September 10th, 2022 – Odprta kuhna / Open kitchen in Slovenj Gradec
I first went to the event with my family, and then once again around 3 pm with my classmates and friends.
As in past years, the small sea of stands managed to create an almost festive ambience in the city. You could smell the food from miles away and dishes from A to Z could be found, so there was something for everybody – Indian, Chinese, Egyptian, Spanish, … And if you enjoy tasting new and unknown food, you were better off for it. But trying everything that the myriad stands had to offer would have been quite expensive, so some cuts had to be made. The high prices, small portions and long queues did leave a slightly bitter aftertaste, but the tasty food made up for those shortcomings.
Just the fact that you could witness the preparation of the dishes made an impression on the visitors. That, after all, is the main draw of Odprta kuhna. When speaking about a culinary event such as this one, it is important to mention food’s almost magical power of bringing people together. This aspect has been developing over millennia of human history. Food is not only necessary for our survival but also crucial in bringing people together – The way to a man’s heart does go through the stomach, after all. Many famous chefs subconsciously reaffirm this statement. Food helps us start conversations and introduces us to unknown flavours in equal measure.
Discovering new things makes life fun, so we must remain curious. We spent the day discovering culinary wonders and enjoying each other’s company. Sometimes it is just nice if somebody else cooks for us and we get to simply eat something delicious without putting in any work.
Written by: Gaja Šurc
Translation: Tilen Kralj
Photos: Ika Ogris, Sara Krajnc
