Mislinja Valley, as part of the Koroška (Carinthia) landscape, is a land of hills, mountains and valleys. Here live people of melancholic souls, as well as soft and joyful hearts. Life in these parts has always been difficult, so the menu of Carinthian food is more modest. Our grandmothers put their love and joy into the preparation of food. They knew how to prepare a true culinary experience with dishes such as "mavžlji" and "mežerli". Potato (called “repica”) and buckwheat are a typical part of Koroška (Carinthian) menu, along with porridge and mush (called “močnik”). The old kitchens were full of the smell of beech wood, bread from the wood oven and smoky meat delicacies (called "zelh").

Mealy food was on the menu almost every day. Vegetable was prepared in various soups and as a side dish for lunch. Meat was on the menu especially at important holidays, such as Christmas, New Year, Carnival, Easter, Pentecost; when people had to work hard (husking, harvesting, mowing, ...) or for personal holidays (at baptism, confirmation, marriage, burial feasts, ...). The usual drink was cider.

The preparation of food was also influenced by the lifestyle and social status. Peasant families had worse diet than families of craftsmen. Business owners, wealthier farmers, priests, teachers, and state officials consumed the best food. Beef soup was rarely on the table in the workers' families; however, this was not the case in the families of innkeepers and merchants.

Lifestyle changes and rapid technological development radically changed dietary habits in the modern era; lack of time resulted in the fact that some old recipes have sunken into oblivion.

Some traditional dishes and drinks are available for tourists and visitors to enjoy at the pubs and restaurants and at the tourist farms in the area of the Mislinja Valley.

(Adapted from a research paper titles “Culinary Map of Mislinja Valley”, which was written in 2006 by the students of School Centre Slovenj Gradec, Professional Catering and Woodworking Secondary School under the supervision of mentor Bernarda Klančnik)