Slovenia enters 2021 as the European Region of Gastronomy. This is one of the reasons why numerous world-renowned media have put Slovenia on their bucket list for 2021.
Slovenia has 24 gastronomic regions, and 365 dishes and drinks typical or a certain region or town, which sounds like heaven, as you can taste one every day in a year, Slovenian Ambassador to Belgium Rado Genorio said at the ceremony, which was held at the Slovenian Permanent Representation to the EU.
The title awarded by the International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Arts and Tourism (IGCAT) was accepted by Agriculture Ministry State Secretary Tanja Strniša and Eva Štravs Podlogar from the Economy Ministry. The project ‘Slovenia -European Region of Gastronomy 2021’ focuses on improving the quality of life. It encompasses opportunities for education in healthy and sustainable living and the sustainable development of gastronomy. Furthermore, it enhances the national promotion of cuisine and gastronomy and creates synergies with local environments and cultures.
Slovenian gastronomy combines a principle “from the garden to table” and rich historic food traditions, which encompass influences of the neighbouring countries: Italy in the west, Austria in the north and Hungary and Croatia to the east. One of the main assets of Slovenia’s gastronomy is the fact that restaurants have access to local ingredients, which is reflected in the close relationships between chefs and local producers. Local and green is the way to go and a new ‘Slovenian Green Cuisine’ label which will become part of the Green Scheme of Slovenian Tourism only underpins this.
2020 was a milestone when it comes to gastronomy in Slovenia: the first ever Michelin guide to Slovenia was unveiled, with six chefs awarded a total of seven Michelin stars and 52 restaurants included. But it is not only food that makes Slovenia a top gastronomy region. It’s also wine that makes the story of Slovenian gastronomy big. In the recent years, Slovenia’s winemakers have been awarded top global prizes, with the most recent one being the Decanter award. “No wine in our Top 50 is more complex than this one,” they wrote.
Many Slovenian products are protected at the EU level, for instance, the Teran wine, Kranjska Klobasa sausage, or Prekmurska Gibanica cake and Tolminec cheese. Learn more about traditional Slovenian dishes here.
Portugal and Slovenia will preside over the EU in the same year when Coimbra and entire Slovenia hold the prestigious gastronomy title. Slovenia’s representatives believe this will present an additional opportunity to promote Slovenian cuisine.
