Vegeta (condiment)

Vegeta is a brand of savoury condiments of dehydrated vegetables, spices, and MSG, produced by Croatian food company Podravka. It is considered a staple of Eastern European cuisine.[1][2]

Vegeta Product Packaging

The product was originally developed at Podravka's labs in Koprivnica, then part of Yugoslavia, in 1958. Zlata Bartl, a Bosnian Croat chemical technician who created a popular line of dehydrated soup packets, led the team that developed Vegeta.[3] It was first sold in 1959 under the name "Vegeta 40", and first exported in 1967 to Hungary and the Soviet Union.[4] Vegeta has been produced by Podravka in Koprivnica since its introduction, and is also manufactured in Poland, Austria, Hungary,[5] and Tanzania.[6]

Vegeta was a commercial success for Podravka and led to an economic boom in Koprivnica. Bartl, who became known as "Auntie Vegeta",[3] was made an honorary citizen of the city before her death in 2008.[7] Nielsen named Vegeta the best-selling universal food seasoning in Europe in 2021,[8] and the products are sold in 40 countries worldwide.[4]

There is also a "no MSG added" version for those avoiding monosodium glutamate.[9]

Ingredients

The ingredients of Vegeta include (according to the 2008 product packaging):

Average contents of 100 g of Vegeta
Energetic value583 kJ (137 kcal)
Protein9 g
Carbohydrate24.5 g
Fat0.6 g
Sodium23 g

References
  1. Smart, Sam (25 August 2023). "My Family Can't Cook Without Vegeta". Bon Appétit. Retrieved 25 September 2023.
  2. Baricevic, Michelle (1 August 2021). "This Is the ONE Seasoning I Put on Everything". Food Network. Retrieved 25 September 2023.
  3. Đorđević, Nikola (6 February 2021). "Zlata Bartl, the woman behind the best-loved spice in the Western Balkans". Emerging Europe. Retrieved 25 September 2023.
  4. "Vegeta history". Podravka d.d. Archived from the original on 25 January 2014. Retrieved 25 September 2023.
  5. Ephanov, Nikita (26 August 2022). "Vegeta: The Croatian Seasoning You Should Know About". Tasting Table. Retrieved 25 September 2023.
  6. "Vegeta Producers Podravka Open Factory in Africa=". Croatia Week. 19 February 2017. Retrieved 25 September 2023.
  7. "Teta Vegeta: Woman from Sarajevo who invented the most popular Yugoslav Spice!". Sarajevo Times. 5 March 2020. Retrieved 25 September 2023.
  8. "Vegeta – the best-selling dehydrated food seasoning in Europe". Croatia Week. 20 February 2022. Retrieved 25 September 2023.
  9. "Products -- Vegeta". Podravka d.d. Archived from the original on 2015-07-25. Retrieved 2015-07-25.
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