engleski

Traditional production of beech charcoal (Fagus sylvatica L.) at Ćićarija mountain

Charcoal - Carbo vegetabilis (Croatian: drveni ugalj, ugalj or karbun) was utilised during entire history of mankind. It's production is tractable from the bronze age and was a key-factor for metallurgy development until 18th century and beginning of fossil-coal utilisation. Nevertheless charcoal as a raw material and fuel is still used even today, especially in developing economies which represent over 50% of its world consumption. In general terms charcoal market on EU level shows trend of constant growing as it is still a product which assures good price and guarantees production cost-effectiveness. In Croatia predominant charcoal production technology is traditional production. The very tradition of “burning” charcoal represented crucial share in economy of particular areas over enturies, not only for individual families yet for entire communities as well. Thus even at the beginning of the 21st century this tradition could be still traced in regions of Ćićarija, Gorski kotar, Lika, and other continental parts of Croatia. Nowadays over 800 individuals are engaged in traditional charcoal production, producing annually approximately 3.000 tons what represents almost half the amount of total national charcoal production. The rest is produced by Belišće ltd the only industrial producer in the country. In Istria, charcoal or so called karbun is still made entirely on traditional way, of which is dependable overall Istrian tourist supply since charcoal used for barbecuing is regarded as exclusive goods. The finest charcoal is produced exclusively of beech wood, in specially made charcoal kilns called karbunice in which the stowed wood carbonises to charcoal through combustion process with minimal presence of oxygen. Regardless the obsolete production process charcoal is still important source of incomes for rural regions where shortage of workplaces and low salaries are still evident. In those areas generations of families depended of the charcoal production in charcoal kilns, at the same time inheriting tradition and passing it forward from father to son, and giving this way the perspective of such production to the forthcoming “eco-tourism” age.

beech; beech charcoal; charcoal kilns (karbunica; ugljenica); traditional production

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