tinue until the burial of Pust.

Shrovetide, Pust in Slovenian, is the time of the year when the old takes leave, and the turn begins: the winter is ending, the spring beginning. It also concludes the past period, and announces the beginning of the new one.

The old people used to say that one should eat one's fill for Shrovetide – he who doesn't will starve all year round. It is the day for pork, and a lot of greasy pastry, buckwheat potica cake, bacon roll, and of course doughnuts and fried pastry typical for Shrovetide time. The times do change, but the old habits remain – including Pust doughnuts. It is something the merchants and sweetshops know how to take advantage off – these days you can buy doughnuts anywhere!

A special place is reserved for the famous Trojane doughnuts, similarly famous as the Bled cream slices, or Idrija 'žlikrofs'. These days the Trojane restaurant is under siege – the number of cooks is increased to 18, taking shifts in frying doughnuts since Fat Thursday, night and day, without interruptions.

They reckon some 100 thousands of doughnuts will be fried, and sold as well during the Shrovetide. They will use two thousand litres of egg yolks and 7 to 8 tons of flour, not to mention the other ingredients. The number of busses and cars filled with customers buying doughnuts which stop at Trojane these days is even bigger than normally, and a lot of doughnuts is sold to schools, firms and other institutions.

The director of Gostinstvo Trojane Bojan Gasior told us that, at least as far as doughnuts are concerned, economic crisis can’t be noticed. It seems the old habits are so ingrained that in spite of unfavourable economic conditions people like to have some fun and eat something sweet. Pust still has "greasy mouth", as in the old times.

Miro Štebe, TV Slovenija;
translated by G. K.

Foto: BoBo, Goran Rovan, Miro Štebe