Ljubljana Gourmet Festival 2019 — Ljubljana, Central Slovenia

November is probably the tastiest month in Ljubljana with such a full-blown culinary programme under what is known as the very established November Gourmet Ljubljana event.

This year, Slovenia’s capital is again hosting various food and drink events happening all over town. Tasty events will feature the country’s highly acclaimed chefs, winemakers, and brewers. Foodies, wine lovers, and beer lovers are in for a treat this month as they’ll have the opportunity to taste typical dishes and beverages from Ljubljana and all around Slovenia. The event kicks off on November 2 and ends on November 30.

 

Here’s what you can expect to experience throughout this truly delicious and exciting month:

 

Ljubljana Breakfast

The Ljubljana Breakfast is happening throughout the first week of November Gourmet Ljubljana. Between November 4 and 10, some of the city’s restaurants and cafés will showcase locally-produced, seasonal dishes for you to taste. You’ll be able to see these dishes as highlighted items on the menus of these selected establishments: Gostilna na Gradu, Hiša pod Gradom, Bistro Ek, Magda, Sputnik, Falafel, Paninoteka, Slovenska hiša, Slovenska hiša Figovec, Moji štruklji, Grand café Ljubljana, Kodila, and Landerik. This is an initiative organised by Green Supply Chains.

 

Locally Grown Food Exchange

The Locally Grown Food Exchange is an initiative to increase the use of locally-sourced produce. It will take the form of a networking event for local producers, caterers, hoteliers, schools, kindergartens, and other businesses. Starting at 10 am on November 14, at the ABC Accelerator in BTC, any interested parties may meet health food suppliers from the Ljubljana region. This is another Green Supply Chains initiative.

 

Warm appetiser dish by Slovenian chef Mojmir Marko Šiftar of Evergreen Restaurant: Raviolo filled with pheasant and roasted chestnuts on a wild mushroom ragout, with beetroot foam, moss gel, burnt leek powder, chive oil, dried cornflowers.

 

Beer & Wine in Ljubljana

There’ll be no shortage of beer and wine events throughout this November Gourmet Ljubljana month. The traditional Ljubljana Wine Route – St Martin’s Day in Ljubljana will take place in the streets around downtown Prešernov trg in the Old Town on November 9. Around 90 winemakers and food producers will offer tastings of more than 450 wines and plenty of St Martin’s delicacies that fall under the Taste Ljubljana label. You’ll also be able to enjoy an arts and entertainment programme during this event.

Then there’s the much-awaited Slovenian Wine Festival, which is in its 22nd edition this year. Taking place on November 14 and 15 at Cankarjev dom, experts and wine producers will be present their knowledge about wines to wine enthusiasts. You will of course be able to taste an endless array of wines from all over Slovenia.

Wine Tasting: Sensory Wine Analysis

For those looking for a more in-depth knowledge of wine, Slovenian sommelier Mira Šemić of the Little Wine School will teach you all you need to know about appreciating wine via sensory analysis (seeing, smelling, tasting). This wine tasting event is happening on November 28.

 

How to Appreciate Beer

Lajbah pub in central Ljubljana, just off the Ljubljanica River, is holding three evenings dedicated to beer appreciation:

November 13: Panel talk

November 20: Dinner consisting of a food and beer pairing

November 27: Dinner paired with both wine and beer

 

Slovenian Beer Fun Fact: Did you know that as of 2018, there were up to 87 breweries in Slovenia producing 93 million litres of beer? With the growing trend of microbreweries, Slovenian craft beers are also attracting attention.

 

Fritters stuffed with creamed beef tongue, anchovies, plum jam, and pickles. By chef Jorg Zupan of Atelje.

 

Culinary Walking Tours

Ljubljana Tourism is organising guided culinary tours every Friday and Saturday during November Gourmet Ljubljana. These tours form part of the tourist board’s regular offer of Ljubljana tours and experiences.

The Taste Ljubljana tour will guide you through the city’s food culture and its historical heritage. Meanwhile, you’ll get to taste Ljubljana’s traditional dishes.

The Ljubljana Beer Experience will offer visitors the opportunity to sample a variety of local beers and learn about the rich history of brewing in Ljubljana.

And for wine lovers? The Ljubljana Wine Experience will confirm Slovenia as one of the world’s top wine destinations. During the wine tour, you’ll get to taste nine wines from Slovenia’s three wine-growing regions (Podravska, Posavska, and Primorska).

Let’s Meet at the Market, the newest Ljubljana Tourism experience, will immerse you into Ljubljana’s vibrant central market. You’ll tour the colourful stalls of local vendors that offer fresh produce and unique goods. At the end of the tour, you’ll be treated to the Ljubljana Breakfast, prepared from ingredients that you learned about during your market tour.

 

Ljubljana Lunches & Themed Dinners

Slovenia’s innovative chefs will be out to impress you with their tasty dishes during a number of lunches and themed dinners:

Ljubljana Sunday Lunch: Happening every Sunday in November at Bistro Švicarija in Tivoli Park. Lunch is being served against a backdrop of classic hits from the golden age of Slovenian pop music.

St Martin’s Dinner with Slovenian Pop Songs on 9 November: Bistro Švicarija will serve a unique, five-course dinner including the famous dish of the season—roast duck. Accompanied by evergreen hits. Dinner will be followed by a party with DJ Udo Brenner.

‘Winner, Winner, Beef Dinner’ on November 2 & 7: Meat lovers can indulge in a seven-course themed dinner at the Rashushka Food Studio. Organised by Meat Business and Karakter Distillery.

‘Cook My Life’ on November 9: 50th jubilee dinner cooked by the 19-year-old chef Tin Hadžić Žorž.

‘A Fine History: Ancient Rome’ on November 23: Introducing ancient cuisine to the modern palate. A dinner cooked by the 19-year-old chef Tin Hadžić Žorž.

The Kočerja (November 21) will unite artisanal baker Polona Klačnik Pola with Chef Kamala. Polona Klačnik Pola is a teacher and lecturer on artisanal bread making and other delicacies made with wild yeast (such as sourdough). Chef Kamala is known for her culinary approach that’s based on plants, spices, and fragrances.

 

This year’s November Gourmet Ljubljana has a funky pop art theme

 

Themed Workshops

‘Healthy Bread-Making Techniques’ on November 15, at the Rashushka Food Studio: Polona Klačnik Pola will demonstrate healthy bread-making techniques that Slovenian grandmothers use.

‘Spice Up Your Life’ on November 30, at the Rashushka Food Studio: Chef Kamala will show participants how to use bold spices from around the world.

Latte Art on November 16: Coffee and tea brewing workshop comprising a discussion and hands-on session on how to brighten your morning coffee.

 

The New Ljubljana Gourmet Guide

The 66th Slovenian Hospitality and Tourism Convention (November 11 to 13), a nation-wide meeting of experts, will also be held in the capital during November Gourmet Ljubljana. The convention will include a variety of events such as live competitions, a walk through the flavours of Slovenia, lectures, and a charity gala dinner featuring top chefs Igor Jagodic, Jure Tomič and Tomaž Kavčič, with a wine selection by Mira Šemić. Convention participants will learn about the Ljubljana Breakfast, as well as the updated, second edition of the Gault & Millau Slovenia culinary guide, which will also be presented.

Another of this year’s highlights is the launch of the special culinary guide dedicated to Ljubljana: the Gault & Millau Ljubljana / Ljubljana Quality. It will take place on November 22 at the November Gourmet Finale at the new City of Design, Dunajska cesta 123 in Ljubljana. In addition to the culinary focus, the special issue will present other interesting highlights, thus helping both locals and visitors in navigating the variety of experiences that Ljubljana has to offer. 

 

The New Taste of Ljubljana and Prize Competition

Ljubljana’s most delicious festival will culminate in the November Gourmet Finale, which will take place at the City of Design, Dunajska cesta 123 (22 November). The evening promises a host of outstanding experiences and creations by Ljubljana’s top chefs, as well as relaxed mingling with both culinary connoisseurs and enthusiasts.

As part of the event, a special jury will choose the New Taste of Ljubljana competition winner. The competition is open to anyone who submits an original recipe using prescribed ingredients and uploads a photo of the dish to the Gourmet Ljubljana website between November 2 and 13. Online voting will be held between November 14 and 20, and a professional jury will shortlist three finalists, who will be announced on November 21. The three finalists will compete for the title of the winner at the November Gourmet Finale.

 

Such tasty mushrooms form the base of the ragout for this ravioli dish by Mojmir Marko Šiftar: ježki (wood hedgehogs), golobice (russulas), štorovke (sheathed woodtufts), and medvedje šape (coral mushrooms)

 

My Gourmet Ljubljana

The My Gourmet Ljubljana prize competition for the best culinary photo will take place on the Gourmet Ljubljana Instagram profile between November 2 and 30. Anyone can participate in the competition by sharing their Ljubljana food photos on their Instagram profile using the #gourmetlj hashtag. The competition committee will choose winners every week and announce them on Thursdays on the same Gourmet Ljubljana Instagram profile.

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Yes! A very extensive programme indeed. But really worth going through it if you want to experience all or as many as you can manage of the food, wine, and beer events happening in Ljubljana as part of the November Gourmet Ljubljana festival 2019. You’ll taste loads of delicious foods and drinks at the events. You’ll get to understand why Ljubljana is considered to be one of the world’s top culinary destinations. And! You’ll also be able to show off your experiences by showcasing your foodie photos and even better, stand the chance of being a competition winner!

Follow this space or Wine Dine Slovenia’s Facebook page for updates. You can even check out the Gourmet Ljubljana webpage for more details and updates.

All photos by Marko Delbello Ocepek, Ljubljana Tourism.

TORTA STOLP by Lolita and Castle Coffee House: A Sponge cake with cinnamon cream, protected Dolenjski sadjevec brandy, and seasonal apples from Ljubljana orchards. The cake is part of the Taste Ljubljana