My grandmother was from Idrija. In our family, žlikrofi were never a guidebook curiosity: they were the special-occasion dish, the one you shape together around the kitchen table — and the one I still make regularly, twenty years after she taught me the knack. So here is Idrija's signature dish told from the inside: its mining-town history, the recipe as it was handed down to me, and where to try it in 2026.
Small thin-dough dumplings filled with potato and pinched into the shape of a little hat, žlikrofi became in 2010 the first Slovenian dish protected by the European Union, under the Traditional Speciality Guaranteed (TSG) label. In the pantheon of Slovenian food, they hold a special place: a poor man's dish that became a national emblem without ever ceasing to be family food.
The essentials at a glance
- What: thin-dough dumplings filled with potato, onion, zaseka (minced lard) and marjoram, pinched into hats about 3 cm across, with a small dimple on top.
- Where from: Idrija, the UNESCO-listed mercury-mining town an hour's drive west of Ljubljana. The recipe has been documented since the mid-19th century.
- Label: Traditional Speciality Guaranteed (TSG) since 2010 — the first Slovenian dish registered by the EU.
- Classic pairing: bakalca, a lamb or mutton stew with vegetables — or simply melted butter and ocvirki (cracklings).
- Price: expect €8-12 a plate in the region's gostilnas.
- The festival: the Praznik idrijskih žlikrofov, every summer in late August in Mejca Park. I went to the 22 August 2026 edition (my verdict below); next edition in summer 2027.
A dish born of miners' wives
For five centuries Idrija lived off the world's second-largest mercury mine, now a UNESCO World Heritage site. Žlikrofi were born in the kitchens of this working town in the mid-19th century: an economical dish that miners' wives made with what they had — flour, potatoes, a little lard. Even the name is thought to come from the German Schlickkrapfen, a trace of the mine's Austrian administration.
Then there is the shape, that little three-pointed hat. Some say it mimics Napoleon's bicorne, which passed through here with the Illyrian Provinces. My family preferred another version: a local cook supposedly gave žlikrofi the shape of the hats worn by Italian gendarmes between the wars, so they could be devoured with relish. Neither legend can be verified — which is exactly why they keep being told while the dough is folded.
2010: the first EU-protected Slovenian dish
Since 2010, “Idrijski žlikrofi” has been a Traditional Speciality Guaranteed (TSG) — the first Slovenian dish to gain European protection. Unlike a PGI, the TSG label protects a recipe rather than a place: žlikrofi may be made outside Idrija, provided the specification is respected — the thin dough, the potato filling seasoned with onion, zaseka and marjoram, the hat shape with its characteristic dimple. Restaurants and producers who comply receive a certificate, and the town keeps the official list at idrijski-zlikrofi.si.
My grandmother's recipe
The proportions below are the classic ones — and, give or take, the ones I was taught. For about 80 žlikrofi, serving 4 as a main course:
The ingredients
- The dough: 300 g flour, 1-2 eggs, a splash of water (or milk) — just enough for a soft, elastic dough. Let it rest under a warm bowl.
- The filling: 500 g boiled and mashed potatoes, 50 g zaseka (minced pork lard — very finely chopped smoked bacon works outside Slovenia), 50 g softened onion, chives, marjoram, salt, pepper.
The technique
- 1. Mix the filling while warm and roll it into hazelnut-sized balls.
- 2. Roll the dough very thin (2 mm — you should almost see the filling through it), in strips.
- 3. Line up the balls, fold the dough over, and seal between each ball, pressing the air out.
- 4. Pinch both ends to form the hat's “ears”, then press a dimple into the top with your finger. The dimple is what makes it a žlikrof.
- 5. Drop them into simmering salted water: they are done 2-3 minutes after floating to the surface.
- 6. Serve with bakalca, or more simply with melted butter, ocvirki or roast juices.
My tips after years of practice: make the filling the day before — it rolls much better cold; don't over-flour the worktop, the dough needs to stay tacky to seal; and double the quantities — raw žlikrofi freeze beautifully on a tray and cook from frozen. Shaping takes time with two hands: in our house, the whole table folds.
Where to eat žlikrofi in 2026
I have worked my way through the region's addresses over twenty years. The safe bet is the certified houses, which follow the TSG specification — the official 2026 list matches my own habits:
- Gostilna Kos (Tomšičeva 4, Idrija) — the town-centre institution, which also claims “grandmother's original recipe”. Quick and reliable.
- Gostišče Barbara (Idrija) — the more polished address in the centre, run by the Žigon family, long-time regulars of the žlikrofi festival.
- Kendov dvorec (Spodnja Idrija) — the valley's Relais & Châteaux manor, where žlikrofi get the fine-dining treatment. Our full review is on the Kendov dvorec page.
- Restavracija Jožef (Vojkova 9a, Idrija) — the restaurant of the boutique Hotel Jožef, listed in the Michelin Guide, is my recommendation for a full meal: the three-course “Tradicionalno idrijsko kosilo” menu (smukavc, the local cabbage soup, žlikrofi with bakalca, tarragon štruklji) keeps the budget at €27, while the four-course “Okusi Idrije” menu (€41) pairs žlikrofi with rabbit fillet. À la carte: žlikrofi with bakalca at €11.50 as a starter, €18 as a main (2026 menu).
- From the artisans: Žlikrofi Irma in Vojsko (up in the hills — ideal after a walk; order ahead off season), Vaški žlikrofi Tončič in Spodnja Idrija, and Domači žlikrofi Teja in Žiri, who also makes colourful and vegan versions.
- From the supermarket: every Slovenian chain sells perfectly decent frozen žlikrofi — a good way to take the trip home with you.
I was there: the 2026 Žlikrofi Festival, my verdict
Every summer Idrija celebrates its dish at the Praznik idrijskih žlikrofov. The 2026 edition took place on Saturday 22 August in Mejca Park, and I cycled in: up through the fog to the Oblakov vrh pass (721 m), down the Kanomlja valley between freshly mown meadows, into town around 10:30 with the appetite to match.
It was the 16th edition, the tenth run by the ID20 institute, Idrija's former youth centre, which has turned a neighbourhood fair into a regional food festival. The set-up is simple: twenty-odd vendors under the park's trees, more than 35 žlikrofi dishes, wooden tables, a stage, and žlikrofi in every possible form. The certified houses share the lawn with local associations, such as the Društvo rejcev drobnice Idrija-Cerkno, the valley's sheep and goat breeders' association, which had its stall under the trees. My first tray was the classic, žlikrofi with bakalca, before working through the variations.
Kendov dvorec had a stall. For me that was the best deal of the day: a taste of the Relais & Châteaux manor's fine-dining version for the price of a single portion, with no need to book a table in Spodnja Idrija. If you are on the fence about dinner there, the festival is the place to make up your mind.
My verdict: a little pricey once you add up the portions, but that is precisely the point, tasting a lot of variations in a single afternoon, in a great atmosphere (folk band, families, shared tables under the trees). Worth the trip. One disappointment: too few dessert stalls. Fair enough, it is a žlikrofi festival, but sweet žlikrofi next year would be worth a try.
Video: Visit Idrija. The full programme and the list of certified houses are on the official Žlikrofi Festival website. And 20 seconds of atmosphere I filmed in front of the stage:
Next edition: summer 2027, normally a Saturday in the second half of August. The date is published in spring on the official site; I will update it here.
Make a day of it in Idrija
Idrija deserves more than a lunch stop: tour the Anthony's Shaft mercury mine, see the bobbin lace (the town's other pride, with its own festival and school), Gewerkenegg Castle and, just outside town, the mysterious Wild Lake (Divje jezero). Idrija is an hour from Ljubljana and combines naturally with the road to the Soča Valley — the pass above Tolmin is a beautiful drive. For more ideas on eating your way around the country, see our guide to where to eat in Slovenia.
Frequently asked questions
What are žlikrofi?
Žlikrofi (pronounced “zhlee-kro-fee”) are Slovenian dumplings from Idrija: thin dough filled with potato, onion, zaseka (lard) and marjoram, shaped into little hats about 3 cm across with a dimple on top. They have held the EU's Traditional Speciality Guaranteed label since 2010 — a first for a Slovenian dish.
What are žlikrofi served with?
The traditional partner is bakalca, a lamb or mutton stew simmered with vegetables. More simply, they come with melted butter and ocvirki (cracklings), alongside goulash, or with roast juices. Fine-dining restaurants also serve creative versions, from game to truffle.
Are žlikrofi vegetarian?
The classic filling contains zaseka, a pork fat. But many cooks replace it with butter, and some certified makers — such as Teja in Žiri — offer vegetarian and vegan versions. If you eat vegetarian, ask for “brez zaseke” (without lard) and choose melted butter over bakalca.
Can you try žlikrofi outside Idrija?
Yes — the TSG label protects the recipe, not the place: plenty of gostilnas in Ljubljana and beyond serve them, and Slovenian supermarkets sell very decent frozen ones. In Ljubljana, the easiest option is Odprta kuhna, the Friday street-food market (March-October), where a žlikrofi stall is a regular fixture. But the pilgrimage to Idrija is worth it, for the certified houses and for the UNESCO town around them.
When is the Žlikrofi Festival?
Every summer, on a Saturday in the second half of August, in Mejca Park, Idrija. The 2026 edition was held on 22 August: more than 35 dishes from twenty-odd vendors, including Kendov dvorec, concerts, workshops and the bakalca contest. The 2027 date will be published in spring on the official site idrijski-zlikrofi.si.
Field notes from the Žlikrofi Festival on 22 August 2026 (photos and concert clip: Patrick Faust; video recap: Visit Idrija). Certified addresses checked on 9 August 2026 against the official site idrijski-zlikrofi.si. This article started life in 2012; if you spot an address that has changed, let me know!
Patrick Faust
French expat in Slovenia since 2004. Founder of e-Slovénie, a Slovenia travel guide. Learn more →