The Tourist Board of Nin has been organizing the Nin Šokolijada for 22 years, a manifestation that lasts from January to July. This year's Šokolijada ended on July 21.

The preparation of šokol begins in January when enthusiasts and lovers of gastronomic heritage, with the support of the Tourist Board, start the annual preparation of this unique dry-cured product. The process involves drying pork neck meat in coarse sea salt, then immersing it in boiled red wine and coating it with spices such as pepper, cloves, and nutmeg. After that, the meat is smoked and dried in the bora wind, giving it its specific flavor and texture.

This year, 43 šokols were submitted for evaluation at the Nin Tourist Office. An expert committee, composed of eminent experts, evaluated the šokols in two categories: Nin Šokolari and Šokolari from other places. In the Nin Šokolari category, the winners were Marin Dejanović, Iva Skočić Burela, and Roko Pekić, while in the category of Šokolari from the surroundings of Nin, the winners were Šime Stojak from Vrsi, Joško Jurlina from Žerava, and Miroslav Šango from Privlaka.

The event is held with the aim of preserving the tradition and gastronomic heritage of Nin. Over the years, šokol has become a recognizable brand in the Zadar County area, and its preparation has spread to families who did not have the habit of making this product. It has been introduced as a gastronomic specialty in many Nin restaurants, and production has expanded through several family farms.

Šokolijada is not just a competition but also an opportunity to taste and buy šokol at Višeslav Square. Visitors had the chance to enjoy various Dalmatian specialties and handicrafts from all over Croatia. The program was enriched with performances by cultural and artistic societies and a capella groups from Zadar County, while guests from the Rožmarin Dolena Folklore Society from Slovenia additionally contributed to the preservation of cultural heritage.

The sponsors of this year's Šokolijada were the Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Culture and Media, the Ministry of Regional Development and EU Funds, Zadar County, and the City of Nin. Thus, Nin Šokolijada is confirmed as one of the most significant gastronomic manifestations in the region.

Organization and preparation of šokol
Šokol is an original dry-cured product that has been prepared in Nin and the surrounding areas from pork neck meat since ancient times. It is prepared similarly to most meat for drying, which means that the deboned neck is left in coarse sea salt for three to five days. After that, it is placed in boiled quality red wine and finally coated and "spiked" with various spices such as pepper, cloves, and nutmeg.
Such prepared meat is placed in a special casing and tied in a special way with twine. After that, šokol is placed for several days on cold smoke, and after smoking, on the wind - bora. After several months of drying in a ventilated room, šokol is ready for tasting. Each šokol is different not only in appearance but also in taste, depending on the secrets of meat processing and the ratio of spices that the family applies. The bora wind, which can reach storm proportions in winter, is a crucial factor for the quality of šokol.

Applications and awards
To continue the traditional Nin Šokolijada this year, the Tourist Council of the Nin Tourist Board has decided on the method of conducting the competition program for Nin Šokolijada 2024. Each šokol maker - competitor, who contributes to preserving tradition and participates in Šokolijada 2024, is awarded a cash support of 100.00 euros. Half of the amount is paid in January for the purchase of meat and spices, while the other half is paid in July when the prepared šokol is brought for evaluation.
The prizes for the winners are also significant. The prize for the first place in both categories, Nin Šokolari and Šokolari from other places, is 1,000.00 euros. The prize for second place is 600.00 euros, while third place carries a prize of 400.00 euros.

Preservation of tradition
Nin Šokolijada is a unique gastronomic story because there is no similar event in Croatia. It was started to preserve a unique gastronomic delicacy from oblivion 22 years ago. The local tourist board carries the event in a way that provides financial means for the purchase of meat and spices to the šokol makers - competitors, who bring their family knowledge and heritage into the event, recognizing the value of šokol in the field of gastronomy.
The custom of making šokol has spread to families who never had the habit of making this product, and the production of šokol has been encouraged in families that stopped making this product. Šokol has been introduced as a gastronomic product on the menu of Nin restaurants, and production has been started through a small number of family farms. Nin šokol has become a recognizable gastronomic brand in the Zadar County area.