Jubilee Honey Delicacies Days in Central Istria: menus from 8 to 28 February, the highlight is the Honey Days in Pazin

Jubilee 10th Central Istria Honey Delicacies Days: from 8 to 28 February honey enters the menus of taverns and restaurants, and the highlight of the month is the 20th Honey Days in Pazin

Central Istria in the second half of winter once again builds its most recognizable pre-season story at the intersection of tradition, local agriculture, and creative cuisine. According to the organizers’ announcement, the jubilee 10th Central Istria Honey Delicacies Days take place from 8 to 28 February, when hospitality venues in the area of the Central Istria Tourist Board serve specially designed three-course menus – appetizer, main course, and dessert – with an emphasis on honey and other bee products.

The event is conceived as an overture to the 20th Honey Days in Pazin, held from 20 to 22 February in the school-city sports hall. It is an international sales exhibition of beekeeping equipment and products, accompanied by a professional and scientific program, lectures, and meetings of beekeepers and producers. The announced program for 2026 lists a ceremonial opening, a round table on connecting beekeeping and tourism in Istria, and the awarding of recognitions for the best-rated types of honey, along with additional educational content and social gatherings.

Pre-season relying on local producers and “short supply chains”

In recent years, the Central Istria Honey Delicacies Days have become a recognizable model of cooperation between family farms (OPGs), especially beekeepers, and hospitality providers. The goal is twofold: on the one hand, to encourage visits in the quieter part of the year, and on the other, to highlight the value of ingredients produced in the immediate vicinity of where they are consumed. The organizers emphasize that through such “short supply chains” the authenticity of the cuisine is preserved, demand for local products is stabilized, and additional visibility is given to small producers, who in the winter period find it harder to reach a wider audience.

Central Istria has a strong asset in this story: beekeeping is traditionally present here, and the “Honey Days” in Pazin have for decades been the central gathering place for beekeepers, the profession, and consumers. Precisely for that reason, the gastronomic part of the event builds on the fair and educational part – the idea is that visitors first get to know the product, and then taste it in dishes that combine familiar Istrian flavors with a more modern approach.

For visitors planning multiple stops, the organizers recommend planning a route in advance between the hospitality locations and Pazin, and for those who want to stay a few days in the region it is useful to follow accommodation offers in Central Istria so that the tour is more relaxed and logistically simpler.

Honey in the kitchen: from a “touch” of sweetness to a carrier of flavor

In local dietary tradition, honey is often seen as something added at the end – in tea, on fritule, or with cheese. This event, however, goes a step further: honey is used as an ingredient in sauces, glazes, and marinades, in combination with mustard, muscat, balsamic vinegar, or aromatic herbs. This yields a flavor profile that can be simultaneously sweet, tangy, and spicy, and works particularly well with roasts, duck, pork, and cheese dishes.

Nutrition experts in public recommendations generally remind that honey nutritionally belongs to the group of foods rich in sugars and that it is reasonable to consume it in moderation, but precisely in gastronomy, where it is dosed precisely, it becomes a tool for balancing flavors and highlighting aromatic layers. In that sense, the Honey Delicacies Days are not a story about a “sweet add-on”, but about culinary technique and the interpretation of tradition.

Where to taste honey menus: seven locations, three courses, and clear prices

According to the published list, attractive menus this year are offered by hospitality venues in Borut, Boljun, Cerovlje, Pićan, Tinjan, and Vošteni (Sv. Lovreč). Each menu includes three courses, and prices are set as a single offer per person. Visitors coming from other areas or seeking a weekend trip often combine gastronomy with visits to old town cores and viewpoints, so alongside planning the trip it is worth checking accommodation near Pazin or accommodation for visitors to Central Istria.

• Agrotourism Stara štala (Borut, Sandalji) – Makaruni in white sauce (sour cream, 2–3 types of cheese) with honey topping / Pan-fried potatoes, roasted meat with honey sauce, seasonal salad / Pancakes with curd, raisins, and honey / Price: €24
• Boljunska konoba (Boljun) – Fritters with gorgonzola and mascarpone, drizzled with honey and dry sausages / Pork fillet with honey and balsamic vinegar sauce and a side dish / Mandolate semifreddo with honey topping / Price: €27
• Konoba – pizzeria 2nd Peron (Cerovlje) – Peppery spoon gnocchi with cheese foam in pepper, “urban” cheese, walnuts, raisins, and kuš rakija / Duck breast in a sauce of Istrian muscat and honey, side: cauliflower mash / Pears in red wine on mascarpone and honey cream / Price: €46
• Konoba Dišpet (Pićan, Zajci) – Medica, baked young cheese with walnuts and honey / Honey turkey with prosciutto and asparagus / Flambéed apples / Price: €27
• Restaurant tavern Poli Banka (Tinjan, Bašići) – Menu 1 (meat): Bruschetta with baked young cow’s cheese, curd, honey, and sun-dried tomato / Honey chicken wings, pan-fried potatoes, winter salad of radicchio and cabbage / Lemon tart / Price: €25
• Restaurant tavern Poli Banka (Tinjan, Bašići) – Menu 2 (fish): Trio of young cheeses, breaded sardine, marinated anchovies, homemade olive oil and honey from Banki / Salmon in a mustard and honey marinade, rice, young spinach / Almond, Baileys, and honey semifreddo / Price: €36
• Restaurant & pizzeria Tinjanski vijulin (Tinjan) – Thick soup of pumpkin, roasted carrot, and ginger in honey with prosciutto crumble / Slow-roasted pork neck in a glaze of mustard, honey, and thyme, roasted root vegetables, potato cream / Polenta tartlet with apple in honey and red pepper / Price: €36
• Tomaž’s tavern (Vošteni, Sv. Lovreč) – Welcome aperitif, Istrian prosciutto, aged cow’s cheese with honey / Omboleto, crispy gnocchi, honey and mustard sauce / Honey cake / Price: €30

Tinjan, Pazin, Pićan and a “network” of villages: a gastro-tour that can turn into a weekend stay

The list of locations shows that the event is not tied to a single center, but spreads across the micro-regions of Central Istria: from Pazin as an administrative and transport hub, via Tinjan, recognized for gastronomic themes and rural experiences, to Pićan and Boljun, places that attract visitors with their atmosphere and slower rhythm.

In practice, this means that a “honey menu” can fit into a day trip, but also into a plan that includes multiple stops – for example lunch in one tavern, and dessert or another menu the next day. In such a scenario, a logical choice is accommodation in Pazin as a starting point, or accommodation in Tinjan for those who want to stay closer to rural locations and the evening tavern ambiance.

20th Honey Days in Pazin: sales exhibition, profession, and education

While the Honey Delicacies Days spread the story through hospitality offerings, Pazin from 20 to 22 February becomes the center of the beekeeping scene. According to the organizers’ announcements, the 20th Honey Days are held in the school-city sports hall, with a sales exhibition of beekeeping equipment and products and professional content. In the program for Friday, 20 February, a ceremonial opening and a round table dedicated to connecting beekeeping and tourism in Istria are listed, which thematically directly builds on the gastronomic event. The awarding of recognitions for the best-rated types of honey is also planned, as well as presentations by participants of educational programs.

Such a structure of the event – product, knowledge, awards, and market – is important for consumers as well, because the quality of honey is in practice recognized through transparency, sensory evaluation, and responsible labeling. The organizers announce that admission to the exhibition and lectures is free, which further opens space for visitors to come get informed, taste, and buy products directly from producers.

Who is behind the event and why it matters for the local economy

The organizer of the 10th Central Istria Honey Delicacies Days is the Central Istria Tourist Board, and the co-organizers listed are the Beekeepers’ Association “Lipa” Pazin, the City of Pazin, LAG “Central Istria”, the Pazin Crafts Association, and the Administrative Department for Agriculture, Forestry, Hunting, Fisheries, and Water Management of the Istrian County. In practice, this means that the event is not only a tourism campaign, but also a platform where the public sector, professional organizations, and private entrepreneurs meet.

For hospitality providers, it is an opportunity to generate turnover in the pre-season and test new menu ideas, with a clear “theme” that attracts guests. For beekeepers and family farms (OPGs), it is an additional sales and promotion channel, and for the local community a visible proof that the rural economy can rely on product quality, authenticity, and experience. In such a context, it is understandable that part of the audience does not come only “for lunch”, but also for the broader story – where the honey is produced, which varieties are offered, and how trust is built in the market in general.

How to get information and plan a visit

The organizers publish details about events, announcements, and schedules on the official Central Istria pages. Given that higher interest is expected in the period from 8 to 28 February, visitors are advised to check the opening hours of individual hospitality venues and, if necessary, plan a reservation. For those coming to the region for several days, it is practical to review in time accommodation offers for touring Central Istria, especially if they want to coordinate visits to taverns with going to the 20th Honey Days in Pazin.

Sources:
- Beekeepers’ Association “Lipa” Pazin – program of the 20th Honey Days 2026 ( link )
- Central Istria Tourist Board (Central Istria) – announcement and description of the 20th Honey Days ( link )
- Istra.hr (official Istria tourism portal) – event calendar: Honey Days, Pazin 20–22 February 2026, information on admission and location ( link )