SLOVENIA - Croatia and Slovenia - page 797

Since Slovenia joined the European Union, strict new standards have swept the
land. Separate rooms must be used for the slaughter, preparation, and curing of the
ham. While this seems fair enough for large producers, small family farms that want
toproducejustenough pršut fortheirownuse—andmaybeselloneortwohamhocks
to neighbors—find they have to invest thousands of euros to be compliant.
Traditional Slovenian dishes are prepared with groats—a grainy mush made with buck-
wheat,barley,orcorn.Buckwheat,whichthrivesinthisclimate,oftenappearsonSlovenian
menus. You'll also see plenty of štruklji (a dumpling-like savory layer cake), which can be
stuffedwithcheese,meat,orvegetables. Repa isturnippreparedlikesauerkraut.Amongthe
hearty soups in Slovenia is jota —a staple for Karst peasants, made from repa, beans, and
vegetables.
The cuisine of Slovenia's Karst region (the arid limestone plain south of Ljubljana) is
notable. The small farms and wineries of this region have been inspired by Italy's Slow
Food movement—their owners believe that cuisine is meant to be gradually appreciated,
not rushed—making the Karst a destination for gourmet tours. Karstic cuisine is similar to
France's nouvelle cuisine—several courses in small portions, with a focus on unusual com-
binations and preparations—but with a Tuscan flair. The Karst's tasty air-dried ham (pršut),
available throughout the country, is worth seeking out (see sidebar). Istria (the peninsula
justtothesouthoftheKarst,insouthernSloveniaandCroatia) producestrufflesthat,locals
boast, are as good as those from Italy's Piedmont (see here ) .
Voda is water, and kava is coffee. Radenska, in the bottle with the three little hearts,
is Slovenia's best-known brand of mineral water—good enough that the word Radenska is
synonymouswithbottledwateralloverSloveniaandthroughouttheformerYugoslavia.It's
not common to ask for (or receive) tap water, but you can try requesting voda iz pipe.
Adventurous teetotalers should forego the Coke and sample Cockta, a Slovenian cola
with an unusual flavor (which supposedly comes from berry, lemon, orange, and 11 herbs).
Originally called “Cockta-Cockta,” the drink was introduced during the communist period,
as an alternative to the difficult-to-get Coca-Cola. This local variation developed a loyal
following...until the Iron Curtain fell, and the real Coke became readily available. Cockta
sales plummeted. But in recent years—prodded by the slogan “The Taste of Your
Youth”—nostalgic Slovenes are drinking Cockta once more.