Forget the souvenir shops and their €5 fridge magnets. The best souvenirs from Slovenia are waiting at the supermarket, for a fraction of the price. The Mercator, Spar and Tuš chains stock a selection of local products you won't find anywhere else. Here are the ones I systematically pack whenever I travel abroad.
1. Pumpkin seed oil (bučno olje)
This is THE quintessential Slovenian product. This dark green, almost black oil has an intense, unmistakable nutty flavour. Slovenians put it on everything: salads, soups, ice cream, fresh cheese. It is cold-pressed from Styrian pumpkin seeds (the same variety grown in neighbouring Austria). At the supermarket: €6-10 for 250 ml. Whatever you do, never heat it — it is meant to be enjoyed raw.
2. Slovenian honey
Slovenia is a nation of beekeepers. The Carniolan honey bee (Apis mellifera carnica) is native to the country, and Slovenian beekeeping tradition is inscribed on the UNESCO list. At the supermarket, look for fir honey (dark, with a woody taste) or acacia blossom honey (pale and delicate). 450 g jars cost €8-14. For a special gift, track down medica — Slovenian mead, sweet and fragrant (€5-8 a bottle).
3. Gorenjka chocolate
The national chocolate brand, made in Ljubljana since 1922. The milk chocolate is decent, but the real gem is the “Bučke” bar — dark chocolate filled with caramelised pumpkin seeds. Found nowhere else, addictive, and only €2-3 a bar. Buy several; you won't regret it.
4. Ajvar
This condiment made from roasted red peppers and aubergine is a Balkan heritage that Slovenians have made their own. It gets spread on bread, used as a sauce for grilled meat, added to sandwiches. The “domači” (homemade-style) version is the best. A 300 g jar: €3-5. In autumn, Slovenian families prepare their own ajvar — the smell of roasting peppers drifts through residential neighbourhoods.
5. Roasted pumpkin seeds
Salted, roasted, crunchy — bučnice are nibbled like peanuts, only in a nobler version. Rich in magnesium and zinc, they are everywhere: in bars alongside a beer, as a hiking snack, as a salad topping. A 200 g bag: €2-3. The version with Istrian sea salt is particularly good.
6. Union and Laško beer
The two big Slovenian beers: Union (brewed in Ljubljana since 1864) and Laško (since 1825). The rivalry is real — ask a Slovenian which one is better and watch them light up. Union is drier, Laško smoother. Both are honest lagers at €1.20-1.80 per half-litre. Craft beer fans should look out for the Pelicon (Ajdovščina) and Bevog (Maribor) breweries.
7. Piran salt
Harvested by hand in the Sečovlje salt pans for 700 years, Piran salt and its fleur de sel are exceptional products. At the supermarket, a 250 g bag costs €3-5, versus €15-20 in the tourist boutiques of Piran. The fleur de sel (solni cvet) is delicate, crunchy, slightly briny. An excellent culinary gift.
8. Mountain herbal teas
Slovenians are devoted herbal tea drinkers. In the tea aisle you will find blends of alpine herbs rarely seen abroad: yarrow, St John's wort, mountain plantain, wild chamomile. The Agrokorn brand offers excellent organic blends for €2-4 a box. “Planinski čaj” (mountain tea) is a classic of high-altitude mountain huts — now available in a take-home version.
9. Tolminc cheese
This PDO hard cheese has been made in the Soča Valley since the 13th century. Aged 2 to 6 months, it has a pronounced nutty taste with a hint of sharpness. At the supermarket cheese counter: €15-20/kg — a third of what tourist cheese shops charge. Ask for a taste at the counter (Slovenians are always up for a tasting). Perfect with a glass of Teran.
Patrick Faust
French expat in Slovenia since 2004. Founder of e-Slovénie, a Slovenia travel guide. Learn more →