Vegeta (condiment)
Vegeta is a brand of savoury seasonings of dehydrated vegetables, spices, and MSG, produced by Croatian food company Podravka. It is considered a staple of Eastern European cuisine.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="FoodNetwork">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
The product was originally developed at Podravka's labs in Koprivnica, then part of Yugoslavia, in 1958. Zlata Bartl, a Bosnian Croat chemical technician who created a popular line of dehydrated soup packets, led the team that developed Vegeta.<ref name="EmergingEurope">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> It was first sold in 1959 under the name "Vegeta 40", and first exported in 1967 to Hungary and the Soviet Union.<ref name="Vegeta history">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Vegeta has been produced by Podravka in Koprivnica since its introduction, and is also manufactured in Poland, Austria, Hungary,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and Tanzania.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Vegeta was a commercial success for Podravka and led to an economic boom in Koprivnica.Template:Cn Bartl, who became known as "Auntie Vegeta" (Template:Langx),<ref name="EmergingEurope"/> was made an honorary citizen of the city before her death in 2008.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Nielsen named Vegeta the best-selling universal food seasoning in Europe in 2021,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and the products are sold in 40 countries worldwide.<ref name="Vegeta history"/>
There is also a "no MSG added" version for those avoiding monosodium glutamate.<ref name=VProducts>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
IngredientsEdit
The ingredients of Vegeta include (according to the 2008 product packaging):
- salt max. 56%
- dehydrated vegetables 15.5% (carrot, parsnip, onions, celery, parsley leaves)
- flavour enhancers (MSG max. 15%, disodium inosinate)
- sugar
- spices
- cornstarch
- riboflavin (for yellow coloring)
| Energetic value | 583 kJ (137 kcal) |
| Protein | 9 g |
| Carbohydrate | 24.5 g |
| Fat | 0.6 g |
| Sodium | 23 g |