HOMEmade COOKING

Cuisine and gastronomy play an increasingly vital role in tourism, cultural heritage, and rural development. This is also proven by the fact that Slovenia held the honorable title of European Gastronomic Region in 2021.

With the project in the Upper Gorenjska region, we strive to maintain and spread the skills of preparing traditional local cuisine. At the cooking workshops, which we conduct live and online, we not only prepare specific dishes but also eternalize their heritage and learn about the preparation process from farm to fork. We pay particular interest in methods used by our grandmothers and grandfathers. Our activities connect stakeholders at different levels: local museums, restaurants, schools, associations, and individuals, e.g., local housewives and homemakers who are willing to share their food preparation secrets and cooking skills.

Ultimately, we aim to strengthen the ties between the locals. We want to preserve and document the knowledge and experience that our participants acquire at the workshops. Hence, we publish an e-booklet of recipes and shoot a few videos yearly. The videos are posted on our Facebook profile and YouTube channel.

In 2023, two publications were released as part of the project “KUHAM DOMAče.” The new cookbook titled “KUHAM DOMAče: A Culinary Stroll through Upper Gorenjska” was published with the support of the municipalities of Kranjska Gora, Radovljica, Bled, and Gorje. This book takes you on a journey through a selection of traditional dishes from Upper Gorenjska. Inside, you’ll find recipes for rateški krapi, štruklji, žganci in various forms, spoon dishes with homemade bread, and other sweet and savory dishes for different occasions.

We also released a booklet in collaboration with the Municipality of Jesenice. This year’s booklet, “Delavska malca,” is the third, revised edition featuring recipes of dishes that were common on workers’ tables and in factory canteens during the development of the steel industry in Jesenice. As the town developed, residents from other parts of Slovenia and the former Yugoslavia settled in, bringing their culinary habits and traditions. The booklet contains a colorful array of the culinary heritage of the Jesenice area.

The recipes in both publications were entrusted to us by the chefs of Upper Gorenjska, who, with their knowledge and enthusiasm, pass on their expertise to younger generations. This effort revives, preserves, and nurtures the culinary heritage of Upper Gorenjska, which is the aim of the KUHAM DOMAče project.

The project in 2023 is funded by the municipalities of Kranjska Gora, Jesenice, Radovljica, Bled, and Gorje.

In the project, we successfully cooperate with the Jesenice Upper Sava Museum.