Food and wine

Slovenian cuisine has been influenced by its neighbours so you will find elements of Italian, Austrian, Hungarian and Balkan dishes. Traditional specialities include potica, suckling pig (odojek), spiced sausages (pečenice) and black pudding (krvavice), venision (divjačina), pork (svinjina) and trout (postrv), with local vegetables and salad.

At one of the popular "gostilna", your meal typically might include salami (suhe klobase, salama) and cured ham (šunka) beef soup with noodles (goveja juha z rezanci), meat served with salad and a delicious "štrudel", either filled with apple or cherry, or nuts and raisins, and curd cheese (skuta). You will be offered a selection of good local wines (vino), or beer (pivo); and good coffee (kava).

Local people pride themselves on their hospitality and visitors are welcomed with courtesy and care. Most menus are translated but it is a good idea to take your guide book along.