Štruklji

Štruklji is a traditional Slovene dish, composed of dough and various types of filling. The dish comes in the form of rolled dumplings, which can be steamed, boiled, or baked, and can have a wide range of fillings. Štruklji has been traditionally reserved for special occasions, but is now one of the most characteristic everyday dishes in households all across Slovenia.^[1] It is closely related to Zagorski štrukli, a traditional Croatian dish.^[2]

History

The first recorded preparation of štruklji is said to be in 1589, when a chef at a manor in Graz wrote down the recipe for cooked štruklji with tarragon filling. It became a festive dish for the urban middle class in the 17th century, and spread to rural households two centuries later.^[2] It was incorporated into everyday cuisine at the beginning of the 20th century.^[1]

Ingredients and preparation

The most common ingredients of the pastry are flour – most commonly wheat or buckwheat – mixed with egg, oil, warm water, and salt. These are then mixed together and the dough rolled out into a thin layer. The filling can be either sweet or savoury; the most common fillings are apple, walnut, poppy seed, ricotta, or tarragon. The filling is then spread onto the sheet of dough, and the dough then rolled up.^[2]

Alternatively, štruklji can be made by mixing ricotta into the ingredients above and cooking the dough.^[3]

Štruklji can be steamed, boiled in water, fried, or baked. Štruklji is often served with either meat and gravy, or a sauce of breadcrumbs.

References