Soparnik

Chard between thin sheets

Soparnik is associated with Poljica in Dalmatia. This home recipe bakes chard between thin sheets of dough in an oven and brushes the finished bread with garlic oil. Traditional hearth cooking gives a different result.

The Poljica hearth form

The European Union’s product specification describes Poljički soparnik, also named Poljički zeljanik or Poljički uljenjak, as a chard-and-onion bread cooked in a komin, an open hearth. Its round, 90–110 cm form bakes among coals and ash, then receives olive oil and garlic and is divided into rhomboid pieces.

This is a regional production description, not a direction to transfer the home recipe to hot coals. The InclusiGardens version here uses spring onions, a buttered tray and a 200°C oven. Those differences remain visible rather than being presented as certified equivalents of the hearth method.

A geographical indication

Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2016/526 registered the three Poljica names as a Protected Geographical Indication. The specification links the preparation to its defined Croatian area and requires the stated production stages there. This is PGI protection, distinct from a claim that every chard-filled bread called soparnik has the same protected status.

The registration records a particular regional product and its production requirements. It does not establish the first person to make soparnik or date this modern oven adaptation. The name and cultural connection remain useful context for home cooking without turning this recipe into a certification claim.