Food » Europe »
Southeastern Europe » Slovenia »
Slovenia
Food, Dining, & Drinks
Dining Etiquette
As you arrive at your Slovenian host's home you
should have some flowers or wine in hand, but the Slovenes are forgiving enough
to let you by without a gift. They are not as forgiving to those who arrive late,
since punctuality is quite important in Slovenia.
Leave your shoes at the doorstep if other shoes are there and greet everyone personally;
it's considered polite to shake hands and individually greet each person at
the house, typically greeting women first and men second.
Once the food arrives, Slovenia follows many regular
dining customs, such as eating in the continental style (knife in the right hand,
fork in the left). Also, keep your hands on the table at all times so they can be
seen and follow the lead of others when in doubt.
If you're at a business dinner, don't discuss business unless your host
approaches the topic first. Meals are meant to be a time to socialize and get to
know each other, not to weigh the conversation down with discussions about money
or a looming deal. In these business situations, the inviter is expected to pick
up the bill, however in more information situations, the bill is divided evenly.
Many sit down restaurants include a service charge, but if not, when eating out
you should tip about 10% of the bill.
History & Influences
Slovenia's foods are almost entirely unoriginal,
however this is because they wisely borrowed foods from their neighbors, then made
slight adjustments to cater to local tastes.
Surrounding Slovenia are Italy,
Austria, Hungary, and
Croatia. In many ways, Slovenia has simply adopted Italian
Food, Austrian Food,
Hungarian Food, and Croatian Foods.
While Slovenia maintains a few local dishes, many restaurants' menus appear
to be a "best of Europe" menu, with pasta, pizza,
schnitzel, and goulash all widely available.
Staple Foods
Slovenia's cuisine is extremely varied, particularly
considering its size, giving the country as a whole no true staple. In areas where
the diet is influenced by the Austrians, potatoes and
meat are typically served, while in Italian influenced areas pastas are more common.
Regional Varieties & Specialties
Potica: a pastry filled with ground walnuts or poppy seed, then
rolled and baked
Drinks
Slovenia has found itself in between a number of great
alcohol-producing countries so has had little need to produce their own drinks.
High quality beers from Austria and wines from
Italy are popular, however the locals have still found a few great locations
to produce their own wine, but not on the same scale as a country like Italy.
Generally speaking, the tap water is safe to drink in Slovenia,
but check with locals for any particular regional differences. Also, many people
may have troubles adjusting to the local tap water, as it will most certainly be
different from what your system is used to.
This page was last updated: September, 2011