Give these favorites a try when you are in Ljubljana!

Burek

Burek is a popular dish in the Balkans, Mediterranean and the Middle East. Slovenes know burek as a round pastry made from layers of phyllo dough. It is usually filled with minced meat and onions, cheese, or both. Ljubljana is also home to many bakeries and snack bars that offer variations on burek such as pastries stuffed with potatoes and mushrooms, fruit, or even pizza toppings.

Gnoch

Gnoch is the Slovene word for the Italian concept of gnocchi, dumplings made from semolina or wheat flour. Slovene gnoch can be made both ways, and may sometimes combine elements of egg, cheese, or potato. These are the types of dumplings that can be served as a large starch, making up the bulk of a traditional Slovenian meal. It is also common to eat gnoch as an appetizer.

Zlikrofi

Zlikrofi are probably most closely tied to the Italian concept of ravioli, but the fillings are not limited to cheese or meat. Potatoes are a popular filling. If served as a meal, zlikrofi are topped with breadcrumbs and possibly a sauce or gravy. Although this particular dish is native to Idrija, an hour to the west of Ljubljana, it is a popular entree nationwide. It can be found everywhere from high-end restaurants to the frozen dinners section of the supermarket! (Fun fact: Slovenes consume over 50 tons of zlikrofi each year.)

Golaz bograc

Hungarian stew, called golaz bograc in Slovene, is a hearty dish made from beef or pork stock, and includes big chunks of meat, carrots, and potatoes, as well as thin slivers of onion. Red pepper and paprika are almost always used as spices, although others may be added depending on the restaurant or chef.

Slovenian pilaf

Slovenian pilaf (Slovenski plov) is made from long-grain rice. The rice is traditionally boiled in water with lard, butter or oil, then steamed with beef, chicken or pork stock. Finally, it is served with fresh seafood, such as crabs, fish, mussels and scallops. The seafood is usually cooked separately in its own allotment of spices and then, when done, it is added to the steaming rice. The pilaf is served as a main dish, with as much seafood on top of the rice as possible.

Strukjli

Strukjli are pastries made from buckwheat flour, eggs, oil, water and salt. The dough is rolled thin and filled. The most popular fillings are tarragon (as per the original recipe) and poppy seed, followed by cottage cheese, walnuts, hazelnuts and tart fruits like apples.

Klobasa

Although other cultures perfected the art of sausage-making before the Slovenes, they have put their own spin on the process with kranjska klobasa, or Carniolan sausage. The main ingredients are pork and garlic, with a bacon content as high as 20%. Black pepper and saltpeter are also frequent ingredients. It is smoked and cured at a temperature that exceeds 150 degrees Fahrenheit. Kranjska klobasa is popularly served in many variations, one of the most popular being as an appetizer, sliced, with mustard, rolls, and sometimes pepperoncinis.

Gibanica

Whether you eat this as a snack over coffee or tea, or as a dessert, you will love the taste of gibanica, a pastry made with white cheese and eggs. The Slovenian variant (which you may see called prekmurska gibanica) includes quark (prepared fresh cheese), walnuts, raisins, apples and poppy seeds.

Potica

Potica is a nut bread, baked in a round nut bread pan with varied fillings stuffed inside like a jelly roll. The traditional flavoring of these breads is tarragon mixed with walnuts or almonds. It is also popularly served with poppy seeds, and with fillings such as honey, chocolate, mint, cream and fruit. It is served at every Easter and Christmas dinner and variants can be found in bakeries year-round.