# Balkan cooks & brands — permissions / licensing map

**Live:** https://balkanplate.com/docs/wordcamp/BALKAN-COOKS-PERMISSIONS.md  
**Workshop board:** https://balkanplate.com/start · **Cookbook (in-site):** https://balkanplate.com/cookbook  
**Free sources (To Cups):** see `FREE_BALKAN_SOURCES.md` on the To Cups workspace  
**Outreach tracker:** `/instance/cooks-outreach.json` (status: prospect | contacted | approved | declined)

> Honest rule: **we do not have permission** for any personal brand / channel / cookbook author listed in section B unless status in the tracker says `approved`. Do not scrape, rehost photos/video, or copy recipe text from those sources. YouTube **iframe embeds** of public videos are generally OK under YouTube ToS; **downloading / rehosting** is never OK without a license.

WordCamp context: **WP kamp · Novi Sad, Serbia · 16–19 Aug 2026** (WP project integration).

---

## A) Already usable now (no creator outreach)

| Source | What we may use | Conditions |
|---|---|---|
| **To Cups original texts** (`display_recipes.py`) | Recipe text, US cups/oz/°F + metric tooltips | Own content |
| **Local dish photos** (`web/assets/recipes/*.jpg`) | In-site cookbook images | Own or Commons-attributed stills stored locally |
| **TheMealDB** | Recipe text, meal images, YouTube links in their API | Attribution + link to https://www.themealdb.com · free community DB |
| **Wikimedia Commons** | Photos / some cooking videos | Per-file license (`license_url`) — prefer CC0 / PD / CC BY with credit |
| **Internet Archive / Pexels / Pixabay** | Free clips listed in `free-recipes.json` | Check each `license_url` before paid ads |
| **Amazon product images** | Via Associates product links / APIs we already use | Associates program rules — not chef branding |
| **Curated Amazon ASINs** (pantry JSON + local cache) | Product cards + Add-all cart URLs | Live search off — see [HOW-PRODUCTS-WITHOUT-SEARCH.md](./HOW-PRODUCTS-WITHOUT-SEARCH.md). Hidden iframes cannot scrape Amazon. |

**MealDB Balkan / nearby areas we filter today:** Croatian, Greek, Turkish (+ optional nearby). Serbian / Bosnian / Macedonian / Montenegrin / Slovene area labels exist in MealDB but currently have **0 meals** — do not invent content.

**YouTube embed-only (C):** public MealDB `youtube` URLs → iframe on `/cookbook`. Never download MP4s from YouTube.

---

## B) Needs explicit permission (popular Balkan / ex-YU / diaspora)

Status for all rows below unless tracker says otherwise: **NEEDS EXPLICIT PERMISSION / LICENSE / DMCA RISK**.

| # | Name (public brand) | Country / lang | Platform | Why popular | What we'd want | How to ask | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | **Tatjana Sašica** | HR / EN (diaspora-friendly) | Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, tatjanasasica.com | Viral Balkan-home recipes; huge IG/TT reach | Recipe text adaptation, stills, short clips, name credit, possible co-brand | Site contact / IG DM / business email on site | Do **not** scrape IG. Embed YT only after OK if we want branded series. |
| 2 | **Bakina kuhinja / Jelena Petrović (Granny Jela)** | RS / SR | YouTube, blog | Classic “bakin” channel; millions of views; household name in Serbia | Recipe credit + embed playlist; stills only with license | YouTube About email / blog contact | High DMCA sensitivity — text + face are hers. |
| 3 | **Cookster TV / Miloš Popović** | RS / SR (dialect) | TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube | Viral no-filter traditional cooking | Clips, name/likeness, recipe adaptations | IG/TT business inbox; YT About | Personal brand + likeness — written OK required. |
| 4 | **Dragana Varevac — Moja čarobna kuhinja** | RS / SR | YouTube, social | Long-running Serbian home-cooking YouTube brand | Embeds, stills, affiliate-friendly recipe pages | YouTube About / channel email | Treat full recipe rewrites as needing OK. |
| 5 | **Kuvajte sa Mikijem** | RS / SR | YouTube | Previously in stack; **scrubbed** — do not re-add without ownership/license | N/A until owned or licensed | Only if user owns channel / has written license | **Do not restore** scrubbed Miki catalog. |
| 6 | **Stevo Karapandža** | HR / HR-SR | TV legacy, books, social | Ex-YU TV cook icon; cookbooks | Book excerpts, name, archival stills | Publisher / agency / estate contacts | Book rights ≠ “famous on TV”. |
| 7 | **Irina Janakievska — The Balkan Kitchen** | MK / EN (UK/US book market) | Cookbook, press, social | Modern English-language Balkan cookbook author | Book recipes, photos, author likeness | Publisher rights dept + author site/social | Commercial cookbook — license or affiliate-to-buy only. |
| 8 | **Podravka / Vegeta kitchen** | HR / multi | Brand site, recipes, packaging | Pantry brand every Balkan kitchen knows | Brand marks, packaging shots, official recipes | brandpress / marketing@ podravka channels | Trademark + recipe copyright separate. |
| 9 | **Aleva / Horgoš paprika brands** | RS | Packaging, site | Iconic paprika — shop angle | Product images beyond Amazon, brand story | Brand marketing | Prefer Amazon product images via Associates until brand OK. |
| 10 | **Vitaminka / Ajvar brands (various)** | MK / RS / regional | Retail brands | Ajvar is category-defining | Label photos, co-marketing | Each brand’s marketing | Category word “ajvar” OK; brand logos need OK. |
| 11 | **Danijel Preksavec — Kralj kuhinje** | HR / HR | IG, FB, TikTok | Regional cake/viral home cook | Clips, recipes, name | Social business DM | Same rules as other influencers. |
| 12 | **Saša Zoranović (Toplik / BH chef)** | BA / BS | Restaurant + social / press | Competition visibility for modern BH cuisine | Name, dish photos, collab menu | Restaurant / PR contact | Chef IP + venue photos. |
| 13 | **Balkan Kitchen (US diaspora channels — various)** | US diaspora / EN-SR | YouTube / IG | English speakers learning Ćevapi/sarma | Embeds + affiliate pantry lists | Each channel About email | Many small channels — batch outreach. |
| 14 | **Gastro/TV formats (e.g. regional morning-show cooks)** | RS/HR/BA | TV + clips on YT | Familiar faces 40+ audience | Clips, name | Broadcaster rights, not the cook alone | Broadcaster usually owns tape. |
| 15 | **Classic print authors** (e.g. regional “Veliki narodni kuvar”, local bakery books) | ex-YU | Print | Nostalgia / authority | Scans, text | Publisher / rights holder | Public-domain only if verified PD; most 20th-c. books are **not**. |

### Also watch (secondary outreach queue)

| Name | Notes |
|---|---|
| **Slatka tajna / dessert influencers (HR-RS)** | Photos + recipes always copyrighted |
| **Local bakery chains with recipe blogs** | Brand + photo rights |
| **Municipality tourism recipe pages** | Sometimes reusable with attribution — verify each page ToS |
| **TasteAtlas / commercial recipe aggregators** | Not free; do not scrape |

---

## C) YouTube embed vs download

| Action | OK without special chef license? |
|---|---|
| iframe embed of a **public** YouTube URL (incl. MealDB-provided links) | Usually **yes** (YouTube ToS) — keep embed, don’t strip ads/player |
| Link out to the video | **Yes** |
| Download / rehost MP4, use as TikTok without license | **No** |
| Screenshot chef’s face / thumbnail as our hero still | **Needs permission** (except MealDB-hosted thumbs they redistribute) |
| Copy recipe text from description | **Needs permission** (facts/lists of ingredients are thinner; prose instructions are protected) |

---

## How to ask (templates)

### English

> Subject: Collaboration — BalkanPlate cookbook network (WP Novi Sad)
>
> Hi [Name],
>
> We run **BalkanPlate** (https://balkanplate.com) — an in-site Balkan cookbook (cups / oz / °F), Amazon pantry links, and a small creator network. We’re preparing outreach around WP Novi Sad (16–19 Aug 2026) and WordPress project integration.
>
> We’d like permission to: (1) credit your brand on a recipe page, (2) embed specific YouTube videos via iframe, and/or (3) adapt one recipe into our US-cups format with clear attribution and a link to you.
>
> We will **not** scrape your photos or rehost your videos without a written OK.
>
> If you’re open to this, reply with what we may use and any credit line you require.
>
> Thanks — [Your name] · https://balkanplate.com/start

### Srpski / BCMS

> Predmet: Saradnja — BalkanPlate mreža kuvara (WP Novi Sad)
>
> Zdravo [Ime],
>
> Vodimo **BalkanPlate** (https://balkanplate.com) — kuvar na sajtu (cups / oz / °F), Amazon linkovi za namirnice i mala mreža kreatora. Pripremamo kontakt oko WP kampa u Novom Sadu (16–19. avg 2026) i WP integracije u projekat.
>
> Tražimo dozvolu za: (1) navođenje tvog brenda uz recept, (2) iframe embed dogovorenih YouTube snimaka i/ili (3) adaptaciju jednog recepta u US cups format uz jasnu atribuciju i link ka tebi.
>
> **Nećemo** skidati tvoje fotografije niti rehostovati videe bez pisane saglasnosti.
>
> Ako ti odgovara, javi šta smemo da koristimo i kako želiš credit.
>
> Hvala — [Ime] · https://balkanplate.com/start

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## Workshop tracking

1. Open https://balkanplate.com/start — checkbox **Cook outreach**.  
2. Edit `instance/cooks-outreach.json` statuses as you email/DM.  
3. When `approved`, only then wire brand assets into cookbook / ads.  
4. Keep free MealDB + To Cups originals shipping every day regardless of outreach.

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*Last updated: 2026-08-03 · No creator in section B is pre-approved.*