Corn Žganci
Žganci are a very simple traditional dish in the central and Alpine regions of Slovenia. The only ingredients required are water, salt, cornmeal or buckwheat flour and pork cracklings (they can be substituted with bacon). Žganci can be eaten as an independent dish or served with sauerkraut, sour milk, barley and chicory coffee with milk (bela kava) or with various stews or sauces. They can also be enjoyed at any time of day: usually they are made fresh for breakfast (like my grandma would always make them) or for lunch and the leftovers are often toasted or warmed-up and served for dinner or for breakfast the following day.
The word žganci is derived from the Slovenian verb žgati or to burn or to toast. The word hints at one method of preparation: the flour is toasted until it is completely dry and then water is gradually added while stirring. This is how žganci are prepared in the region of Koroška (Carinthia). However, this is only one type of žganci we know: in addition to Koroška, there also exist Gorenjska (Carniolan), Dolenjska (Lower Carniolan) and Štajerska (Styrian) methods. The most widespread is the Gorenjska recipe, a variation of which I include below.
In the past, žganci would appear on the tables of the poor and the rich alike and were crucial for the survival of a considerable part of the population. This is also implied from the 19th century saying: ‘Žganci are the pedestal of Gorenjska.'
Bogataj, Janez. Taste Slovenia. Ljubljana: Rokus Gifts & National Geographic, 2007.
Recipe
Ingredients:
500 ml of water
300 g of polenta
1 tsp of salt
pork cracklings or chopped bacon (at least 3 tablespoons)
Instructions:
Pour water into the pot, add salt and bring to a boil.
Add polenta. Do not stir, just let the water start boiling again so that polenta forms a lump. With the handle of a spatula, make a hole in the center of the lump to the bottom of the pot.
- Wait for water to start bubbling in the hole, then cover or half-cover and cook for 20 minutes at low heat.
- Set aside. If necessary, pour off the water and save it (although according to experience, the amount will be just right for žganci). Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.
- Finely chop the bacon slices or pork cracklings and fry them in a pan until crispy.
- Tear cooked polenta into bits the size of a tablespoon. These are called žganci. Pour the bacon fat over them.
- Serve the žganci sprinkled with crispy bacon or pork cracklings and milk (milk is optional - this is how my grandma would always have them).