Slovenia was named the 10th best country in Europe and the world’s most environmentally-friendly nation. Slovenia offers tourists a wide variety of natural and cultural amenities. Slovenes also love their wine and food. Their cuisine is mostly influenced by the regions around it and is a mixture of Central European cuisine. Slovenia really is a foodie’s paradise. Here is a compiled list of the foods you must try in this bee-loving nation.
15 Delicious Foods to Eat in Slovenia
1. Kranjska Klobasa (Carniolan sausage)
Kranjska klobasa is a typical Slovenian meat product. It is a pasteurized sausage, made of coarsely ground pork meat and pig bacon (neck, back, thighs). Kranjska sausage is seasoned with garlic and pepper. The sausage undergoes hot smoking and is eaten warm after brief warming in hot water. It has a distinctive “mildly smoky smell”. It can be served with curry on top; mustard, ketchup, and a piece of dark bread or in the most common form as a Käsekrainer-Hot-Dog.
2. Matevž
Matevž is made of beans and potatoes. It is mostly served as a side dish. It is usually eaten with sauerkraut or turnips and pairs well with meat. The dish can be sprinkled with pork rinds, fried pieces of bacon or fried leek. Pureed beans and potatoes contain proteins, dietary fiber and many other nutrients making this a very healthy option. Every household has its own way of preparing matevž.
3. Prekmurska gibanica (Prekmurian Layer Cake)
Rich, tender with a full taste, Prekmurska Gibanica is not a light dessert. Prekmurska gibanica is a type of layered pastry. It contains poppy seeds, walnuts, apples, raisins, and quark fillings. Prekmurska gibanica is an interesting combination of cake and pastry. It is a layered sweet strudel stuffed with sweet jams, fruit or fruit compotes, nuts, and/or dairy products.
4. Pršut (Dalmatian dry-cured ham)
Pršut, or prosciutto, is an Italian dry-cured ham that is usually thinly sliced and served uncooked. Prosciutto is made from either a pig’s or a wild boar’s hind leg or thigh. The process of making prosciutto can take from nine months to two years, depending on the size of the ham. It is cut into thin slices and served with homemade bread and cheese.
5. Idrijski žlikrofi
Idrijski žlikrofi are traditional Slovenian dumplings. They are made from dough with a potato filling and a characteristic shape. They are often served either as a side dish to meat or on their own, in which case they are topped with breadcrumbs. It is moulded such that the dumpling has two “ears” and is perfectly bite-sized.
6. Bled cream cake
After you have finished your lunch, treat yourself with the Bled Cream cake from Bled, Slovenia. The cream cake is characterized by delicate puff pastry atop layers of light vanilla cream and custard. Its main ingredients consist of eggs, flour, cream, sugar, and butter. The original Bled cream cake contains no colourants, preservatives or other additives, which is why it is made fresh every day. When you place it on the plate, the entire cream cake sways back and forth.
7. Močnik
Močnik is a traditional Slovenian porridge. Originally it is prepared only with flour, eggs, milk, water, and salt. After it is prepared, you can add your preferred toppings like cinnamon, sugar or jam. Flours or cereals such as buckwheat, corn, wheat, millet, rye, or oats are cooked in milk, cream, or sour cream.
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8. Štefani Pečenka
Rustic Štefani roast or meatloaf with eggs is a meatloaf stuffed with hard-boiled eggs. The meatloaf is traditionally shaped by hand and then the loaf is sliced. It is covered with roasted foil for 5-10 minutes for the meat to lie down before serving.
9. Prežganka
Prežganka is a Slovenian national soup made of flour, caraway seeds, and beaten eggs. Though it employs simple ingredients, prežganka is a Slovenian classic. The brown colour comes from browning the flour in oil or butter. Instead of flour, breadcrumbs can be used. A lightly whisked egg is often added to the soup, which gives the dish a thicker consistency and a more complex flavour. It is commonly served with croutons or toasted bread on the side and is believed to be a great hangover remedy.
10. Bleki
Bleki is nothing more than homemade pasta or egg noodles, cut into square or rectangular shapes. It is often served with a cream sauce and pancetta. What differentiates them from regular pasta or noodles is definitely their shape.
11. Bograč
Bograč is a one-pot dish that has to contain three sorts of meat, the same amount of onions as there is meat, along with paprika, potatoes, chilli, and wine. This stew is slow-cooked in a heavy pot with a combination of pork, beef, and venison. So I guess you can also call it a “Meat-Lovers Stew.”
12. Štruklji
Traditional štruklji are made with filo pastry and have a filling of your choice. Mostly, you can get cottage cheese ones or the very popular buckwheat ones with a walnut filling. The dish comes in the form of rolls, which can be either cooked or baked. It can be topped with the buttered crumbs as well.
13. Žganci
The dish is made from buckwheat flour, maize, wheat, or a combination of potato and wheat flour and water, cooking oil and salt. The lump is then crumbled onto a plate for serving. It is rich in energy-giving carbohydrates. Žganci can be served with milk, honey, cracklings, or runny yogurt. A savoury version is served with meat as part of the main dish.
14. Potica
Potica takes first place among the traditional festive pastries in Slovenia. It’s a rolled pastry made of leavened dough filled with any of a great variety of fillings, but most often with walnut filling. Original Slovenska potica is a ring-shaped pastry, baked always in the specially shaped potica baking mold which has a conical protrusion in the middle.
15. Jota
Jota is like a hotpot, thick soup or a vegetable-meat stew. It is a stew made of beans, sauerkraut or sour turnip, potatoes, bacon, and spare ribs. Jota is what they call a real winter dish. It can serve it as it is, or with some ham or sausage. You can also store it in the fridge for up to a week. Just make it hot again and enjoy!
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