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Local cuisine

While traditional dishes, which used to be prepared primarily from produce grown on subsistence farms, reflect the harsh climate, they are also full of warmth and love and can charm even the pickiest eaters.

The most typical dishes include: kaura – a thick stew made of beans, potatoes, and kohlrabi (kaura), which is simmered for several hours and then topped with cracklings, sauerkraut or sour turnip with beans and potatoes, barley, buckwheat and maize žganci served with warm or soured milk, or ideally, topped with cracklings.
Baked apples and pears or millet porridge with prunes provide sweet flavours, while for special occasions there are tašce (or flancati, which are a type of fried sweet dough), walnut, raisin or carob potica, and štruklji (rolled dumplings) with a wide variety of fillings, which can be served as either a main course or a side dish.

Alongside cured meat delicacies and–during the winter months–the traditional pig slaughter specialities (koline), game meat is a must on the menu. In the past, especially in autumn, dormice were also commonly on the menu, prepared in a variety of ways.

Local dishes are expertly prepared according to traditional recipes by members of the Rural Women and Girls’ Association Ostrnice Loška dolina, who have also published a cookbook of traditional dishes titled Flavours of Loška dolina. Let our local cuisine find its way into your home.

Preparation instructions

Preparation: First, place the beans, which have been soaked in water overnight, into a pot. Add a layer of thinly sliced yellow kohlrabi, followed by a layer of cubed potatoes. Ideally, use at least two varieties of potatoes – one that breaks down during cooking to thicken the dish, and another that stays firm. You can top this with some sliced carrots. Cover everything with water, add salt, and simmer over moderate heat for at least two hours. Never stir the dish while it is cooking and never add meat, as kaura was traditionally prepared as a dish for fasting days. Before serving, top the dish with cracklings. Add them at the very end so they stay crispy, or add them directly to each bowl just before serving.

Preparation instructions

Preparation: To ensure the sauerkraut isn’t too sour, rinse it briefly before cooking. Cover it with water and cook until it is tender but still firm to the bite. In another, slightly larger pot, boil the peeled and cubed potatoes in salted water. Once the potatoes are cooked, mash them slightly, then add the sauerkraut and the cooked beans. Mix everything together and simmer for a few minutes so the flavours combine. Top with cracklings, if desired. The consistency should be just right—neither too thick nor too watery.

Preparation instructions

Preparing the žganci:
Pour water into a pot, add salt, and bring to a boil. Pour all the maize flour into the boiling water at once, so that it forms a small mound. Do not stir or poke the flour. Lower the heat and let the water simmer gently around the mound for 30 to 35 minutes. Pour off the excess water into a separate bowl. Use a large fork or a wooden spoon to stir and break up the mound of flour into small lumps. If the mixture appears too dry, gradually add some of the saved water until you get light, fine fragments. Once the žganci are broken up, let them rest for a few minutes to allow the steam to escape.
Top with lard and cracklings. If serving with soured milk, leave out the topping. Preparing the milk:
Always use whole, unpasteurised (raw) milk for souring. Traditionally, milk was soured in a clay bowl called a latvica. Pour the milk into an unglazed ceramic bowl and place it in a warm spot (around 25 °C). Leave the milk undisturbed so it can set; the soured milk should be ready in 1 to 2 days.

Preparation instructions

Preparation:
Combine the eggs and flour in a bowl using a fork. Knead and twist the dough thoroughly to form small, irregular twisted crumbles (these are the sukanci). Set aside a few tablespoons of the larger, thicker crumbles, and cook the remaining smaller crumbles in salted boiling water (or milk, if preferred).
Sauté the larger crumbles you set aside in butter or lard until they turn a light golden brown. Use the sautéed crumbles as a topping for the cooked porridge and serve it with cold milk.

Preparation instructions

Preparation:
Pour a generous amount of water over the millet, then drain it immediately. Pour fresh water over the millet again and let it sit for 20 minutes. Drain once more and rinse thoroughly. Transfer the millet into a cooking pot and add milk and water (600 ml milk and 300 ml water). Cook for 20 minutes. If using prunes with pits, add them at the start of the cooking process; if they are pitted, add them towards the end.

Preparation instructions

Preparation:
Season the dormice with salt. Heat oil in a frying pan until hot. Place the dormice in the pan, cover, and brown them on both sides. Remove the dormice from the pan and set aside. Add chopped potatoes to the remaining fat in the pan and season with a pinch of salt. Place the browned dormice on top of the potatoes, cover, and cook over medium heat for 45 minutes.

KOLINE (PIG SLAUGHTER)

Just a few decades ago, people in the countryside looked forward to the pig slaughter with great anticipation. It was a time when they could finally eat their fill of meat–a rare luxury in many households–making it a true family feast. The season for the pig slaughter typically lasts from the first half of November until the end of January.

The most popular are still blood sausages, which are almost black in colour due to their primary ingredient, pork blood. Their counterparts are “the white” sausages, which get their distinct flavour from pork liver. Other sausages also have distinctive flavours and textures: grilled sausages (pečenice), lung sausages, and pork rind sausages (kožarce).

Salami, semi-dry sausages, and other cured meat specialties are enjoyed somewhat later, as they must first be dried and smoked.

An indispensable part of the tradition are pork cracklings and lard, which historically provided a rich, meaty flavour to humble dishes well into late spring.

Preparation instructions

Preparation:
First, prepare a yeast starter by mixing the yeast, 100 ml of warm water, and the sugar. Leave it to rise. Sift the flour into a bowl and sprinkle the salt around the edges. Add the yeast starter and the oil, mixed with the remaining warm water. Knead into a dough and leave to rise in a warm place for approximately 45 minutes. Once risen, place the dough on a floured surface and shape it into a long roll. Cut the roll into individual dumplings (small rolls) about 10 cm long and 5 cm wide. Leave them to rise until they have doubled in size. Cook the dumplings in boiling salted water. After 4 to 5 minutes of gentle simmering, turn them over and simmer for a further 4 to 5 minutes.
Place the cooked dumplings onto a wooden board and slice as desired (preferably using a string). Serve on a plate and top with pork cracklings or breadcrumbs sautéed in butter.

Preparation instructions

Preparation:
Crumble the yeast into a cup and add 3 tablespoons of lukewarm milk, a teaspoon of flour, and a teaspoon of sugar. Stir well and leave until the mixture starts to rise. Combine the remaining milk, butter, and the remaining sugar in a saucepan. Place over medium heat and stir until the butter has completely melted. Once the mixture has cooled slightly, add the grated lemon zest, then stir in the egg yolks, vanilla sugar, and rum. Sift the flour into a bowl and sprinkle the salt around the edges. Create a well in the centre of the flour. Pour the yeast starter into the well, followed by the milk mixture, stirring as you pour. Knead the mixture into a smooth, supple dough. Cover the dough and leave it in a warm place to rest until it has tripled in volume.
Roll out the risen dough to the thickness of a finger and shape the tašce. Cover the tašce with a cloth and let them rise again in a warm place until they have approximately tripled in size. Heat oil to 170 °C. Carefully place the tašce into the oil with the risen side facing down. Once the underside turns golden brown, turn them over and fry the other side. Dust the cooled tašce with icing sugar before serving.

Preparation instructions

Preparing the dough:
Prepare the yeast starter. In a small bowl, mix 3 tablespoons of warm milk, 1 tablespoon of flour, 1 tablespoon of sugar, and the crumbled yeast. Leave it to rise. Sift the flour into a large bowl. Mix the remaining ingredients into the warm milk, adding the eggs last, making sure the mixture isn’t too hot so the eggs do not curdle. Once the yeast starter has risen, combine all the ingredients to form a dough. Knead the dough using a mixer, adding a little flour as needed. Leave the dough in a warm place to rise until it has doubled in size. Preparing the filling:
Boil the milk and cream, then add the carob followed by all the other ingredients except for the eggs. Whisk the egg whites with a little sugar; once they form soft peaks, add the yolks. Gently fold this mixture into the carob filling. Turn the risen dough out onto a floured cloth and roll it out into a rectangle. Spread the filling evenly over the entire surface and roll it up along the longer side. Cut the potica in half and trim the ends. Place both pieces into a baking tin, lightly greased with butter or lined with parchment paper. Bake the trimmed ends in a separate tin. Lightly press down the potica in the tin, cover it, and let it rise in a warm place for about half an hour. Before placing it in the oven, prick the top with a fork and brush with egg wash. Bake for 1 hour at 150 to 180 °C (depending on your oven). When the potica is baked, remove it from the oven and cover it with a cloth. After ten minutes, carefully turn it out onto a board, cover again, and let it cool completely.

Preparation instructions:

Preparation:
Place whole apples, which have been previously washed and dried, onto a baking tray. Bake at a low temperature (no more than 170 °C). The baking time depends on the size and variety of the apples – they are done once the skin begins to wrinkle. Sometimes the skin may burst, so it is better to bake them for a longer period at a slightly lower temperature. Some cooks prefer to add a splash of warm water or a few knobs of butter to the tray during baking. If desired, serve the apples sprinkled with sugar or drizzled with honey.
Alternatively, the apples can be cored (seeds removed) and stuffed with various combinations of jam, cream, walnuts, and raisins.

Preparation instructions:

Preparation:
Soak the dried pears and škundri overnight in cold water. The following day, cook them in the same water used for soaking. Ensure there is enough water to cover the fruit by just under five centimetres.
The cooking time depends on the variety of the pears and whether they are whole or sliced. For example, small kočevarce pears take about 15 minutes to cook, while tepke, moštarce, or rjavke take longer. The same applies to the škundri. Taste the fruit to check when it’s ready. Once the fruit is soft and tender, remove the pot from the heat.
add sugar, spices, or any other flavourings.

Preparation instructions:

Preparation:
Sift the flour into a bowl. Make a well in the centre and sprinkle the salt around the edges. Mix the yeast with one teaspoon of sugar and 100 ml of warm milk, and leave it to rise. Pour the yeast starter and the remaining warmed milk mixed with water into the well. Knead into a smooth dough and leave it to rise. Once the dough has doubled in size, turn it out onto a floured cloth and roll it into a rectangle. Sprinkle the dough with drained cracklings and roll it up into a spiral. Place the roll into a round baking tin greased with lard and leave it to rise again. Prick the povaunca several times before putting it into the oven. Bake for 50 minutes at 180 °C.