Zlevanka

The story

Zlevanka is the cornmeal cake of northern Croatia, baked in Međimurje, Hrvatsko Zagorje, Podravina and the country around Zagreb and Samobor, and across the border in Slovenia's Prekmurje and Prlekija. The name comes from the Kajkavian verb zliti, to pour out, because the thick batter is poured straight into a greased pan, and local names include zlijevka, zlevka, slijevka, kukuruznjača and bazlamača. The base is cornmeal stirred with milk, eggs and a little sugar, often with fresh cheese, and cooks drop spoonfuls of cream over the top before it goes into the oven. For a long time it counted as food for the poor, made from what a farm had on hand. In Samobor it was an afternoon snack or a simple supper and was carried out to field workers and grape pickers; in that area it was baked in a ceramic dish called a medenica. Families vary it with what the season gives: grated apples, poppy seeds, nettles or zucchini, and savory versions exist alongside the sweet one. Zagreb bakeries such as Dinara still sell it, though Love Zagreb's writer finds it best homemade. Serve it warm with plum jam and a glass of milk for breakfast or an afternoon break.