Ómós Digest #176: Slovenia’s gastronomic progression

Lessons Ireland can learn. Written by Hugo McCafferty.

With snowcapped Alpine peaks, crystal clear lakes and an ancient viticulture that predates the Romans going back to Celtic times, Slovenia is a country that, on the face of it, looks and feels very different to Ireland. But despite the differences, the small Alpine nation and its people have a lot in common with the Irish - they are both from small countries with a history of oppression and colonisation, and the Slovenes are open-minded, friendly and curious, much like the Irish. With respect to their thriving restaurant and food culture, the two countries have both similarities and significant differences.

You could say that the story of Slovenian gastronomy mirrors that of Ireland (albeit they have achieved a lot more in a shorter period of time). Over a hundred years ago, when the Gaelic revival gave voice to the Irish in literature, theatre, art and other areas of culture, food was somehow overlooked. The idea of an Irish cuisine or a gastronomic identity is only something that we have really come to in recent decades.

When I first visited Slovenia some 25 years ago, it was not long after the separation from Yugoslavia, and the country felt very fresh and open. There was an optimism in the face of new possibilities and the new republic was coming out, blinking into the light of Western capitalism, towards the EU and a new era of development and growth. Yet for all the country's warm and friendly people, its rich history and spectacular scenery, the touristic experience distinctly lacked a gastronomic element. The food at that time was poor. Not that there is anything wrong with ‘poor’ food or ‘peasant cuisine’, but it was without a specific identity, food for working in the fields and nothing more. Communism had prioritised a calorific intake of simple ingredients and discouraged the so-called bourgeois culinary arts.

Fast forward to today, and the Slovenian tourist board leads with gastronomy as a main attraction. That’s a stunning turnaround; to develop a food and restaurant scene sophisticated and interesting enough to be proud of in less than 20 years. It doesn’t happen overnight and it doesn’t happen by accident, but rather as the consequence of all stakeholders working in unison, from the ground up: the producers working with nature, the government paying up to attract the likes of the Michelin Guide, and the chefs toiling in the kitchens. Ireland can definitely learn from Slovenia’s ‘joint-up thinking’ in its approach to fostering and nurturing a food culture to the country and its people.