Žganci is a dish in Slovenian and Croatian cuisine, also called ''pura'' on the Croatian coast. It is a traditional "poor man's food" of hard-working farmhands similar to

polenta Polenta (, ) is an Italian cuisine, Italian dish of boiled cornmeal that was historically made from other grains. It may be allowed to cool and solidify into a loaf that can be baked, fried or Grilling, grilled. The variety of cereal used is ...

, although prepared with finer grains.

Preparation

The dish is made from

buckwheat Buckwheat (''Fagopyrum esculentum'') or common buckwheat is a flowering plant in the knotweed family Polygonaceae cultivated for its grain-like seeds and as a cover crop. Buckwheat originated around the 6th millennium BCE in the region of what ...

flour in Slovenia () and cornmeal in Croatia (),

cooking oil Cooking oil (also known as edible oil) is a plant or animal liquid fat used in frying, baking, and other types of cooking. Oil allows higher cooking temperatures than water, making cooking faster and more flavorful, while likewise distributing h ...

and

salt In common usage, salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl). When used in food, especially in granulated form, it is more formally called table salt. In the form of a natural crystalline mineral, salt is also known as r ...

, which is cooked for fifteen minutes on a low boil. Softer ''žganci'' is called

Styria Styria ( ; ; ; ) is an Austrian Federal states of Austria, state in the southeast of the country. With an area of approximately , Styria is Austria's second largest state, after Lower Austria. It is bordered to the south by Slovenia, and cloc ...

n style in Slovenia. ''Žganci'' can be served with milk (''žganci z mlekom/žganci s mlijekom''), honey, lard and

cracklings Cracklings (American English), crackling (British English), also known as scratchings, are the solid material that remains after Rendering (animal products), rendering animal fat and skin to produce lard, tallow, or schmaltz, or as the result of ro ...

, or runny yogurt. A savory version is served with meat as part of a main dish.

Žganci in Slovenia

''Žganci'' was a typical everyday meal of the central and Alpine parts of Slovenia. Its popularity and common use is implied in the following witticism from the 19th century: "''Žganci'' are the pedestal of

Carniola Carniola ( ; ; ; ) is a historical region that comprised parts of present-day Slovenia. Although as a whole it does not exist anymore, Slovenes living within the former borders of the region still tend to identify with its traditional parts Upp ...

." This attitude implies its crucial meaning for the survival of the population. Freshly boiled ''žganci'' could be served as breakfast or lunch, or warmed-up or toasted for dinner or breakfast the following day.

Belsazar Hacquet Belsazar de la Motte Hacquet (also Balthasar or Balthazar Hacquet) ( – 10 January 1815) was a Carniolan physician of French people, French descent in the Enlightenment Era. He was a war surgeon, a surgeon in the mining town of Idrija, and a prof ...

(1739–1815) mentions that ''žganci'' was served with

sauerkraut Sauerkraut (; , ) is finely cut raw cabbage that has been fermented by various lactic acid bacteria. It has a long shelf life and a distinctive sour flavor, both of which result from the lactic acid formed when the bacteria ferment the sugar ...

Upper Carniola Upper Carniola ( ; ; ) is a traditional region of Slovenia, the northern mountainous part of the larger Carniola region. The largest town in the region is Kranj, and other urban centers include Kamnik, Jesenice, Jesenice, Jesenice, Domžale and ...

.Taste Slovenia. Bogataj Janez, 2007. Rokus Gifts. The oldest preparation method explains the word ''žganci''. The word ''žganci'' is derived from the Slovenian verb ''žgati'' 'to burn, to toast'.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Zganci Slovenian cuisine Croatian cuisine Wheat dishes

Preparation

Žganci in Slovenia

See also

References

External links