Žganci facts for kids
Žganci (say it: ZHGUN-tsee) is a traditional and hearty dish popular in Slovenia and Croatia. It's also known as Sterz in Austria and pura along the Croatian coast. For a long time, Žganci was known as a "poor man's food." It was a simple, filling meal for hard-working farmhands. It's a bit like polenta, but it's made with finer grains.
Cooking Up Žganci
So, how do you make this traditional dish? Žganci is usually made from buckwheat flour. Sometimes, people use maize (corn), wheat, or even a mix of potato and wheat flour.
Here's how it's generally cooked:
- You mix the flour with water, a little cooking oil, and salt.
- This mixture is then cooked for about fifteen minutes over low heat. It needs to boil gently.
- After cooking, the mixture forms a lump. This lump is then broken up or crumbled onto a plate.
There are different ways to enjoy Žganci! A softer version is called "Styrian style" in Slovenia. You can serve Žganci with milk (called žganci z mlekom), or with honey. Some people like it with lard and crispy cracklings. It can also be served with runny yogurt. If you prefer a savory meal, Žganci can be a side dish with meat.
Žganci: A Slovenian Staple
Žganci was once a very common everyday meal, especially in the central and Alpine parts of Slovenia. Its importance was so great that people even had a saying about it in the 1800s: "Žganci are the pedestal of Carniola." This means Žganci was a super important food that helped people survive and thrive!
People would eat freshly cooked Žganci for breakfast or lunch. If there were leftovers, they could be warmed up or toasted for dinner or breakfast the next day. A scientist and traveler named Belsazar Hacquet (who lived from 1739 to 1815) wrote that in a region called Upper Carniola, Žganci was often served with sauerkraut (fermented cabbage).
What Does 'Žganci' Mean?
The name žganci actually tells us something about how it was made a long time ago! The word žganci comes from the Slovenian verb žgati. This verb means 'to burn' or 'to toast'. This suggests that in the past, the dish might have been cooked in a way that involved some toasting or browning.
