Bohinj is nestled in the heart of the Julian Alps and is the entrance to the only national park in our country, the Triglav National Park. Named after the highest mountain in Slovenia, the majestic Mt. Triglav (2864m) it stands as a testament to the commitment of our ancestors who have preserved this magical area that we proudly call our home.
In Bohinj valley and also the Julian Alps food is full of local ingredients and flavours. Dishes are simple, but very tasteful and healthy. In this blog we would like to introduce our top 3 local specialities and 1 special drink, which we also like to prepare at home and are typical for the area that we come from.
1. Bohinj Zganci – a cornflour mUsh
This is a simple, traditional dish prepared with special Bohinj red corn flour, water and salt. It is cooked in a large pot so that all the water evaporates. It usually served with sauerkraut, yogurt or milk. Zganci were back in the day often on the menu, because almost every house had corn field. Nowadays they are often on the menu in mountain huts, but you can order them also in the valley in restaurants with home-made food like Strudel in Bohinjska Bistrica.
2. Strudel and potica – TYPICAL DESSERTS
We like both deserts so much, that its hard to decide for one. Strudl is prepared with puff pastry with various fillings. The most common filling are apples, but it can also be cottage cheese, raisins or blueberries. The dough is spread with a filling, to which we add a some sugar, rum and breadcrumbs. It is baked in the oven until it is a nice golden brown colour. We prefer the apple one, and we also like to add some whipped cream or vanilla ice cream to it to make it even more tasty.
The second dessert that we also like a lot is the traditional Potica festive pastry. It is made from leavened dough, which must rise twice. Our grandmothers used to say when the dough is rising there must be no draft in the kitchen, so that the dough does not get cold. The Potica can be filled with various fillings. Our favourite is the walnut / hazelnut combination, to which we also add rum and cocoa. It is a “must make and eat dish” for Christmas and Easter in all Slovenian homes. If you will be visiting the Bled island during your stay make sure to stop by at the Poticnica shop to taste some of the potica variants.
3. JOTA AND RIcET – TRADITIONAL MOUNTAIN STEWS
This two dishes are also called one-bowl dishes. You will often find them on the menu of mountain hut or traditional restaurants that we call gostilna. The two most common stews are jota and ricet. Jota is a stew that contains beans, potatoes and sauerkraut or turnip. Ricet on the other hand is prepared with barley, potato and vegetables. Sausage or dried meat are often added to both stews to make the dish stronger and home made bread goes best with this two specialities. These two stews are our favourite picks when coming back from hiking in the Julian Alps, snowshoeing through the winter landscape of the Triglav National Park or exploring the secrets of the Bohinj forest.
4. Schnapps – the drink of the mountains
Many locals in Bohinj valley have their own vegetable garden, where they grow a variety of vegetables and fruit. Most common vegetables are potatoes, salat, carrots, green beans, tomato, union and garlic. A lot of houses have also a fruit garden, where they grow apples, pears and plums that can be used for dishes, jams, juices or alcoholic drinks. When we talk about drinks and especially alcoholic drinks the most typical would be schnapps. A lot of locals make schnapps at home on their own as part of family tradition. There are many different variations of schnapps and you can blend it with various combinations of herbs and fruits. Also we make our own schnapps. Our favourite is the so called spruce tip schnapps or herbal liquor, where we combine spruce tips, sugar and schnapps base. We share it with our guests on a winter walk or as a welcome drink when they come on holidays to one of our charming chalets located in Bohinj valley.
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