Obara
Encyclopedia
Obara is a Slovene
national dish. It is a stew
served as an independent meal, which is cooked from various kinds of meat
and intestines. It used to be served at various ceremonies, and it is a part of the traditional Slovenian cuisine
. Specially good are obaras served together with ajdovi žganci
. Today obaras contain more vegetables.
One type of obara (stew) is dormouse
stew from Inner Carniola in Slovenia. Report was made by Paolo Santonino, Cancellar of the Patriarch
of Aquileia
in his travel diary (1485-1487). He reports of a lunch stop in an Inner Carniola
household, where the farmer's wife quickly prepared a roast dormouse for hungry archbishop. Roast dormice were also used for soup
s, risotto
s and goulash
es. Dormouse hunting was not appreciated only for meat, but it also supplied the hunters with large amounts of dormouse fur
. Dormouse lard was also useful for medicinal purposes. It was used for healing bruised or broken extremities, upset stomach and rheumatism
.
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
national dish. It is a stew
Stew
A stew is a combination of solid food ingredients that have been cooked in liquid and served in the resultant gravy. Ingredients in a stew can include any combination of vegetables , meat, especially tougher meats suitable for slow-cooking, such as beef. Poultry, sausages, and seafood are also used...
served as an independent meal, which is cooked from various kinds of meat
Meat
Meat is animal flesh that is used as food. Most often, this means the skeletal muscle and associated fat and other tissues, but it may also describe other edible tissues such as organs and offal...
and intestines. It used to be served at various ceremonies, and it is a part of the traditional Slovenian cuisine
Slovenian cuisine
There is no such thing as a single, uniform, distinct Slovenian cuisine. In the opinion of some experts, there are more than 40 distinct cuisines in a country, whose main distinguishing feature is a great variety and diversity of land formation, climate, wind movements, humidity, terrain and...
. Specially good are obaras served together with ajdovi žganci
Ajdovi žganci
Ajdovi žganci is a sort of žganci. It is a national Slovene dish. Balthasar Hacquet mentions that žganci was served with sauerkraut in Upper Carniola. The oldest preparation method explains the word žganci. The word žganci is derived from the Slovenian verb žgati 'to burn, to toast'...
. Today obaras contain more vegetables.
One type of obara (stew) is dormouse
Dormouse
Dormice are rodents of the family Gliridae. Dormice are mostly found in Europe, although some live in Africa and Asia. They are particularly known for their long periods of hibernation...
stew from Inner Carniola in Slovenia. Report was made by Paolo Santonino, Cancellar of the Patriarch
Patriarch
Originally a patriarch was a man who exercised autocratic authority as a pater familias over an extended family. The system of such rule of families by senior males is called patriarchy. This is a Greek word, a compound of πατριά , "lineage, descent", esp...
of Aquileia
Aquileia
Aquileia is an ancient Roman city in what is now Italy, at the head of the Adriatic at the edge of the lagoons, about 10 km from the sea, on the river Natiso , the course of which has changed somewhat since Roman times...
in his travel diary (1485-1487). He reports of a lunch stop in an Inner Carniola
Carniola
Carniola was a historical region that comprised parts of what is now Slovenia. As part of Austria-Hungary, the region was a crown land officially known as the Duchy of Carniola until 1918. In 1849, the region was subdivided into Upper Carniola, Lower Carniola, and Inner Carniola...
household, where the farmer's wife quickly prepared a roast dormouse for hungry archbishop. Roast dormice were also used for soup
Soup
Soup is a generally warm food that is made by combining ingredients such as meat and vegetables with stock, juice, water, or another liquid. Hot soups are additionally characterized by boiling solid ingredients in liquids in a pot until the flavors are extracted, forming a broth.Traditionally,...
s, risotto
Risotto
Risotto is a class of Italian dishes of rice cooked in broth to a creamy consistency. The broth may be meat-, fish-, or vegetable-based; many kinds include Parmesan cheese, butter, and onion...
s and goulash
Goulash
Goulash is a soup or stew of meat, noodles and vegetables , seasoned with paprika and other spices. Originating in Hungary, goulash is also a popular meal in Austria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Romania, Scandinavia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and the north-eastern Italian region of Friuli Venezia...
es. Dormouse hunting was not appreciated only for meat, but it also supplied the hunters with large amounts of dormouse fur
Fur
Fur is a synonym for hair, used more in reference to non-human animals, usually mammals; particularly those with extensives body hair coverage. The term is sometimes used to refer to the body hair of an animal as a complete coat, also known as the "pelage". Fur is also used to refer to animal...
. Dormouse lard was also useful for medicinal purposes. It was used for healing bruised or broken extremities, upset stomach and rheumatism
Rheumatism
Rheumatism or rheumatic disorder is a non-specific term for medical problems affecting the joints and connective tissue. The study of, and therapeutic interventions in, such disorders is called rheumatology.-Terminology:...
.