A round conical container with a central opening for circulating warm air.
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Sweet
A round conical container with a central opening for circulating warm air.
I come from a family where good food is deeply cherished. We constantly talk about it, exchange recipes and experiences, proudly share our successes when a dish turns out exceptionally well, and never shy away from admitting when it doesn’t. While it used to be the women who did all the cooking, over time, the younger men in our family have also embraced this tradition, adding their own touch to our culinary heritage.
The pastries, which were baked in large quantities during the holidays, were always the domain of my grandmother Marta Štangelj (b. 1914, d. 2000), my mother Mira Zatezalo (b. 1936), and my mother-in-law Majda Koren (b. 1934). On major holidays, all three of them would also bake the queen of all desserts, potica. Though subtle, there was always a bit of competition between them. My grandmother and mother-in-law baked theirs in a large baking pan with three flat dough rolls or in smaller pans, each holding just one. My mother’s potica, however, was always the best—and the most beautiful—because she made it in a round potica mold.
Much later, I learned that potica was a traveling cake. Mothers prepared them for the boys going off to the army and for the girls going to work. To fit better into the jerbas (basket), the flat potica was given a round shape. My mother bought the round "potičnik" in 1974 at a stand on Grajski trg in Maribor. She immediately received comments from my grandmother, saying that the shape is not right (it really differs little from the traditional Slovenian potica, in which the protected Slovenian potica is baked), that the walls are too high and too thick. But since then, my mother has only baked potica in it.
Baking her potica involved meticulous preparation of the right ingredients, precise measurements, and suitable containers. She relied on a grinder and a mortar, ensured the kitchen was warm, and always washed her tablecloths without detergent to prevent any unwanted odors from lingering on the dough. Once the dough had risen, she covered it with a tablecloth and rolled it out on the same surface. Using chopsticks, she carefully pierced the risen raw potica to release any trapped air bubbles that could expand during baking and spoil the appearance of the finished slices. Even toward the end of the baking process, she continued to pierce the potica, using the scent of the dough clinging to the stick to gauge when it was perfectly baked. Above all, baking potica demanded her undivided attention and a considerable investment of time.
About ten years ago, under my mother's watchful eye and filled with trepidation, I set out on my first attempt at baking potica. The process was grueling, and the results were disappointing. I tried again, but something always seemed off with the potica. Then, in 2018, I participated in a program for the "Kitchen Debate" exhibition organized by the Maribor Regional Museum. At our very first meeting, retired confectionery teacher Ms. Darinka Gostenčnik guided us through the potica baking process. Combining my mother's teachings with Darinka's practical tips and insights, my baking journey finally found success.
My potica is sweet, as it should be, but I’m gradually introducing less sugary versions into our family cuisine. I want everyone to experience the full range of flavors, not just the sweetness. To ensure that it retains its traditional beauty, my mother gifted me her potica mold last year.
Tastes appear in color systems as bipolar concepts, divided into opposites such as bitter-sweet, sour-salty and umami-kokumi. We associate sweet taste with the color orange, cyan blue with salty taste, green with sour, and magenta red with bitter. Shades of green are usually associated with growth, while yellow, orange and bright red indicate activity. On the other hand, dark red, magenta and purple symbolize slowing down, while passivity is expressed by various shades of blue.
dr. hc Vojko Pogačar, academic painter
First, we chose musical instruments that illustrate different tastes: for the "salty" guitar (Astrid Kukovič), for the "bitter" piano (Sašo Vollmaier), for the "sour" harmonica (Dominik Cvitanič), for the "hot" violin (Andreja Klinc) and for the "sweet" flute (Asja Grauf).
Melodies were created spontaneously. The improvisations of the "bitter" melodies were low and legato, the "salty" were determined and articulate, the "sour" were high and dissonant, and the "sweet" were unison, slow and soft.
Asja Grauf, professor of flute
I experience salty as a mixture of all tastes. It awakens a pleasant, relaxed, unusual feeling in me. I associate this taste with long, emphasized and controlled body movements. Bitter is a taste that awakens confusion in me, because with each bite my body decides whether to approve of this taste or not. I associate with it fluid movement with various emphasized and accelerated movements. I can enjoy sweet for several hours a day. My body relaxes when I enjoy sweets for a long time, which cause a pleasant feeling of joy. I associate with sweet slow and easy movements. Sour usually ends quickly. Each bite causes a short shock in my body, and then disappears completely. I associate with sour taste abrupt, fast and uncontrolled movements. Hot is a taste that usually lasts a very long time. It awakens an unpleasant feeling in me that is hard to shake. These are long, strong movements and individual shorter, more intense ones that show evasion and discomfort.
Pina Batič, dancer
An important task of modern museums is to connect the past with the present, to introduce innovative approaches for the education of new generations and to contribute to cultural and social development.
Read the personal stories of the individuals who contributed their items to the Museum of Taste.
At the same time, we invite you to join this project yourself and participate with your contributions.
© Maribor Regional Museum