Culinary autumn is abundant with the various flavours of the field or forest. The ingredients available are not only delicious, but also contain many nutritional benefits for health and wellbeing. On cold, cloudy and foggy days, dishes made from autumn ingredients bring to the table the sunshine they have soaked up through the summer. We’re inviting you on an autumn culinary walk pervaded by the enticing aroma of chestnuts, pumpkins, apples, walnuts, mushrooms and other autumn produce.
If you had to pick one smell that is most distinct in Slovenian towns in autumn, that of chestnuts would certainly be high on the list of candidates. Roasted or cooked. A chestnut cone is mandatory when strolling along town streets and squares in autumn. It’s even more fun if you collect chestnuts on a walk through an autumn forest and prepare them yourself in your favourite way. Chestnuts are one of the most popular ingredients on the autumn menus of both traditional and modern restaurants. Chestnut picnics are also becoming more and more popular. The most famous picnics take place in Besnica near Kranj and Vitovlje, while Janče is known for Chestnut Sunday.
Pumpkins are not only a popular autumn decoration for our homes, but are gradually becoming a staple ingredient on our autumn menus. Due to their versatility, they can be used in various recipes, from soups and side dishes, to sauces and desserts. Pumpkin seeds are a great source of dietary fibre and contain antioxidants. The Štajerska-Prekmurje pumpkin seed oil, which has a protected geographical indication, is one of the precious pumpkin treasures of Slovenia.
Be part of the tradition in which pumpkin seed oil is still processed in accordance with the original procedures, using family machines more than a century old. Learn how top-quality oil is made from pumpkin seeds at the family oil mill in the Prekmurje region, where the third generation is continuing the tradition of pumpkin seed oil production. Try premium pumpkin seed oil as a Slovenian culinary speciality in its many versions.
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Be part of the tradition in which pumpkin seed oil is still processed in accordance with the original procedures, using family machines more than a century old. Learn how top-quality oil is made from pumpkin seeds at the family oil mill in the Prekmurje region, where the third generation is continuing the tradition of pumpkin seed oil production. Try premium pumpkin seed oil as a Slovenian culinary speciality in its many versions.
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In autumn, a lively atmosphere spreads throughout the olive groves cultivated in the region with the Mediterranean climate. The olive harvest extends between October and November. Carefully picked olives are put into torklja, a special oil press from which oil flows. The Slovenians are particularly proud of the extra virgin olive oil of the Slovenian Istria and its protected designation of origin. This noble oil enriches many a dish and is featured at numerous festivals organised throughout the year, particularly on the Slovenian coast and in the Goriška Brda Hills.
Taste world-class olive oils and traditional Istrian delights in a fun way. Your guides will be the members of the Lisjak family, the largest olive oil producer in Slovenia. You’ll be taken in classic old-time cars to the olive groves, where the story of supreme olive oil begins. This is an experience in which you’ll learn that a great deal of love and dedication is hidden in every drop of oil.
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Taste world-class olive oils and traditional Istrian delights in a fun way. Your guides will be the members of the Lisjak family, the largest olive oil producer in Slovenia. You’ll be taken in classic old-time cars to the olive groves, where the story of supreme olive oil begins. This is an experience in which you’ll learn that a great deal of love and dedication is hidden in every drop of oil.
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An autumn forest also gives off a scent of mushrooms. There’s nothing better for passionate mushroom pickers than to find a cep or a porcini mushroom, a Chanterelle or any other edible mushroom under the fallen leaves. There are between 2,500 and 3,000 types of mushrooms growing in Slovenia, of which as many as 505 are edible. You have to be very careful when picking mushrooms, since the differences between an edible and a poisonous mushroom may be very minute. You also have to observe the forest etiquette and pick mushrooms in moderate quantities. What’s more, mushrooms can be great for enriching an autumn menu.
You’ll learn everything you need to know about mushrooms on this unique forest adventure, while feeling relaxed and at peace. On a walk through the mushroom kingdom, you’ll learn about the five most common edible mushrooms in Slovenia (depending on the season): Chanterelle, porcini mushroom, delicious milk cap, parasol mushroom and bay bolete. The guide is a licensed mushroom identifier who will teach you about their life cycle and how to recognise edible and poisonous mushrooms.
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You’ll learn everything you need to know about mushrooms on this unique forest adventure, while feeling relaxed and at peace. On a walk through the mushroom kingdom, you’ll learn about the five most common edible mushrooms in Slovenia (depending on the season): Chanterelle, porcini mushroom, delicious milk cap, parasol mushroom and bay bolete. The guide is a licensed mushroom identifier who will teach you about their life cycle and how to recognise edible and poisonous mushrooms.
MoreAutumn fills our baskets with walnuts, an indispensable part of Slovenian traditional cuisine. Walnuts are a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids. They contain vitamin E and certain B vitamins, which means that they are beneficial to our wellbeing. Walnuts can be combined with cheeses and used in cold cuts, although we prefer them in desserts. Two of these are the Prekmurje gibanica and potica, which are embellished with the Traditional Speciality Guaranteed label.
You won’t know unless you try! Potica is the queen of the holiday-laden table and a favourite Slovenian dessert! By preparing Potica, you will bring a piece of Slovenia back into your home. To make your baking challenge a bit easier, see our recipe for the most widespread, walnut, Potica.
Autumn dishes, particularly desserts, are enriched by diverse autumn fruits, such as apples, pears and plums. In recent years, persimmon has been gaining popularity, too. Raw, cooked, dried, baked – enjoy them in all their forms.
Apples can be found in rolls, pies, the traditional Prekmurje gibanica and other delicious dishes. We put them in compotes, sauces and purées. They are also flavourful when baked. Apples can be pressed into a delicious apple cider. Dried apple chips are a great snack or an addition to other dishes. The Kozjansko apple, a symbol of nature protection, even has its own holiday. These apples grow on high-trunk meadow orchards in the Kozjansko Regional Park. These serve as outstanding habitats for various rare and endangered animal and plant species as well.
Tasty Williams pears are another sweet addition to the autumn menu and they are also used for making brandy. The Williams pear brandy is made in Pleterje Charterhouse in such a way that a pear grows inside the bottle. Tepka pear is another variety frequently used in cuisine. They have a typical, somewhat bitter flavour and can be consumed fresh or dried. The renowned Gorenjski tepkovec is made from these pears. Dried pears are incorporated in numerous traditional dishes, such as Rateče kocovi krapi and Koroška kvočevi nudlni.
To fight famine, the empress Maria Theresa ordered that an unpretentious pear, which bears abundant fruit to provide food for the winter months, be planted in each yard. Dried tepka pears were thus a significant ingredient in the staple diet of peasants.
This orangey yellow fruit that grows in Slovenian orchards, particularly in the Mediterranean and Karst Slovenia, is the last to ripen late in autumn. Persimmon is distinguished by its distinctive flavour and its many benefits for our health and wellbeing. Its undemanding cultivation has encouraged many fruit growers in recent years to start growing these “golden apples”. Persimmon plantations can be found in the Goriška Brda Hills, the Vipava Valley and the Slovenian Istria. Persimmon even has its own festival.
Autumn is at its most majestic on the softly rolling hills where grapevines grow. The time between the harvest and St Martin’s Day is very busy and festive in vineyards and wine cellars. The joy felt at the time of the new wine harvest is immense. Young wine goes well with autumn dishes and is an essential part of autumn cuisine. When temperatures drop to around freezing, you can warm up with mulled wine, the scent of which wafts along town streets and through squares.
Where to taste wines from Slovenia's three wine-growing regions?
Slovenia invites you for a visit to enjoy excellent and unique wine experiences.
Natural wines are an important complement to sustainable gastronomy.
In wine-growing Slovenia, there are plentiful opportunities to offer a toast with good wine in all seasons. Also visit our typical wine-related festivals.
Certainly very delicious, since it’s abundant in fresh produce and fruits. These enrich numerous dishes, either those cooked at home or those served in restaurants. Autumn ingredients are an inspiration for top chefs who create true masterpieces with them. Savour the rich autumn aromas.
Autumn is a great time to visit one of Slovenia's top restaurants. More often than not, the menu will be brimming with seasonal ingredients, of course in a mix of traditional, local and modern flavours.
This time we invite you to take a peek into Špacapanova Hiša, located in the idyllic Karst region, specifically in Komen. The family-run restaurant, which has been developing Karst cuisine for more than 40 years, has also found its place in the Michelin Guide, as the renowned gastronomic giant awarded the Špacapan family a Michelin Green Star for its sustainable approach. At the heart of the kitchen is Chef Ago Špacapan, crowned 2024 Chef of the Future by Gault&Millau. The renowned chef also shared with us his recipe for pasta e fagioli – bean stew that will take your autumn menu to the next level.
Minestrone:
homemade vinegar
Soak the beans overnight with the smoked bones. The next day, sweat the chopped onion in oil and add the diced carrots, celery and tomatoes. Sauté quickly, add the chopped garlic and pour in the stock. Add the soaked beans, bay leaves and marjoram. Cook until the beans are soft, add salt and pepper, remove the bones and blend in a food processor until smooth.osteklenite sesekljano čebulo, dodajte na kocke narezano korenje, zeleno in paradižnik. Na hitro prepražite, dodajte sesekljan česen in zalijte z jušno osnovo. Dodajte namočen fižol, lovor in majaron. Kuhajte, dokler se fižol ne zmehča, dodajte sol in poper, odstranite kosti in v thermomixu zmešajte do gladkega.
Pasta:
Water used for cooking beans
While cooking the beans, remove about 1 litre of the water, add salt and, when the water comes to the boil, cook the pasta in it.
Parsley oil:
Salt
Blanche the parsley and cool it in ice water. Then drain and dry it. Place the oil, parsley and salt in a food processor and heat at 37 °C for 10 minutes, blend at maximum speed and strain through a cheesecloth.
Serving:
Put the pureed beans in a bowl, drizzle parsley oil around the edges and add the pasta in the centre. Garnish with 3 – 4 cooked beans and add the marjoram leaves. Any bean soup will benefit from a few drops of homemade vinegar.
Bon appétit!
Considering the abundance of ingredients offered by autumn, it’s difficult to decide what to create and put on the table. If you want to surprise your loved ones and your guests with a traditional Slovenian culinary delight that consists of autumn ingredients, here are some tips and recipes. Let the scent of a Slovenian autumn spread all over your kitchen, too.
Taste autumn on your plate. Get creative with the gifts of autumn picked in nature or fresh produce collected from a garden or a field. Don’t worry. You can find all of these in marketplaces as well. And good wine goes with good food.
Explore the tourism destinations through local cuisine and traditional dishes. Keep an eye out for the dishes with a protected designation of origin or traditional specialty guaranteed labels.
MoreExplore the tourism destinations through local cuisine and traditional dishes. Keep an eye out for the dishes with a protected designation of origin or traditional specialty guaranteed labels.
MoreNature in Slovenia is a special gift in itself and its gifts are particularly delicious. Various fruits of the forest, herbs and mushrooms can be collected from spring to autumn, bringing delicious diversity to our menus. But pay attention. Be careful and responsibly collect only those plants and mushrooms you know well.
MoreYou do not need to go far to get fresh local ingredients. It is enough to visit one of the city's markets, where you will definitely find what you are looking for. Markets are also a social place where you can talk with locals and make genuine connections with local producers.
MoreThree wine-growing regions, nine wine-growing districts and many supreme wines: these are the traits of wine-producing Slovenia. Every region and district has its character reflected in noble wine drops. Slovenia is the home of an array of native wine varieties and of the oldest grapevine in the world. Slovenian winemakers receive the most prestigious awards for their wines and an increasing number of them are focusing on the production of natural wines.
MoreThinking about how to surprise your loved ones? Prepare something Slovenian. Regardless of whether you are more of a sweet or savoury person, enjoy “spoon foods” or something stronger - there is a recipe for every taste that smells of Slovenian places and traditions.
MoreSlovenia’s autumn image will certainly entice you. The view of the myriad colours and mystical mists will astound you. There’s a scent of autumn delights in the air, which you can taste on your plates and in your glasses. The beauty of autumn invites you to enjoy it thoroughly.
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Be enchanted by the magical scenes of autumn, which paint towns and landscapes with spectacular colours, from the Alps to the Adriatic, and from the Karst to the Pannonian Plain.
Top ideas on how to stay active in Slovenia in the autumn.
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