Authentic Slovenian Plum Dumplings (Slivovi Cmoki) with Potato Dough
Most fairy tales begin with “once upon a time”.
Once upon a time, there was a country in the Balkans called Yugoslavia. While the south of the country smelled of charcoal and juicy grilled meat, the Slovenian hills and valleys in the north smelled of potatoes in all their glorious forms. This contrast between Balkan meat-fueled hedonism and the modest, resourceful Slovenian attachment to the land was always a running joke. Southerners lovingly nicknamed Slovenians “potato eaters”, a title that might carry a bit of historical exaggeration. Yet, it is true that Slovenia’s hilly terrain lacked the conditions for mass livestock farming found in the Pannonian basin or the sprawling southern pastures. Consequently, the potato truly became the undisputed king of the everyday table.
We also cannot ignore that most of the south spent centuries under Ottoman rule. The Ottomans were famous for their spectacular cuisine, heavily influenced by Persian culinary traditions. Who hasn’t heard of kebabs—known as ražnjići in the south—or ćevapčići and pljeskavica?
Slovenia, on the other hand, spent centuries under Habsburg rule, meaning we naturally embraced the specialties of Viennese cuisine. Most notably, during the Great Famine of the late 18th century, Empress Maria Theresa issued historic decrees to enforce the mass cultivation of potatoes.
Potatoes originally arrived in Europe from South America in the 16th century, though they were initially treated merely as ornamental plants. Potato dough as we know it emerged from Central European and Austro-Hungarian traditions, evolving rapidly throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. Once potatoes became a staple, local chefs began experimenting by blending mashed potatoes into wheat flour. They discovered that potatoes yielded a dough of exceptional softness, suppleness, and comfort, all while stretching the supply of more expensive flour. Thus, in the kitchens of the old monarchy, the Austrians (and Czechs) created dumplings, while the Italians perfected gnocchi. Positioned right below Austria and next to Italy, Slovenian cuisine beautifully integrated both worlds: pillow-soft savory gnocchi and sweet, comforting fruit dumplings.
While there are many fruit-filled varieties, the ultimate Slovenian specialty is slivovi cmoki—plum dumplings. So, let’s make a batch today.
We need potatoes, flour (in a 3-to-1 ratio), an egg, butter, and a pinch of salt. For the filling: fresh plums, sugar, and cinnamon (if desired).
Boil the potatoes in their skins, peel them, and mash them while they are still hot. Add the butter, egg, salt, and flour to the cooled potatoes, and quickly knead into a soft dough. Roll out the dough, cut it into squares, place a pitted plum on each, and form a ball. Cook the dumplings in boiling salted water for about 10 to 15 minutes until they float to the surface. You can roll the cooked dumplings in breadcrumbs previously fried in butter, or sprinkle them with sugar.
If you want to save time in the future, you can freeze the dumplings. However, always freeze them raw (uncooked) as soon as they are formed. If you freeze them after they are cooked, they will become soggy when reheated.
Sprinkle a board or tray with a little flour or line it with baking paper. Place the prepared raw dumplings on the tray so that they do not touch each other. Place the tray in the freezer for 2 to 3 hours until the dumplings harden completely. Transfer the frozen dumplings to a freezer bag or plastic container. Since they are already hard, they will not stick together.
When cooking frozen dumplings, place them straight from the freezer into boiling, salted water. Never thaw them on the counter, as this will cause the dough to dissolve. Since they are frozen, they will take a little longer to cook. Once they float to the surface, reduce the heat and cook for another 12 to 15 minutes (depending on the size of the plums) to ensure the fruit in the center is completely warmed through and softened.
And last but not least, let your imagination run free.