DANUBEcare Innovation Wins Silver at the South European Culinary Championship

The DANUBEcare project has demonstrated that invasive species can be transformed into valuable, sustainable food ingredients with real gastronomic potential.

At the South European Culinary Championship, held in Thessaloniki, Greece, under the auspices of the Worldchefs association, Stefan Šmugović, a member of the DANUBEcare team from the Department of Gastronomy, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, won the silver medal in the Sustainable Fish Dish category. Competing alongside leading professional chefs from across Europe, his innovative culinary creation stood out for both its quality and its sustainability concept.

What made the dish truly unique was the incorporation of powder produced from the shell of the invasive spiny-cheek crayfish (Faxonius limosus), developed within the DANUBEcare project. Used in several components of the dish, this innovative ingredient enhanced its nutritional value, contributed a distinctive flavor profile, and demonstrated how invasive species can be successfully valorized through a zero-waste approach.

The concept attracted significant attention from the international jury, who praised the originality of the ingredient and its sustainability potential, ultimately awarding the dish the silver medal.