Baranjski kulen from OPG Matijević is a fermented, smoked, and dry-cured pork sausage from Suza, in Croatia’s Baranja region. The Matijević family makes it using a family recipe.

The family selects cuts of pork from pigs raised on its own farm. The meat is trimmed of sinew, fat, and connective tissue, then minced and seasoned with red paprika grown by the family in Suza, along with garlic and pepper. The mixture is stuffed into a natural casing made from the pig’s caecum. After smoking, the kulen matures naturally for six to eight months in a maturation room at the foot of Banska kosa.

The red paprika gives the kulen its distinctive color and mild heat. Smoked, fermented pork dominates the aroma, with subtle notes of garlic and pepper. It is served thinly sliced with bread and aged cheese or as part of a charcuterie board.