This year's Idrija Žlikrofi Festival, organized for the first time by the ID20 Institute, was a big success. Many visitors from Slovenia and abroad tasted the new and original sauces offered by certified producers of Idrija Žlikrofi, a traditional miners' dish from Idrija. The Park Mejca in Idrija proved to be an excellent venue for the largest culinary event in the Idrija-Cerkljansko region and one of the most acclaimed gastronomy festivals in Slovenia.
More than a Ton of Idrija Žlikrofi Prepared
Five different producers of the Idrija Žlikrofi prepared many original sauces that complemented the delicious taste of this traditional Idrija dish. Thanks to the informants at the venue, there was no long waiting times for the food. All producers cooked together an astonishing ton of Idrija Žlikrofi!
Idrija Žlikrofi ranks among the most ecological festivals in Slovenia due to the informants who guide visitors in waste separation. This year, return glasses were introduced in association with the Idrija Students' Club.
One of the trademarks of the Idrija Žlikrofi Festival is also a competition in cooking the best stew, called "bakalca", from the game meat. 8 hunting families from the Idrija region have entered a contest which is organized together with the Association of the Hunting Families Idrija. Their task was to convince the expert commission, the Idrija Mayor Tomaž Vencelj and chefs Črt Butul and Miha Robnik. This year, the title of the best "Jagerchef" was awarded to the Krekovše Hunting Family.
Many visitors of the festival enjoyed a rich offer of local drinks. This year, the offer was exceptionally varied, as visitors could taste local kraft beers, delicious wines, cocktails, quality coffee and, of course, a rich selection of soft drinks—something for everyone. As the festival holds the certificate Idrija Selected (Idrija Izbrano), the evaluation commission, consisting of the ethnologist Janez Bogataj, chef Franc Jezeršek, culinary expert Tanja Lešnik Štuhec and architect Cveto Koder, reviewed the festival. They were very pleased with the appearance and implementation of the festival, which means that the festival will continue to be a proud holder of the certificate Idrija Selected.
Not Only Žlikrofi, but Also Žinkrofi and Žlinkrofi
As part of the festival, we focus on the presentation of the "cousins" of the Idrija Žlikrofi – similar dishes from Slovenia and surrounding countries. This time we invited Ribnica žinkrofi and Savinja žlinkrofi.
This year, a rich accompanying program was provided by the "Ne joči pevec" street ensemble, which warmed up the festival's visitors. Many visitors stayed until the evening hours when famous Slovenian songwriter Drago Mislej - Mef joined with an accompanying ensemble.
The Idrija žlikrofi holiday would not be possible without the support of the Idrija Municipality, cooperation with the Local council of the town Idrija and joint work with the Idrija Tourist Board. We hope and believe that we will only strengthen this cooperation in the future. We would also like to thank to the long-term partners Spar Slovenia and the new partners NLB - Nova Ljubljanska banka and Elektro Primorska d.d. Thanks also to the Idrija Youth Center, Municipal Museum of Idrija and Association of the Hunting Families Idrija.
