Why do the Chinese want to import dairy product from a little Slovenian Dairy?
As many of you know Chinese people do not have an enzyme to digest lactose and are therefore intolerant to it. They have a long tradition of using alternative medicine for the wellbeing of the people and are conscious of the positive effects of healthy probiotic food on human health.
What does this have to do with the small Slovenian Dairy?
This story is a kind of romantic. To tell it, we need to go back in the time before 1992, when the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia still existed and there was a great Dairy in Sarajevo, the one and only, which produced the best kefir in Yugoslavia and maybe even elsewhere, beside Russia, which is notorious for having best vodka and kefir. In the Serbian attacks on Sarajevo this great factory has fallen and turned to ash and with it all the kefir grains, technology and knowledge died.
Family Kelečević from Slovenia were one of the biggest fans of this kefir and when they could not buy this kefir any more, Dunja and Brane Kelečević decided to start the search for the best kefir grains and the knowledge lost, to start their own production of kefir. They wanted to continue to consume this kind of high quality kefir for themselves and for their children.
The search led them to former USSR where they found the “magic” kefir grain and in Slovenia they bought old ruined cooperative cheese factory in Laze pri Logatcu and so the culturing of kefir culture has begun. They were led by their passion to re-familiarise Slovenians with this natural probiotic drink of the Caucasian centenarians, regarding which many wonder if it is a miracle or a gift from the Gods.
The beginning, as usually is for small companies, was hard. The production cost for high quality product and small scale production is high and to come to the economy of scale it is not easy in a country of 2 million people, especially because of a higher price in comparison with the competitive kefirs based upon production with chemical ingredients. Since a buyer when not familiar with the quality of a product before trying it, goes for the product that he sees in a TV commercial or reads about in several magazines and Dairy Krepko, as many small family businesses, did not have the money for expensive marketing, the growth of the company was slow. Nowadays companies can at least market themselves on line, through social media and similar in those days that was not possible. The penetration to foreign market before the recognition of the highest of authorities for the evaluation of quality was virtually impossible.
After nearly 20 years of operation, Dairy Krepko is a modern dairy producer that respects the highest milk processing standards. It still remains true to the traditional method of producing kefir from kefir grains and also holds the strict certificate for the processing of organic milk into BIO/organic dairy products.
In May 2009, traditional Kefir Krepko won the highest award in an international competition, THREE STARS and the title of TASTE OF THE YEAR 2009, awarded by iTQi, the leading International Taste and Quality Institute, based in Brussels.
Dairy Krepko is the only dairy producer in Europe specialised in the traditional production of kefir from kefir grains. Their range of products includes the traditional Kefir Krepko (3.5% m.f.), the traditional Kefir Krepki Suhec from half-skimmed milk (1.5% m.f.), other fermented milk drinks and special cheeses.
All of their products are high biological value foods. They are made from high-quality non-homogenised Slovenian milk (conventional or organic). They are intended for high-end, health-conscious customers. Kefir bean changes the milk so that one cannot talk about milk anymore. Kefir can be drunk even by those with lactose intolerance. Since the kefir has a particular taste not all are keen for it, therefor Dairy Krepko has added a natural taste of organic fruit flavor that is preferred by children.
In Slovenia, we have a saying that a good name goes in the ninth village in this case it traveled to China. The Slovenian – Chinese government has signed a few commercial agreements for export of Slovenian goods and know-how into China, however commercial agreement for dairy production know-how export is not one of them.
For now the technology, knowledge and kefir Krepko stays and is spreading its good probiotic influence on human body throughout the Europe.
This inspiring story has been told by the director of the Dairy Krepko, a daughter of Dunja and Brane during the INNOGROW regional consultation meeting.
Thanks to the INNOGROW project and Interreg Europe programme the above story was heard by many regional participants on the event and is shared among all INNOGROW partners and beyond.
Source: http://www.mlekarna-krepko.si/en/index/ and public consultation meeting within INNOGROW project, Interreg Europe programme.
