Authentic Štajerska Cuisine

Štajerska, the Slovenian part of historic Styria, is a region of rolling wine hills, farms, river plains and wooded mountains in the northeast of the country, and its cooking draws on all of them. The food is generous and rustic, shaped by a continental climate with cold winters and warm summers, by the farm economy of pigs, grain, potatoes and cabbage, and by a long history of mixing with neighbouring Austria and Hungary. It is one of the most distinctive food regions of Slovenia, and it is best experienced at a country inn, a gostilna, or at a farm that serves guests.

Pork is the foundation. Pigs were kept on almost every farm, and the autumn pig slaughter, the koline, produced a range of cured and cooked products that are still central to the cuisine. Sausages of many kinds, smoked ham, bacon, black pudding and pork cooked in its own fat appear on menus and at festivals, often served with sauerkraut, sour turnip, horseradish and bread. Another staple is the sour soup, kisla juha, made with potato, smoked meat and a sour element, and buckwheat porridge, ajdovi žganci, often topped with cracklings. Potatoes, beans, cabbage and dumplings round out the starchy side of the table. Pumpkin seed oil, made from the roasted seeds of a local variety of oil pumpkin, is the signature seasoning of the region, a dark green, nutty oil that goes on salads, soups and even vanilla ice cream, and it is as typical of Štajerska as olive oil is of the coast. Baking is also important, with fruit strudels, nut rolls and the Pohorje omelette, a layered baked dessert of Pohorje that is a speciality of the mountains.

Wine is part of the experience. The region is mostly a white wine country, and varieties such as Laški Rizling, Šipon, Sauvignon, Renski Rizling and Traminer give crisp, aromatic wines that match the fat and richness of the cooking, while sparkling wine has a long tradition. Many farms and inns serve their own wine and let visitors taste before buying, and the wine roads link cellars across the hills. The Wine Routes of Jeruzalem and the Jeruzalem Wine Route are among the most famous.

The region also has festivals that celebrate food and tradition. The Kurentovanje carnival in Ptuj, with its fur-clad, bell-wearing figures, is the best known, and food stalls and inns serve regional dishes during the season. Outdoor activities such as Boat Trips On Drava River, Ice Skating In Štajerska and Ski Schools In Štajerska on the Pohorje Mountains add variety, so you can build a trip that mixes eating with activity.

Practical advice: eat where the locals eat, ask for the dish of the day and pace yourself, since portions are large. It suits food lovers and anyone who enjoys hearty country cooking. Travelers will find the same dishes at festivals and in village inns alike.