18 Traditional Slovenian Foods You Must Eat in Slovenia

Want to try traditional Slovenian foods during your trip to the country? Here is the guide to the most delicious and popular Slovenian food!

Slovenia offers snow-capped mountains and turquoise-colored lakes, charming small towns, and incredible hiking trails. And after a day of exploring and adventuring, the good news is that Slovenia also has delicious cuisine that any visitor to the country needs to try.

Each of its regions boasts unique Slovenian dishes that can be found in restaurants throughout the country.

Slovenian food has been shaped by many culinary styles, and you can see the influence of Italy, the Balkans, and Austria on the dishes you’ll find in bakeries and restaurants.

We spent two full weeks exploring Slovenia and trying out any new dish we could find. We ate some truly delicious food!

Here is our list of the best Slovenian foods you need to try in the country.

18 Traditional Slovenian Foods You Must Try

➡️Main Dishes

1. Sausages

Many countries have their unique sausage tradition, and in Slovenia, the Carniolan sausage (Kranjska klobasa) is one of the most common and well-known types of sausage.

The sausage is known for its savory and smoky flavor, which comes from careful seasoning and smoking, and it’s a beloved part of Slovenian cuisine. We loved these sausages, and they were often served with delicious sides like potatoes or other dumplings.

The best Carniolan sausage we had was at Erjavčeva koča in the Vršič Pass.

2. Idrijski Zlikrofi Dumplings

Idrijski Zlikrofi dumplings are a traditional Slovenian delicacy that originates from the town of Idrija.

These dumplings are made by shaping pasta dough into small pockets, typically filled with a mixture of potatoes, onions, and various savory seasonings. The dumplings are then boiled until they become tender.

What sets Idrijski Zlikrofi apart is their unique shape, which resembles small bundles or pouches that are carefully folded and sealed. The dumplings can be served with a variety of sauces, but we always saw it with a creamy mushroom sauce.

This was my top favorite savory dish I ate in Slovenia, and I ordered it several times. The very best version was at the Tičarjev Dom hut at the top of the Vršič Pass.

3. Pasta

You can find extremely excellent pasta along the Adriatic Coast (such as in Piran), thanks to its close proximity to Italy.

Visitors to this area can indulge in a wide range of pasta dishes, from delectable seafood linguine to rich and creamy sauces that showcase the delicious blend of Slovenian and Italian flavors.

The coastal towns along the Adriatic are known to use fresh and locally sourced ingredients in their pasta dishes. You’ll often find dishes featuring the catch of the day, seasonal vegetables, and fragrant herbs – but you can also find classics like this delectable spaghetti carbonara we had in Piran.

➡️Soups

4. Richet (Barley Soup)

Richet is a traditional Slovenian soup well-loved for its hearty and savory taste. The key ingredient, barley, is cooked to a tender consistency which gives the soup a satisfying texture. You’ll note additional vegetables and often a meat option. (We had sausage in ours.)

It’s a popular choice, especially during the colder months, though we ate it in summer, and it was the perfect comfort food after a long day of hiking.

I’ll admit, this soup maybe doesn’t look all that special, but don’t write it off! I liked it so much I came back for another bowl at lunch the following day.

We had this soup at Dom dr. Klementa Juga v Lepeni hut that’s at right at the trailhead to hike Lake Krn.

5. Mushroom Soup

Although there are many variations, the mushroom soup in Slovenia is usually made with a combination of wild mushrooms, potatoes, and a blend of spices and seasons. These mushrooms are cooked with onions and garlic to add an aromatic and savory essence to the soup.

What makes Slovenian mushroom soup special is its use of local wild mushrooms. These wild varieties add to the distinctive taste of soup. Mushroom soup can be enjoyed as a starter or a main course, and is a savory, delicious comfort food.

6. Jota Soup

Jota soup is a light and flavorful stew made with beans, potatoes, sauerkraut or turnips, and a combination of rich spices. You can also add Carniolan sausage to this traditional Slovenian soup.

This Slovenian food has a thick texture if it is made from bigger slices of potatoes and whole beans. In some places, it is a custom to crumble bread into a plate, pour over the jota, and then add extra virgin olive oil on top.

7. Bograc (Goulash) Stew

Bograc is a Slovenian meat stew made of tender and juicy meat and potatoes. The recipe is famous for having three types of meat: beef, deer, and pork in one. Each type of meat is added after the previous one has cooked for about an hour.

This mouthwatering meaty stew was named after the bogracs, a traditional cauldron in which it is still prepared today. Though it is similar to Hungarian goulash, Slovenian bograc is a unique and mouth-watering dish in its own right.

We enjoyed this bowl of bograc at the Tičarjev Dom hut at the top of the Vrsic Pass.

➡️Side Dishes

8. Struklji

Štruklji is a traditional Slovenian food that is made of dough rolled and filled with either a savory or sweet filling. It is like a dumpling, with cottage cheese and sour cream being the most popular fillings.

This was a very common menu item and you’ll come across it frequently in Slovenia. We ate štruklji at Gostilna Sokol in Ljubljana and at Pri Hrvatu near Lake Bohinj.

9. Lepinja Bread

Lepinja bread is a delicious side dish in Slovenia, and has a light, crispy crust and a soft and fluffy interior – a delightful contrast in textures.

We sadly didn’t see this bread all that often, so I’d recommend ordering it when you do come across it, as it was delicious!

10. Tolminc Cheese

Tolminc Cheese is a semi-hard cow’s milk cheese that originates from the Goriška region. It gets its name from the city of Tolmin, located in northwestern Slovenia, near the Italian border.

This unique cheese is exclusively produced in the towns of Tolmin, Kobarid, and Bovec. The milk used to produce this cheese comes from Cika cows, a breed suitable for mountainous and highland environments.

We ate this hard cheese with a charcuterie platter at Hisa Polonka Restaurant in Kobarid, not far from the Slap Kozjak waterfall.

➡️Pastries

11. Apple Strudel

Slovenia offers a wonderful twist on the apple strudel. This traditional dessert is crafted from a very thin, elastic pastry, and its filling consists of sliced apples, sugar, cinnamon, raisins, lemon zest, lemon juice, and bread crumbs.

Apple strudels have achieved such a high level of popularity that they are almost considered a national dessert. During the autumn and winter months, this typical and much-loved dessert is baked regularly throughout the country, often with minor regional variations.

12. Cherry Strudel

Cherries hold a special place in Slovenian cuisine, as they are a major agricultural product and seeing the cherry trees in northwest Slovenia is something you should consider. As far as fruit popularity, apples, cherries, and pears were by far the most common and these play a major role in Slovenian foods.

The filling of these strudels contains fresh cherries, a bit of sugar, lemon zest and breadcrumbs. The combination of sweet cherries and that distinctive crust makes it an extraordinary food.

13. Burek

Burek is a traditional Balkan dish that later turned out to be a very popular on-the-go food in Slovenia, especially in Ljubljana.

The burek has a very flaky crust with melted cheese and ground beef in the middle. In Slovenia, the most popular fillings are meat and cheese or cheese and spinach.

These delicious bureks can be found in bakeries all across Slovenia. In Ljubljana, where the burek culture is famous, you can easily find them in the city center.

We bought this delicious pastry from Miskova Pekarna Bakery in Ljubljana.

➡️Desserts

14. Bled Cream Cake

Many would agree that no trip to Lake Bled or even Slovenia should be considered complete without indulging in the renowned Bled cream cake. This sweet treat was first crafted by Ištvan Lukačević, a pastry chef from Vojvodina who settled in Slovenia after World War II.

It consists of layers of thin, flaky pastry that envelop the two creamy layers in the middle. The top layer is a light and fluffy whipped cream, while the bottom layer is a creamy, decadent custard.

This delectable dessert is a must-try when visiting the area and has become an iconic treat associated with Bled and Slovenia.

We ate Bled Cake a few times while we were at the lake, but our favorite was at Starkl Restaurant (which is also a great place to stay at Lake Bled).

25. Potica Cake

Potica cake, also known as Slovenian nut roll, is a dessert traditionally served during Easter and Christmas. However, its deliciousness makes it a treat that can be enjoyed all year round.

This holiday cake starts with thin, stretched-out dough that can contain a variety of fillings and baked until it’s beautifully golden brown. While there are various fillings used in potica, the most popular one is made with walnuts.

Poppy seeds, cheese, hazelnuts, chocolate, herbs, leeks, or honey are other fillings used in potica cake.

We ate this potica cake on the little island in the middle of Lake Bled.

16. Gibanica Cake

Gibanica cake is a delicious traditional Slovenian cake made by layering filo pastry with various fillings, often including cottage cheese, walnuts, poppy seeds, apples, and sometimes even raisins. These layers are then baked to create a rich and flavorful dessert.

17. Pancakes

Pancakes or palačinke in Slovenia are very similar to crepes and are a popular breakfast and dessert option. They are typically served filled with some type of jam or honey, and the blended flavor of these sweet fillings and the delicate texture of the pancakes make it absolutely delicious.

18. Gelato

Gelato is an Italian-style dessert that is popular in many European countries, including Slovenia. Let me tell you, the gelato in Slovenia absolutely slaps – make sure you try it in Ljubljana or Piran (a town that makes for an excellent day trip from Ljubljana).

We grabbed the gelato in the picture above from Piran Pirano Pasticceria, a little stand by the harbor in Piran. I can also highly recommend the gelato at Divine in Ljubljana!

Helpful Tips for Eating in Slovenia

• At restaurants, you generally can just go in and seat yourself, you don’t need to check in with a waiter first.
• Tipping is not required.
• Most menus have both Slovenian and English (and sometimes also Italian or German) translations.
• Slovenia has an incredible hut culture! There are huts scattered all over the mountains, some very high up in the mountain tops. These huts offer accommodations to hikers doing multi-day hiking treks, and delicious meals to anyone who stops by.
• Some huts you can only hike to, and some you can drive to. (For example, there are quite a few off of the Vršič Pass). Hut food was some of the best food you can eat in Slovenia – all of our most favorite meals were at huts!

Traditional Slovenian Foods – The Wrap Up

When considering what to eat in Slovenia, all the foods on this list are excellent options for sampling the local cuisine!