Seasonal Food in Ljubljana: What Locals Eat by Month

What is in season in Ljubljana. and what to order when the market changes.

Spring

Wild asparagus (sparglji): Wild and cultivated asparagus appear on Ljubljana market stalls from late March through May. Pri Skofu and Gostilna As both run an asparagus risotto special.
Ramsons (cesnjak): Slovenian wild garlic forages from the surrounding forests in April. The pesto, soup and struklji filling all show up briefly at TaBar and Druga Violina.
Pohorska postrv (Pohorje trout): Mountain trout spawns from northern Slovenia start hitting Adriatic-fish counters at Plecnik colonnade as alternatives to the Karst Adriatic catch.
Easter ham (sunka) and potica: Easter potica with walnut, poppy seed or tarragon filling fills the market stalls in Holy Week. Klobasarna and Slovenska hisa run Easter potica menus.

Karst figs: Slovenian Istria figs ripen late August. Slovenska hisa and TaBar use them in cheese plates with goat's-milk crottin from Karst farms.
Adriatic fish (cuttlefish, sea bream, sardines): Slovenia's Adriatic coast supplies the Plecnik colonnade fish market through the season. Ribca's daily catch board is the simplest test of what's running.
Carniola summer berries: Wild strawberries from Pohorje and the surrounding Alpine pastures top late June and July market stalls, often paired with potica or rolled into struklji.
Vipava wines new release: Slovenia's Vipava Valley releases its zelen, klarnica and rebula whites through summer. Dvorni Bar and Tozd both feature them by the glass.

Pumpkin and pumpkin seed oil (bucno olje): Slovenian pumpkin seed oil from Stajerska is a protected designation. Autumn brings the freshly pressed bottles to market and onto Sokol and Druga Violina menus.
Chestnuts (kostanj): Roasted chestnut stalls appear on Preserenov trg from late September. The whole city stops to buy paper cones at 16:00 once the lights start fading.
Game (jelenovina, divji prasic): Venison and wild boar from Karst forests come on at Sestica, Vodnikov Hram and Spajza menus from October through Christmas.
Martinovo (St Martin's Day): November 11 is when must turns to wine. Park Zvezda hosts the Ljubljana Wine Route stalls, every gostilna runs a roast-goose-with-mlinci menu.

Potica: Christmas and New Year potica with walnut, poppy or chocolate filling. EU Traditional Speciality Guaranteed since 2001. Pekarna Osem and Lectar both run pre-order season menus.
Kranjska klobasa: The Carniolan sausage anchors the winter table. Klobasarna serves it year-round but every gostilna's kranjska-klobasa-with-sour-cabbage plate is at its best in January.
Bograc and bujta repa: Pannonian stews from Prekmurje, four-meat bograc and turnip-and-pork bujta repa, fill Slovenska hisa Figovec and Vodnikov Hram menus through January and February.
Karst pršut and aged cheese: January is the prime month for Karst pršut, having aged through the previous autumn's bora wind. Wine bars Suklje and Dvorni Bar both feature it on platters.