Chef Miran Karić: I want to positively influence people's lives

SARAJEVO, (Patria) It's a trend – food. We feed ourselves visually through TV programs like '24Kitchen'; on social networks, photos of 'designer' dishes served on skillfully painted plates irresistibly attract attention... famous chefs have become a powerful brand and are already in the category of true Hollywood stars. Amateur chef competitions regularly launch new young talents onto the market who quickly gain national and international publicity, while we in front of the small screens, excessively visually stimulated, get up every now and then to eat something, and the diligent ones even test recipes.

New 'subspecializations' have also been created, the most significant of which are 'food stylist' and 'food photographer'. The stylist's job is to create such a spectacle from the dish that you immediately want to eat it, and the food photographer captures all of this by applying appropriate lighting, composition, and most often a bird's-eye view.

This suits us in BiH very well because we have the potential and the base – namely, our tourist offer and recognition are partly in the food that foreign tourists, as well as BiH citizens, truly appreciate. However, the question remains whether we meet the criteria for slow integration into global trends or will we remain at the level of a few of our tried-and-tested recipes until tourists get bored, and they start looking for exoticism elsewhere in the world.

The potential is in people

We talked about the possibilities for the development of gastronomy in BiH from the perspective of a young and progressive chef, a lover of food, gastronomy, and his profession, with Miran Karić, a chef and a well-known face on television. In addition to many years of creative work in well-known Sarajevo restaurants, Miran has been hosting TV culinary shows for a long time to the great delight of both younger and older viewers of both sexes, and he also appears as a consultant in the field of hospitality and culinary arts. Above all, he has an attitude and a very clear vision for the future.

NAP: Miran Karić – chef or showman?

MIRAN: Both. It all stems from the fact that I truly love what I do, and if I had to host a show unrelated to cooking, it wouldn't look the same... Cooking carries me away, I always find inspiration there – even a beautiful ingredient can delight me. It could be meat, vegetables, anything... and then the story just flows, everything comes naturally. As for the culinary part, it's again connected to performing. Namely, I connect this 'show' with my work – I often go out into the (restaurant) hall to talk to guests, recommend dishes to them, entertain them...

NAP: Gastronomy is a global trend today that is constantly evolving and moving towards the level of art and science, molecular cuisine being an example. Like all global trends, it is significantly commercialized, which implies constant visibility of actors and products, i.e., a strategically designed presence...

Can a chef be a star chef without that 'show' aspect?

MIRAN: It depends on what is expected of you, your goal, where you work, and it also depends on the audience. There is an audience that likes the 'show' you are talking about, and these are predominantly foreign clients who are used to having a relationship with the chef, i.e., that you call them and praise or criticize them. We chefs are very sensitive to criticism, in a way we are like children. Everyone will say they accept criticism well, but it's not quite like that because you know how much effort and time you invested in the final product. It also depends on who the criticism came from, e.g., whether it is a competent person. If it is a colleague from the profession or a food critic, then it is okay because it is positive criticism, i.e., a suggestion – something you can work on, e.g., you can improve or alter the dish. However, we are very sensitive.

NAP: Does a gastro scene exist in BiH?

MIRAN: Hmmm, well, I could say it exists, but we know that in reality, it's not quite like that. If it exists, it's only in Sarajevo, other cities are on the sidelines, although there are a few larger cities that stand out... Even in Sarajevo, it's not at the level it could be, considering the existing capacity, clientele, ingredients, as well as restaurants.

NAP: In other words, if we want a gastro scene that strives for world standards, we must develop purposefully and rise above the internationally recognized ćevapi and pita? At the same time, we accept that Bosnian cuisine is an important part of our identity and a sign of recognition, especially for foreign tourists, but it seems high time for diversification?

MIRAN: Exactly. The highest criteria for evaluating cuisines are based on the maximum utilization of local ingredients. Every national cuisine should be based on that. Now, certain vegetables and fruits are available to us throughout the year thanks to greenhouses. However, if you have papaya in mid-December, it doesn't mean it has to be used. Papaya doesn't grow in BiH; why not take local eggplant, chard, lettuce, etc., that grow throughout the winter. You have about ten varieties of apples, pears, plums, and squash that you can treat as both sweet and savory. We don't have to go far for basic ingredients to gain recognition as a country known for its gastronomy. We have quality ingredients that are not genetically modified, especially meat, and that is something foreign clients particularly appreciate.

NAP: We have what we need, but... we are moving forward slowly. Do we lack creativity and courage, so we stick to just one, well-tested thing?

MIRAN: Exactly, and we also lack awareness. However, when it comes to gastronomy and hospitality itself, our biggest problem is the lack of courage to try something new, and this applies to both the chef and the guest. I don't mean a new ingredient, but a different approach to that ingredient in terms of thermal processing and preparation. In our country, eggplant is still most often served breaded, zucchini are regularly stewed... A small number of restaurants serve fresh zucchini, which is perfect in a salad or as carpaccio, fresh mushrooms too... Eggplant is very tasty just toasted, finished with a little butter or olive oil, without breading, long thermal processing at high temperatures. We just need a little more creativity and imagination, but I think the situation is still changing in a positive direction.

NAP: What, in your opinion, is the key difference between a cook and a chef?

MIRAN: In our country, this difference is still not well defined, but generally speaking, as a cook, you are responsible for processing ingredients and finishing the dish, or maintaining the hygiene of your station and the entire kitchen. There are also head cooks, assistant cooks, line cooks, prep cooks, etc. Each cook should be responsible for a segment of ingredient processing, e.g., preparation, thermal processing, etc. The chef is responsible for serving and final processing, as well as all other care... he is responsible for every plate you serve, and for those behind and next to you. His quality is reflected in everything the other workers do with him. The kitchen must be a team. 'I' should not exist in the kitchen, because if it does, then 'I' also have to wash dishes, peel, prepare ingredients, serve, and present.

NAP: Does it seem to you that the culture of eating out, i.e., in restaurants, is on the rise or stagnating? Can we even talk about the existence of such a culture or habit in our country?

MIRAN: When it comes to BiH citizens, a very slight increase is visible. Generally, a larger increase is recorded mainly thanks to foreign guests who live and work here.

NAP: You are a young chef who follows global trends. You are aware that especially over the past decade, a true food culture, and even a kind of cult, has emerged in the world. Social networks are part of this culture, as is the abundance of visuals that are processed faster than text. Why food, is it because the world is oversaturated with other industries, fashion, design, music, so now we are returning – to our roots?

MIRAN: Food has always been there, just in a different role. The new culture has popularized food, people have gained greater access to the media, and, as you said, visuals sell. You primarily eat with your eyes. When the waiter approaches you from the right, you have already decided whether you like the dish or not. When he places the plate in front of you, you smell it, that's the second stage, and based on these two elements, you can assess the dish with high probability. It's like when you go out in the evening and see a woman in a dress, who even if she isn't naturally beautiful, will seem more attractive to you than a beautiful woman in pants and a plain t-shirt, you will always prefer the one in the dress.

NAP: Are you saying that we eat primarily visually?

MIRAN: All senses must be involved in cooking. In the world, there are very good restaurants that serve food in complete darkness so that guests can experience the food through smell, taste, and touch (they eat with their hands so that the metallic taste of cutlery doesn't interfere), giving you a direct natural experience of texture and a full sense of taste. Others, on the other hand, emphasize the visual aspect, drawing on the plate.

NAP: So, although we are trying, there is still a long way to go for our integration into the global trend... where we have more 'fine dining' restaurants, and as the culmination of the creative process – art on a plate that delights all the senses...

MIRAN: There are a certain number of chefs in BiH who are trying to make changes. But the main problem to start with is the consumer. Our people find it difficult to accept change. So, changes do come here, but it takes a lot of time and effort for them to take root. A few years ago, we didn't know what curry was, now you can eat it in almost every restaurant. We didn't know about zucchini, Hokkaido pumpkin – now all of this is available and in use. It's similar with sweet-savory, sour-spicy combinations, that's still a taboo, although there is a certain number of consumers who will accept it, and thanks to them, new trends will take root. At the same time, one should not shy away from tradition; you can take a classic dish like hadžijski ćevap and prepare it in a modern way to preserve the nutrients lost during long cooking. You can also serve it in a contemporary way to achieve a 'fine dining' effect.

NAP: Do you have role models in the world of gastronomy – culinary arts?

MIRAN: I have had various role models throughout my life, both domestic and foreign, one of them is Jamie Oliver, who prompted me to think about his style of work, not just recipes. He was the first to be accessible in our country when I started learning culinary arts, he represented a kind of revolution in approach, which immediately won me over. He had the greatest influence on my current style and ideas.

NAP: You are developing and moving forward at a rapid pace, can you share your vision and plans for the future with us?

MIRAN: My vision from the very beginning, and my dream, is to change people's attitudes and opinions through my work because, through cooking, through recipes, you touch a person's life to some extent. You can improve the mood of a group of people by serving them a good dinner, stopping by, talking to them, explaining what they just ate because people really like to know that. So, my goal is to positively influence people's lives through the plate, i.e., through food.