters. :)

Header image: A fruit basket from a local fruit shop, Zdenka Karaman

Author: Zdenka Karaman