Mlinci

Mlinci are thin sheets of dried flatbread, made from a dough of flour, water and salt, that are cooked in boiling water or soup before serving. They are a characteristic dish of Croatian cuisine and are also found in Slovenia and Serbia, where they form part of traditional tables.

History

Mlinci are a humble preparation born from making use of bread dough rolled into a thin sheet. Their exact origin and date of appearance are not documented in the sources consulted, so any specific chronology should be treated with caution.

Homemade versions are made by kneading flour, salt and water, sometimes with egg or fat. The dough is rolled to about one millimetre thick and 20 to 30 centimetres wide, baked in an oven or on a hot plate, and once dry broken into pieces of about five centimetres. They are rehydrated with hot water or soup just before serving, which makes them quick and simple to prepare.

Over time the custom spread across several Balkan regions, and today they are also made commercially.

Culture

In Croatia the dish most associated with mlinci is turkey with mlinci, a folk-cuisine speciality particularly from Zagorje and Slavonia. In Slovenia, duck or goose with mlinci is traditionally eaten on St. Martin's Day. In the Serbian province of Vojvodina they are usually served with a pork or chicken fillet in smetana sauce.

They also accompany roast meats: after the meat is removed, the broken pieces are placed in the drippings in the tray and baked briefly, then served alongside the main roast. The accompaniment varies according to each family's preferences, with more or less meat or fat and different sauces.