Gavrilović’s Legendary Pate

But who is actually to be accredited for the invention of this masterpiece? Napoleon, of course; or at least someone close to him with a taste for such novelties in preserved tins, but someone not showy enough to have his name associated with the idea. During Napoleon’s military ventures, apart from his predominantly successful strategies, he never failed to omit military logistics – which were of equal importance as strategy in his military operations. He always saw to it that his soldiers were fed, even in the most difficult situations. His famous quote says: ‘’…An army marches on its stomach!’’
To win a war, soldiers needed to be fed. A regular supply of fresh food was required, but this, unfortunately, was rarely the case. Goods from faraway lands that were packed in tins were more practical for shipping to the battlefields. Canned foods were thus a fresh and healthy vacuum-packed meal for a hungry soldier. Besides Napoleon’s troupes, canned foods saved many an explorer on their escapades, like the cowboys we see in Westerns who conquered the Wild West.

During World War I, enormous armies of soldiers needed to be fed. Gavrilović’s the businessmen take on the challenge and invest in the development of canned foods in their factory in Petrinja. Production is intensified again in the late 1930s, when Europe is stirring with warnings of a new war on the horizon. Of the canned meats, various types of ham were packaged in tin boxes of different size and weight. Liver pate is introduced for the first time, costing 22-32 dinars per kilogram. For the sake of comparison, we must mention that a kilogram of Gavrilović’s very best Zimska Salami went for 42 dinars!