Residents of these areas believe that products made from srijemuša and other traditional forest plants and fruits can help revive the villages in Andrijevica and slow down or even stop the significant emigration of the local population.
"It is known that our region is rich in various types of medicinal herbs, as well as a multitude of forest fruits. The medicinal plant srijemuša, known among the people as wild garlic, which grows in abundance below Komovi and is suitable for preparing various dishes and drinks, certainly stands out. Therefore, we demand from the authorities to come up with a project that would include the construction of a facility in Konjusi in which all forest fruits would be purchased and processed, as well as the education of people who would be involved in these activities," the locals say.
According to them, this facility would be of great benefit to the local population because medicinal herbs and forest fruits are interesting for both the domestic and foreign markets, and the potential of the Andrijevica region has been insufficiently utilized.
Culinary professor Manojlo Vojvodić, who is also the main initiator of the "Days of the Srjemuša" event, points out that the Srjemuša plant is a natural wonder that deserves a special price.
"Srijemuša is a unique plant that we ourselves are not aware of how valuable it is. As a chef, I can tell you that we can prepare hundreds of dishes from srijemuša. It is so generous when it comes to local specialties that we all have to pay great attention to it. That is why I am happy that srijemuša has attracted numerous visitors in recent years, which is a rarity in our region. May it continue to do so in the future so that we can make a full contribution to the revival of the villages below Komovi," says Vojvodić.
The event called "Days of the Sremuse" has been held for years at the beginning of May at the "Mojan" Adventure Center below Komovi.
It is a kind of festival of Srijemuša products, which, attracting numerous guests, receives great publicity due to its attractiveness. Locals point out that this is also confirmation that we must work on the full valorization of what nature has given to these regions.
"Srijemuša, as a noble plant, has been bringing us together here below Komovi for years, so that we can jointly see that Srijemuša specialties can represent the true brand of this region. Previous events have convinced us that Srijemuša can properly complement the tourist offer of our municipality and the entire north of Montenegro and, as such, be found on the tables of discerning people who demand healthy, local food. This is proof that medicinal herbs in this region must be given due attention, because in today's world they have a special price," emphasizes local resident Vera Ćirić, adding that the villages below Komovi must not be allowed to deteriorate further.
She believes that there have been enough empty stories and false applause for those who have done nothing for this region.
"It is high time we understood that our villages should not be summer cottages where people live only from spring to autumn. We need concrete help in the form of opening a plant for processing medicinal herbs," says Ćirić.
In the north of Montenegro, there is enormous potential in the forest gifts of nature, but a large part of that potential is still underutilized or is used at a very negligible level.
When it comes to wild garlic, mushrooms, blueberries, juniper, medicinal herbs, honey from mountain areas, and other forest products, the problem is that they are rarely converted into higher-value products.
Bjelasica, Komovi, Prokletije or Durmitor represent the so-called "green mine", but the exploitation of this resource mostly ends with harvesting and sale to buyers, and in this way the natural wealth from our mountains usually ends up in export through traders.
Today, the market is looking for authentic, local and healthy products, and Srijemuš is a great example. In many European countries, wild garlic is a premium ingredient in gastronomy. In our country, it is still mostly seen as a seasonal salad.
The locals of Andrijevica who are educated in this area know this and indicate that the resource exists, but the system for its full development is not sufficiently developed. That is why they believe that by developing small processing workshops, which is the purpose of their initiative, forest gifts could become a serious source of income, and not just additional seasonal income or a one-day tourist event.
