Idrija žlikrofi, the miners' pasta

What žlikrofi are, shape and filling

They’re small parcels of very thin fresh pasta with a ball of filling inside and a distinctive bicorne-hat shape. The filling is boiled potato, lard, known locally as zaseka, or minced smoked bacon, fried onion, chives, marjoram, pepper and salt. The Tourist Board titles its recipe «Not all žlikrofi are Idrija žlikrofi», and the phrase says it all, the Idrija ones follow a fixed traditional recipe.

How they’re made by hand

The Tourist Board’s quantities make about 150 pieces. The dough is flour, eggs and, if needed, water or milk, kneaded until springy and not sticky; it rests for half an hour and is rolled out as thin as possible. For the filling, the boiled potatoes are mashed while still warm, mixed with your chosen fat, the fried onion, herbs and salt, and shaped into nut-sized balls. These go on the dough, which is cut between them, folded over, pressed down and indented on top to make the bicorne shape. They’re boiled in salted water until they float.

With bákalca, the Idrija way

As a hot main course. The classic sauce is bákalca, which Taste Slovenia says is made from mutton or hare, and they’re also served with butter or goulash. The Tourist Board adds another meat sauce or a little gorgonzola on top. For me it’s worth ordering them with bákalca, because the soft potato filling and the rich meat sauce are what make the dish. Taste Slovenia, for its part, lists them, together with potica, štruklji and Bela krajina flatbread, as dishes of the capital and the centre of the country.

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A full day in Idrija

Žlikrofi taste better once you know the story behind them. The Tourist Board suggests going down into the tunnels of the former mine through Antony’s Shaft, the main visitor entrance, a mine that shaped the town for more than five centuries and was once the second-largest mercury mine in the world, then up to Gewerkenegg Castle, which tells the region’s history. Then, lunch. How žlikrofi fit in with the rest of Slovenian cooking is covered in Slovenian food.

Where to eat žlikrofi

In Idrija, of course, which sits within the UNESCO Global Geopark Idrija. The Tourist Board says žlikrofi have their own Idrija Žlikrofi Festival every August, while bobbin lace has its festival in early summer. The town itself is covered in Idrija. If you’d like lace as a souvenir, see what to buy in Slovenia.

If you are short on time, see the best tours in Idrija and pick one that fits your day.

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