Mountain cuisine in the Slovenian Alps

The Julian Alps, named for the dynastic family that ruled the area in ancient times, boast mountain peaks and unique flora and fauna. The area’s a hiker’s dream and also a gourmand’s pleasure. With forests covered in wild mushrooms, cows wandering mountain meadows and fields of buckwheat, northwestern Slovenia hosts an unadulterated landscape and cuisine.

We rented a traditional cottage decorated with bear skins on the floor, a deer's rack on the wall and a ceramic fireplace in the idyllic village of Bohinj located in a valley with a lake bearing its name. The owner lived in the house next door with her husband and two sons. She invited us over to toast our arrival with blueberry liquor she made from the nearby mountain berries.

Slovenia has emerged from the tumultuous events of the 1990's without the scars of her former Yugoslav neighbors. The crisp moutain air, blue skies and gorgeous scenery even brought the former Yugoslav leader Josip Broz Tito here for his holidays here. Bohinj's nature remains largely unspoiled.

The area's residents live mostly from farming and tourism. Residents of Slovenia’s capital city Ljubljana are keep cottages in the area. The village overlooks Slovenia's highest mountain, the Triglav at 2,052 m. Many smaller lakes and streams flow through the region.

Gostilnas offer traditional food & music

The best place to find traditional Bohinj dishes is in a Gostilna. They are usually family-owned and often feature folk music evenings and pig roasts. Fresh fish from the mountain streams are also on the menu. The main dish is usually prepared simply with local herbs. Portions are generous and they usually include cabbage and potatoes. The surrounding woods are also known for their black truffles which make their way into local dishes.  

You won’t want to miss the bread made from the local grey buckwheat flour and mountain water. Every Slovene region has its own kind bread and Bohinj's has a rustic quality that smells just slightly of licorice.

Especially famous for dessert is the potica, a cake filled with walnuts, poppy seeds, raisins, local herbs, cottage cheese and honey. Its flavor is fantastic and potica is found in all of Bohinj’s bakeries. It can be eaten for breakfast or after a meal.

Although less well known than Italy or France, Slovenia also has some quality wines, many coming from the Podravje Region in the eastern part of the country such as Renski Rizling, Traminec, Sauvignon and Chardonnay. If beer’s more your style, there are also local brews on tap at any Gostilna.

After you’ve eaten a meal of traditional dishes why not take a short late evening stroll through the town? If the weather's cold, you’ll smell the wood-burning fireplaces and likely be able to see what seem like a million stars in the night sky. Aside from the howling animals, the surroundings will be so quiet you can imagine Bohinj hundreds of years ago.