The varied customs and traditions across Slovenia have spilt over to its vast gastronomic heritage and diverse offering of traditional, locally grown produce and 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.
The idyllic setting of lush green mountains and pastures produces the best Slovenian cheeses. Many varieties of cheese have a protected designation of origin. If you happen to be in the town of Bohinj, where alpine dairy farming has a long tradition, make sure to try the mohant cheese. Its distinct aroma makes for a somewhat of an acquired taste. But don't let the smell put you off, it tastes delicious! The vibrant yellow colour of the cheese nanoški sir and its specific taste will blow you away. The Bovško region, home of the native Bovec sheep, is where the cheese variety bovški sir is produced. Further down the Soča Valley, you will meet the sweet and tangy Tolminc cheese. According to historic records, it was used as a means of payment for the duties owed to the lords of the estate.
When you stay in Slovenia make sure to indulge in its variety of meat specialities. Reigning supreme is the sausage called kranjska klobasa, which made it all the way to space owing to the astronaut Sunita Williams of partly Slovenian descent. A wide variety of meat products with geographical protection is to be had in the Kras region, where you can delight in decadent delicacies such as the prosciutto ham (kraški pršut). You may also like the taste of the prleška tünka, a dish consisting of pork meat preserved in minced lard. Get a taste of the Solčavsko region and indulge in the salami-like meat product called the zgornjesavinjski želodec. Or travel along the plains of the Prekmurje region, savouring the region-specific ham called prekmurska šunka.
Do you have a sweet tooth? The unique layered dessert prekmurska gibanica might be right up your alley; the delectable range of aromas and flavours makes for a harmonious, moist and scrumptious pastry. The queen of Slovenian holiday food is potica, a traditional dish made from rolled up leavened dough and stuffed with various fillings. The dish called idrijski žlikrofi consists of dumplings with a stuffing of potatoes, herbs and meat. When visiting the region of Idrija, make sure to treat yourself with serving. The savoury flat bread called belokranjska pogača is a speciality of the Bela Krajina region. Have a piece of this fluffy and soft bread with the comforting smell of home.
For 700 years now, the salt pans of Piran have been bestowing upon us their white treasure growing on the Slovenian coastline. The Piran Salt tastes like the sea and the sun and gives dishes a unique character. The Extra virgin olive oil from Slovenian Istria or the Štajerska-Prekmurje pumpkin seed oil will entice your taste buds and keep you healthy. If you can’t get enough of onions, try the ptujski lük, an autochthonous species of onion with a characteristic red color and rich flavour, which has been cultivated in Ptujsko Polje for more than 200 years. Beekeeping is firmly rooted in Slovenian cuisine; if you ever get the craving for a healthier treat, you should definitely try the protected forest honey varieties, namely the Karst honeyand the kočevski gozdni med.
Slovenia's diversity is reflected in its cuisine. Explore the flavours of Slovenian regions and have a taste of what has been a staple of the local diet for centuries.
Do you know the typical flavours of the Alps, the Mediterranean, the Karst and the Pannonian Plain?
Where to taste wines from Slovenia's three wine-growing regions?
Prepare a walnut Potica using the traditional recipe!
Learn about the typical workdays and holidays cuisine of Slovenian people and discover where they obtain the ingredients for their dishes and where you can try them as well.
Privacy settings