Traditional Slovenian Food

Traditional Slovenian Food is a mixture of local ingredients with an inventive twist that charms the soul and fills the belly with deliciousness. Each season has something different to offer so there is no good or bad time to visit Slovenia when it comes to food (or anything else for that matter).

But if you do not have the means nor the time to travel to this foodie European oasis, you will certainly be delighted to be presented with some of the best Slovenian dishes or even buy a cookbook and try them out at home!

Breakfast:

• Milk Grits or gres

My favourite childhood dish for brekfast or dinner, milk grits is easy to prepare and is popular with children and adults. 

Lunch:

• Ramson (Wild Garlic) Soup

My family forages everything edible that grown in fields, meadows and forests, and each year we engage in Olympic-level ramson gathering. But knowledge is essential here, because if you don't know what you're looking for, you might accidentally gather a look-alike that is poisonous. Autumn crocus and Lilfy of the Valley might be mistaken for wild garlic at first glance, but neither has a garlicky scent to its leaves. A delicious, creamy wild garlic soup that is very easy to make will undoubtedly delight you and ring in the spring.

• Smoked and Cooked Beef Tongue

You may wonder why anyone would eat beef tongue. But once you savor this simple delicacy, you'll regret not having tried it before. We most often indulge in it around Easter. You can serve it either lukewarm or cold, with dandelion or potato salad.

• Dandelion Salad 

Slovenians are crazy about dandelions. We don't see them as unwanted weeds, but rather as delicious plants. They are celebrated by young and old, who flood the meadows in the spring to gather this popular plant, which makes for a refreshing and healthy salad. It is eaten as a snack, for lunch or dinner, with people happy to consume the whole bowl of it themselves. 

Dandelions are best before they bloom, when the leaves are young and soft. To offset their bitter taste, we combine them with boiled potatoes, eggs and cracklings, which could be swapped out in favour of smoked backon. These warm extras will will soften the leaves and rock out the bitterness, bringing the dish to another level.

• Fried "Mice" for Dessert

Before donuts became the star of the carnival sweets lineup, "mice" were the most common pastry. In Slovenian Istria, these sweet, fried balls, which are much easier to make than donuts, are known as fritole, fritle or fritule and also contain rum-soaked raisins or pine nuts. While frying, they form little "mouse tails," hence their name. "Mice" are a mandatory pastry in the carnival season. Simply irresistible. And gone before you even know it. 

Dinner:

• Pan-fried Veal Liver

My family's favourite is veal liver, but feel free to use either chicken or pork liver instead. For a quick and tasty lunch, my mom's go-to dish was pan-fried veal liver. It is supple and savory, melting in your mouth, with the sauteed onion sauce so scrumptious that we's find ourselves reaching for another piece of bread or spoonful of mashed potatoes to sop it up. 

Yummy Refresheners and Heavy Delights for Long Summer Nights:

• Elderflower Syrup

Blooming elder trees emit the very first scent of summer. Their lush and pollen-rich blossoms are irresistible if you know how easily they morpf into a delicious home-made syrup. And I certainly do ;)

• Idrija žlikrofi with Chanterelles

Idrija is recognized the world over for its mercury mine, Idrija lace and stuffed pasta called Idrija žlikrofi that impress even our Italian neighbours. This local culinary delicacy is the first Slovenian dish to have received the EU protected status as a Traditional Specialty Guaranteed. Idrija žlikrofi are a pleasure all year round. You can top them off with cracklings, meat-based or vegetable sauce or with netted pork roast gravy. You can serve them as a starter or a main.

• Buckwheat žganci and Sour Milk

It is distinctive for its thin skin of cream under which hides a firm yet soft milk interior. For me, this is the most refreshing dish for summertime. Typically, it is accompanied by one of the most popular dishes made of buckwheat flour, called buckwheat žganci, which is a classic down-home dish from Gorenjska. Top with pork fat and home-made cracklings. 

• Curd Cheese štruklji

Almost impossible to translate, the word štruklji is also a challenge to pronounce accurately. One of the Slovenian culinary classics, this dish is no less of a challenge to make. I find it uniquely versatile, as it can be served as a main, side dish or a dessert, depending on the filling.

• Tripe

Tripe will either make you jump with delight or wince, even when the dish is nowhere to be seen. In the past, the scent of raw tripe may have dissuaded many from preparing the dish. Today this is no longer a concern as you can buy precooked and sliced tripe at any butcher shop or well-supplied grocery store. 

• Sunday Lunch

There was a time when Sundays moved slowly, and the centerpiece of the day was the traditional Sunday lunch. Sundays were built around the extended family sitting around the table and lunch was served promptly at 1 p.m. the ritual would begin in the morning with the preparation of beef soup. The main course would be the beef from the soup, cooked vegetables and sauteed potatoes also known as restan or tenstan krompir - the most popular preparation for potatoes in our country and an integral part of Sunday lunch.

We maintain this tradition today. We rinse the ladle with hot water, scoop up the sauteed potatoes, smooth out the serving and dollop onto the plate. It's served as a side dish to accompany pork leg, various roasts and other meat dishes. In the months that containt the letter "r" in their names in Slovenian, the main was served with a side of horseradish sauce. In recent years, this traditional Sunday lunch has been reserved for fall and winter as it is very filling and usually calls for a nap afterwards.

Something to Keep You Warm on Cold Winter Days:

• Bean and Pot Barley Stew

This extremely popular and simple pleasant stew, called ričet, primarily served in the winter, is one of the classics of Slovenian cuisine. The best thing about stews is that they're even tastier the next day, so do yourself a favour and make much more than you can eat in one sitting.

• Walnut Potica

When my mom was little, the kids in the family helped crack and grind walnuts but couldn't resiste eating them. To keep them from munching, my grandmother would encourage them to whistle to ensure that enough would be left for the potica. The most typical type of potica is made with walnuts, but you can also find ones filled with raisins, poppy seeds, hazelnuts or tarragon.

You have probably come to a point when you are drooling all over the place, looking for something to put in your mouth ... Do not disappoint yourself by reaching for something less than perfect. I invite you to turn my teaser images into reality and try out some recipes on your own. Your belly will appreciate it and so will I.