Slovenian Cuisine

Slovenia’s peculiar location – close to Italy, the Alps Mountains and Central Europe – is reflected in the culinary habits of the people of this small country. From the Austrian culinary tradition comes sausage (klobasa, especially recommended are kranjske klobase, or small dried sausages), white cheese (skuta), Wiener schnitzel (Danube zrezek) and strudel (zavitek). From the Italians, Slovenes have taken over risotto (rižoto), potato gnocchi (njoki) and dumplings (žlikrofi), and from the Hungarians, goulash (golaž), sweet pancakes (palačinke) and paprikash (paprikaš). Slovenian dishes are based on buckwheat, barley, corn and meat. A Slovenian specialty is spotted bread (pisan kruh) baked from three types of grain (corn, buckwheat and wheat).
Slovenian dinner begins with soup, usually broth with noodles (kokošaja juha or goveja juha with rezanci). For the second course, pork (svinjina), veal (teletina) or beef (govedina) is served. Slovenian delicacies include kranjska pojedina (i.e. ribs with cabbage), žlikrofi z bakelco (dumplings in a lamb dish), matevž z suhim mesom (beans with smoked meat). The most famous Slovenian meat dish is kraški pršut, a specially smoked and dried ham with a rather salty flavor from the Kras area, served with olives and homemade cheese. Among vegetarian dishes, the most popular are cheese dumplings (štruklji), mushroom risotto (gobova rižota) and breaded cheese (ocvrti sir). Slovenes enjoy eating burek (which originated in Turkey, but is popular in many Balkan countries, Romania and Hungary), a type of puff pastry stuffed with cheese, meat or apples. The most famous Slovenian desserts are potica (a cake with nuts) and gibanica, originating in Prekmurja, which is a shortcrust puff pastry stuffed with poppy seeds, walnuts, raisins, cheese, all topped with cream.