​Experience Slovenia through Skiing and Štruklji

Experience Slovenia through Skiing and Štruklji

Slovenia – a small country of varied landscapes, rich history and diverse cuisine due to its location as a European crossroads, bordering Austria and Italy to the west and Croatia and Hungary to the east. Slovenian cuisine reflects the cultural crossroads, where you may be as likely to find crisp Wienerschnitzel on the menu as you are a warm Hungarian goulash.

On Lumi’s Slovenia Sight-Skiing trip, guests ski in several trail networks: Planica - 2023 Nordic Ski World Championships venue, Pokljuka - annual Biathlon World Cup venue and even ski across the border into Italy and around the Tarvisio trail network. The trails are often flat and rolling with excellent grooming for both skate and classic skiing beneath towering, rugged, dolomite spires of the Julian Alps. There’s much more to the sight-skiing trip than skiing. One of the highlights is a cooking class where guests learn to make (and savor!) the traditional Slovenian dish – štruklji.

Štruklji (pronounced shtROO-klee), a rolled dough with a variety of fillings, has been a staple of Slovenian cuisine for centuries, with the first written records dating back to the 16th century. The dish was originally prepared for special occasions such as holidays and family gatherings, which made it part of Slovenia’s cultural fabric. Interestingly, štruklji is the plural form of the word so you will always get more than one. Practice your pronunciation before you arrive to impress the locals – or wait until your trip and learn the pronunciation from your expert, local trip leaders.

Due to Slovenia’s diverse landscape, regional variations of this dish are numerous. At its core, štruklji is a rolled dough filled with a variety of ingredients, making it a versatile dish that can be either sweet or savory. The dough is typically phyllo or leavened dough made from flour, water, and eggs, although variations using buckwheat, cornmeal or potato flour are also common. They are most often cooked in boiling water, but can also be steamed or baked. Where the dish truly shines is the variety of fillings that are used based on regional preference, offering reflections of the history and culture of the different areas in Slovenia. The sweet versions of štruklji are very popular, with the most common fillings being cottage cheese, apples, tarragon, and walnuts.

Recently, štruklji has experienced a revival as part of Slovenia's broader movement to revive and promote traditional foods. There is now a Štrukljifest to help preserve this piece of Slovenian cultural heritage. As a result, štruklji can now be found in both traditional eateries and upscale restaurants across the country, offering visitors a taste of Slovenia's rich culinary heritage.

Here’s how to make one popular štruklji recipe featured in the New York Times, if you’d like to explore this Slovenian dish:

Slovenian Štruklji

Ingredients:

The Dough

• ½cup hot tap water
• 2tablespoons butter
• 1egg, lightly beaten
• 1teaspoon salt, if desired
• 2cups all-purpose flour

The Filling

• 4tablespoons butter
• 1cup bread crumbs
• 4eggs
• 1pound dry cottage cheese
• ½cup sour cream
• 1tablespoon chopped tarragon
• Salt to taste, if desired

Optional for sweet or savory versions:

• Chopped walnuts
• Chopped apples
• Jam

The Topping

• 1 cup bread crumbs
• 4 tablespoons butter

Instructions:

1. To make the dough, place the hot water in a small bowl and add the butter to the water to melt. With a fork, blend in the egg and salt.
2. Place the flour in a separate mixing bowl. Make a well in the flour and pour in the liquid mixture. Blend and knead until the resulting dough is smooth and elastic. Cover and allow to rest in a draft-free place for about 30 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, prepare the filling by melting the butter in an 8-inch saucepan and browning the bread crumbs in it. Remove from the heat, add the eggs and stir until they have completely scrambled.
4. Combine the cottage cheese, sour cream, tarragon, salt and any optional ingredients in a mixing bowl. Add the egg mixture and mix well.
5. Roll the dough on a lightly floured board into a rectangle about 12 inches by 18 inches. Spread the filling over the dough and roll it, starting at its long side, into a tight roll, much like a jellyroll.
6. Place the roll on a clean white cloth or a double thickness of cheesecloth large enough to cover it. Wrap the roll in the cloth and tie the ends with string, sausage fashion.
7. Coil the roll into a circle and drop it into a large pot of boiling salted water. Simmer for 40 minutes, then carefully lift it from the pot. Unwrap the roll and keep it warm.
8. For the topping, sauté bread crumbs in butter until golden brown.
9. Slice the štruklji into pieces 2 inches thick and top with the buttered crumbs.

While homemade štruklji is always tasty, this sweet slice of tradition is best savored on skis in Slovenia.There are still several spots available on Lumi’s 2025 Slovenian Sight-Skiing trip. Reach out by September 15 to secure your spot on this popular trip. Already seen Slovenia? Check out the feature on other 2025 Lumi trips that still have some availability.

See you on the trail,

Garrott Kuzzy Founder & Olympian Lumi Experiences garrott@lumiexperiences.com