Marodi: A soup to remember

Marodi is a pasta producer from Međimurje. Since its foundation the company has always been centering in quality as the most important value of its business story. The pasta production began in 1992 in a small town of Domašinec in Međimurje, and ever since Marodi has successfully positioned itself as a brand striving to preserve the traditions of Međimurje region.

In 2018 Međimurska popevka, a folksong from the Međimurje region, was inscribed on the UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, to remain safeguarded for as long as it is performed. In order to contribute to the preservation of Međimurska popevka, a limited collection of five volumes of Međimurje folksongs was designed, each volume including a special Marodi alphabet pasta packet with the exact number of letters contained in the respective folksong.

The collection has five folksongs, i.e. volumes: Ljubav se ne trži niti kupuje (in English: You can’t sell or buy love), Dej mi, Bože, joči sokolove (in English: God, give me the eyes of a falcon), Međimorje, kak si lepo zeleno (in English: Međimurje, you are so beautifully green), Vehni, vehni fijolica (in English: Wilt, wilt my violet) and Klinčec stoji pod oblokom (in English: Young boy is standing beneath the window).

Teamed up with the Alliance of Croatian Cultural and Artistic Associations of Međimurje County, Marodi also initiated a campaign to declare the Međimurska Popevka Day. This initiative was aimed at determining a date on which every year the local authorities will encourage various activities to promote the Međimurje folksongs across educational institution, ensuring intergenerational knowledge transfer, preservation of Međimurska popevka and its status on the UNESCO’s Representative List. As a result, 28th of November was declared as the Međimurska Popevka Day.

“We live in times of great changes the pace of which is accelerating even faster, which is why the preservation of cultural heritage has never been more important. Međimurska popevka is a paragon of Međimurje tradition. It has always been written and performed here, to mark the small joys of life as well as those great moments in life. For that very reason, as a 30-year-old local pasta manufacturer, we want to be the custodian of the rich heritage of Međimurje region,” said Antun Marodi, Brand Manager at Marodi Company.

“It is not a campaign about pasta, nor is it a campaign about singing songs. It is a campaign about belonging and about love: love of your family, friends, and that small part of the world you consider yours,” said Nikola Žinić, Co-Chairman and Chief Creative Officer at Bruketa&Žinić&Grey.