Slovenia's European Heritage Days in Ivan Tavčar Škofja Loka public library (Slovenia)

Rare and precious knowledge, skills, and professions was the theme of this year’s Slovenia’s European Heritage Days.

From September 23rd to October 7th, 2023, over 450 events such as exhibitions, workshops and guided tours showed the nation’s diverse and rich national cultural heritage.

In order to present two rare skills we prepared two workshops in Ivan Tavčar Škofja Loka public library.

At the bookbinding workshop led by the master Nadja Maruša Hren, we first learned about various binding techniques and admired her original products, binded with natural materials such as bark, leather and textiles.

Then we bound the book ourselves. We used the Japanese binding, a type of book binding where you can see the thread connecting the pages and covers. Then we bound a notebook, the binding of which is simpler. We used different tools such as a hole punch, hammer, waxed thread and sewing needle, glue. At the end we decorated each book and notebook with various decorations.

At the Dražgoše bread workshop, children learned all about that special kind of sweet bread. We reprezented them the village Dražgoše in the past and the local women who used to bake the bread in purpose to earn some extra money for living.

Childrean artfully shaped the honey dough in the way it is known in the Dražgoše area. Then they spread their immagination wings with the second product and made their own bread. At the workshop, they also received a recipe with baking instructions, so they will be able to bake this beautiful and delicious honey bread again.

I encourage you to make your own Dražgoše bread:

DRAŽGOŠE HONEY BREAD

INGREDIENTS

500 g uniform bread flour

250 g honey

25 ml water

½ tablespoon of baking soda

cinnamon

ground carnation cloves

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat up honey and water in the pen to be warm. In large bowl, mix flour and baking soda with spices. Add warm honey and knead dough until it is thick and firm. Leave it to rest for a few hours. Divide dough in several segments, roll them out and begin shapping. Use cookie cutters to mould the basic shapes. Ornaments are placed separately one by one onto the selected shape. Use various utensils to make ornaments such as knife, fork, toothpicks. Moisten the dough with wet brush to stick ornaments onto the base. Bake cookies in the oven at 160⁰ C for 20 to 25 minutes. For a shiny finish glaze cookies with honey (⅓) diluted with water (⅔) while stil warm.

Text by Saša Ambrožič