Centre
Photo: Tomo Jeseničnik; Fried chicken drumstics and wings
Long culinary tradition
Ljubljana – Central part of the Market; Photo: J. Skok
Specialties from the Hearth of Slovenia A tasteful journey
Great views, different sounds, strange smells, good feelings; travelling is an experience absorbed by many senses. But let’s not forget to put our taste to the test and explore the flavours of the destinations. The Hearth of Slovenia invites you to join the table. In Slovenia there are no less than 24 gastronomic regions, represented by almost 200 dishes. In the centre of the country it all comes together. The restaurants and traditional gostilnas in Ljubljana and its 25 surrounding municipalities serve a fine selection of national and local dishes.
Ljubljana has a long culinary tradition. Already hundreds of years ago you could buy fish from the Adriatic Sea as well as fish from the Danube on the Ljubljana market. Besides that there was also plenty of fresh fruit from the coast. In 1799 Valentin Vodnik wrote the first Slovenian cookbook. He is now commemorated with a statue on the Ljubljana market. The Central Market in Ljubljana is still the centrepiece of Ljubljana’s culinary scene. Every Friday morning at 11 a renowned chef cooks in the open air kitchen of the market’s outdoor restaurant. The open kitchen is opened every Friday from 8 in the morning to 7 in the evening until October. In history many specialties were developed in the kitchens of Ljubljana, like the Ljubljana cottage cheese pancakes with a cottage-cheese and tarragon filling. A popular dish of the people of Ljubljana has always been boiled and marinated beef tongue with horseradish. It would be served as a Sunday afternoon treat in autumn and winter. Other Ljubljana specialties are the Ljubljana egg dish, frog legs from the Ljubljana Moors, Ljubljana strudel, fried chicken drumsticks (very popular as a snack with workers on river Ljubljanica) and of course the Ljubljana Cake. Legend has it that the cake was first created by a cook that wanted to cheer up the sad daughter of the lord of Ljubljana Castle. Today you can find something for everyone’s culinary liking in Ljubljana. The city has many restaurants and their offer varies from traditional Slovenian to Asian food.
Photo: Tomo Jeseničnik; Kranjska klobasa
Photo: Tomo Jeseničnik; Štruklji rolls
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The Slovenia Times | Summer guide 2013
Photo: Tomo Jeseničnik; Ljubljaan cottage chees pancakes