Discover tasty delicacies of the Štajerska region
Spice up your salad or the vanilla ice cream with pumpkin seed oil and do not forget about wine from the destination, where the renowned oldest vine in the world grows.
The nobleness of the pumpkin seed oil depends mostly on the quality of the pumpkin seeds. The tradition of producing the pumpkin seed oil from the Štajerska and Prekmurje regions and a certificate of quality guarantees authenticity and a true gourmet experience. The pumpkin seed oil from the Štajerska and Prekmurje region is recognised by the quality symbol Protected Geographical Indication.
The start of the process of turning pumpkin seeds into pumpkin seed oil goes back to the year 1750, when the first written recipe was produced of a pumpkin seed press and an oil plant in the Štajerska region. In the following years the production of pumpkin seed oil spread all over the region and the Prekmurje.
How is honey produced? The forager bees gather nectar and honeydew and store it in the honey sac. In the beehive they hand it over to the hive bees. Nectar is usually found in the flowers of plants. Honeydew is excreted by insects (lice, scales, citrus flatid planthopper), which feed on the plant juices.
The bees store the small drops of half-mature honey in the combs cells, where it thickens in a few days. Then the bees cover it with wax capping and store it as food supply. The beekeeper extracts the wax capping with special honey extractors.
Slovenian honey and its tradition and methods is a European specialty, and the controlled quality is guaranteed by traceability and familiar origin. You can recognise it by the Protected Geographical Indication and protected origin indication.
Blueberry liqueur or borovničevec is an alcoholic beverage of high alcohol content, which is widely spread in this region due to its simple preparation. It is a sweet fruity liqueur, made from an old recipe from forest blueberries. The črničevec, as it was also called, due to its dark blue, almost black colour, used to be stored in every house to serve to the travellers.
The winemakers of the Štajerska region produce the best wines, which belong at the top of the world elite, since many have been awarded at international competitions, such as Decanter in London, AWC Vienna, Concours Mondial de Bruxelles etc.
The widespread international varieties in the Štajerska Slovenia wine-growing region:
- white wine varieties: Pinot blanc, Chardonnay, Rhine Riesling, Sauvignon, Pinot gris, Gewürztraminer, Yellow Muscat, Kerner, Muscat Ottonel, Sylvaner, Olaszrizling,
- red wine varieties: Blaufränkisch, Pinot noir, Zweigelt.
Domesticated and traditional varieties:
Šipon – considering how widespread it is, this variety is the second variety of the Podravje region. It is autochthonous and traditional. The legend claims its name was formed from the French expression “si-bon”, which means “so good” and supposedly the crusaders spoke of it when they crossed this region on their way to Jerusalem. The variety is not internationally recognised, yet the wine has the identity, depicted through minerality. Similar to the Rhine Riesling the Šipon can offer daily accompaniment and a high predicate.
Ranina – apparently this variety is a cross between Pinot blanc and Sylvaner. The full body is from the Pinot and the Sylvaner contributes to the elegance in aroma. This variety is supposedly autochthonous. It is a rather early variety, thus the name. This variety is also suitable for predicate wines.
Žametovka – the Lent district in Maribor is home to a more than 400-year-old Žametovka, which still bears grapes every year. It is included in the Guinness Book of Records.
Ranfol – home in the Štajerska region and once very widespread variety. Today it is mostly used in blends, and only 500 litres are registered in Slovenia.
The Maribor micro-breweries explore the new tastes in their boutique wines and maintain the development of the culture of drinking beer in the city. Maribor currently has 5 present and active craft breweries, i.e. Lobik Brewery, Pivovarna B&B, LiLa MiSa's Ipa Mike's-Brewery, Pivovarna Maribor and Pivovarna Zupanič.
Our Finest is the brand/certificate of quality for handicraft and food products as well as produce created by providers in the Maribor, Drava valley including the Dravsko polje plains, Pohorje, Kozjak, and Slovenske gorice regions.
