Slovenian position on Macedonia and Croatia

[Prolet]

No one can own the name "Ajvar", it's like "Cola" and "Chocolate" etc you can't own them.

Thats exactly right Daniel

Its like the Bulgarians want the naming rights for Mastika, they might aswell put a copyright over Whiskey or Vodka its no different to Ajvar.

[slovenec zrinski]

Then I fail to see the problem. If Ajvar is a dish that is made with certain ingredients and a person or a company uses those ingredients, then for me it is ajvar whether it is made in Sweden, Serbia, Macedonia or Uzbekistan

Had the Slovenians called it "Macedonian Ajvar" for a product produced in Slovenia then it would be a different matter.

How was it possible for the grks to make the term feta exclusive for their cheese? I thought fetacheese was that style of cheese or is that something different from the ajvarsituation?

[Risto the Great]

The idea of "feta" is the same as "ayvar". Simply a style with nothing to do with a region.

[Prolet]

The whole EU copyright law is a sham, i mean how can they copyright names like Ajvar,Feta Cheese etc

You cant put a copyright just on the name Macedonia, when in Europe they know that we exist. You have Britania in France and UK, you have a Luxembourg region in Belgium, you have many Anglo Saxon names that are used world wide.

[fyrOM]

Feta is a commonly made cheese but I don’t know in Europe but in Australia its all about successful marketing and promoting not only commercially but by every Greek with a restaurant or café or chip shop offering salads and cheese and also every individual Greek in work lunch rooms or school yard it is always referred by the Greeks as Greek cheese that is called feta in Greek.

This has also permeated into TV cooking shows where many TV cooks who are not Greek refer to it as Greek cheese. What is the average Australian or other minority to think…everyone is calling it Greek cheese. This attitude has died down somewhat not because of the Macedonians and the like saying its not Greek cheese but largely because of middle easterners insistences that its not Greek. Now you will find TV cooks just calling it feta cheese but some diehards still like to drop a comment like I really like the way the Greeks make it and maybe a comment like having travelled to Greece in a vein attempt to link the word fetta with the word Greek. Much of Australian society is pro Greek but only gradually changing in some parts.

In the past not many people cared about that funny food immigrants eat but over time food from anywhere overseas is the in thing and this means money and this is why the rush to brand things.

[slovenec zrinski]

The idea of "feta" is the same as "ayvar". Simply a style with nothing to do with a region.

That´s just my point.... so an Ajvar "made in Slovenia" is? Something to get upset by?

[Soldier of Macedon]

Not at all, so long as half the profits are sent to Macedonia as royalties Seriously though, 'ownership' of foods has been taken to great levels of stupidity by Greeks, above all, as most of the food they promote as "authentic" Greek is actually Turkish. Perhaps it's not far from the truth afterall.

[Bratot]

That´s just my point.... so an Ajvar "made in Slovenia" is? Something to get upset by?

If you ever tried Macedonian made Ajvar and Slovenian you would know the difference.

With no offense, but the difference for ex. between Podravka ajvar and Makedonka ajvar is an unbridgeable gap.

It's very hard to place our national product on Europe markets if your Slovenian "food adventure" has been known under the same name before.

[slovenec zrinski]

It all boils down to bad marketing by your companies and smart marketing by our companies then.
I have to agree though that there indeed is a difference in taste. I have tried Slovenian, Croatian, B´lgariyjan and Macedonian ajvar and well, Ilike them all although there is a difference in taste. I eat it like candy, by the jar. I have also tried "swedish" lutenica produced in B´lgariyja Full of almost raw carrots (50-60% content was carrot) and I have also tried Macedonian Lutenica. Heavenly but expensive

And by the way I think it is strange that it to some people almost seems like a crime that the Slovenians have taken Ajvar to their hearts(No ajvar, no barbecue). Like that in itself is a bad thing.

[lavce pelagonski]

We are pleased that people like our food it is the branding as if suvlaki isnt the same as a kebab just different meat. As you said zrinski it is bad advertising on our part although now when you buy Mak Ajvar Im from Australia so I go to my local IGA all the Macedonian jars have traditional Macedonian home made Ajvar with thge map and flag oaf Mak. all deferent companies too the Bulgar ajvar it shat and the croat is ok. I too eat it like candy. My brother Pece cant stop eating lutenica from Mak he has been going crazy these past few days, I dont know if it will mix with his karate stronger kia-lol.

[Bratot]

It all boils down to bad marketing by your companies and smart marketing by our companies then.
I have to agree though that there indeed is a difference in taste. I have tried Slovenian, Croatian, B´lgariyjan and Macedonian ajvar and well, Ilike them all although there is a difference in taste. I eat it like candy, by the jar. I have also tried "swedish" lutenica produced in B´lgariyja Full of almost raw carrots (50-60% content was carrot) and I have also tried Macedonian Lutenica. Heavenly but expensive

Actually, it all boils down to your lack of typical Slovenian cuisine and our lack of self interest.

Because for the food that generally is traditional to few Balkan countries there should not be a single nation monopol over the food name.

What would you think of us if we take the name "Pogačice/Pogača" as our brand only and not only we exclude your companies to use it but also rest of the Balkan nations?

[Daniel the Great]

If you ever tried Macedonian made Ajvar and Slovenian you would know the difference.

Original is always the best, that's why the Macedonians make the best Ajvar.

[slovenec zrinski]

What would you think of us if we take the name "Pogačice/Pogača" as our brand only

Well I wouln´t like that at all. And that is why I think it is wrong of the greeks to own the name feta and for the Slovenians to try and own the name ajvar. If you paid more attention and wasn´t so flimsy-minded u would have noticed by now that that is my view. Try to concentrate a bit will u.

And for your first sentence I don´t have anything other to say other than that like racist stuff at all. Ethnocetrist.

[Bratot]

Well I wouln´t like that at all. And that is why I think it is wrong of the greeks to own the name feta and for the Slovenians to try and own the name ajvar. If you paid more attention and wasn´t so flimsy-minded u would have noticed by now that that is my view. Try to concentrate a bit will u.

And for your first sentence I don´t have anything other to say other than that like racist stuff at all. Ethnocetrist.

Strange how everytime we give somebody taste of his own medicine we automatically become the racist.

[slovenec zrinski]

Why do you feel the need to give a "taste of "my" own medicine" when I don´t agree with what the Slovenian authorities are doing? I don´t understand that.