Review Paper
Buckwheat at Slovenians in Hungary
Marija KOZAR – MUKIČ*
* Marija Kozar – Mukič, Univ. Dipl. in Ethnology and Professor of Slovenian Language with Literature, Emeritus Senior 
Curator of the Museum of Savaria, corresponding member of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts
E-mail address of author: mukic@t-online.hu
DOI https://doi.org/10.3986/fag0041
Received: April 17, 2024; accepted May 4, 2024
Key words: common buckwheat, Tartary buckwheat, growing, dishes, nutritional habits, history, Porabje
ABSTRACT
Two types of buckwheat were grown in Porabje: grey buckwheat (törsko dino) for human consumption and feeding 
honey bees, and the green buckwheat, Tartary buckwheat (»wild buckwheat«) for animal feed. Buckwheat was sown at 
the beginning of July in a rye stubble and harvested at the end of September. History of growing buckwheat, nutritional 
habits and dishes of Slovenians in Porabje and other parts of Hungary are presented
Fagopyrum 41 (2): 49-56 (2024)
49
The majority of Slovenians in Hungary live today – in 
an area of 94 square kilometers in the corner bordering 
Slovenia and Austria – in the town of Monošter/Szent-
gotthárd (with the suburb of Slovenska ves – Rábatótfalu) 
and in the following six villages: Gornji Senik (Felsőszöl-
nök), Dolnji Senik (Alsószölnök), Sakalovci (Szakony-
falu), Števanovci (Apátistvánfalva), Verica-Ritkarovci 
(Kétvölgy) and Andovci (Orfalu). Slovenians and their 
descendants also live in the cities of Sombotel/Szom-
bathely, Mosonmagyaróvár, Győr, Pécs and Budapest, 
and scattered throughout the Prekodonavje region (be-
tween the Danube and the Austrian, Slovenian and Croa-
tian borders). On a demographic count in 2022, closely to 
4000 Slovenian people were recorded in Hungary.
The ancestors of today’s Slovenians appeared be-
tween the rivers Raba and Mura – together with the 
Avars – for the first time in the second half of the 6th 
century. Groups of Hungarians came to the Carpathian 
Basin during several decades between 860 and 896. Most 
of the Lower Pannonian Slavs were assimilated by the 
end of the Arpadovich era (1301). The rest were pushed 
into the area of the western border of defence belt. King 
Béla III of Hungary (1172–1196) founded a Cistercian 
abbey in Monošter in 1183 with the aim of cultivating 
and populating a sparsely populated area in this belt. The 
Cistercians needed manpower to cultivate their posses-
sions. There were already settled, including newly immi-
grated Slovenians, Germans and Hungarians. Slovenians 
formed settlements on the auxiliary buildings of the 
Monošter monastery, which have been preserved at Slo-
venian Porabje to this day. For the inhabitants of Gornji 
and Dolnji Senik and Ritkarovci the landlords were mem-
bers of the Batthyány family in Dobra (now Neuhaus in 
Austria).1
Buckwheat was cultivated in Hungary in some hilly 
areas adjacent to the areas inhabited with Slavic popula-
tion. In the north of Hungary in the county of Nógrád, 
bordering Slovakia. To the west in Železna županija and 
Zala County, which border to Slovenia.2 An archival 
source from the 17th century testifies to the fact that ce-
reals, including buckwheat, were massively grown on the 
estates of the Batthyány family. The crop was harvested 
in Körmend (30 km from today’s Porabje). In 1652, so 
much buckwheat was stored in the warehouses here that 
the grain was even spoiled.3 In the scientific journal of 
geographers, back in 1918 ethnologist Zsigmond Bátky 
complained that less and less buckwheat was grown in 
this part of Hungary. In 1901, buckwheat was harvest-
ed in Železna županija (which includes Porabje) on 8,000 
hectares.4 »Most buckwheat in Železna županija was cul-
tivated by Slovenians, Croats and Germans. Buckwheat 
fields with white flowers and red stems, ploughed to plac-
es (slogi, ogoni), attract the attention of anyone travelling 
from Szombathely in the direction to Graz in the valley 
of Raba.« 5
First data on buckwheat at Slovenians in Hungary can 
be found in the Hungarian scripture of the Slovenian par-
ish priest Jožef Košič (1788–1867) in Gornji Senik from 
the beginning of the 19th century, from which several 
chapters were translated into Slovenian.6 When describ-
ing the diet, Košič mentions that “In winter, they eat a 
very popular buckwheat ... In the hills, they rarely bake 
pure rye bread, but mix oat, corn, buckwheat, barley flour, 
and during the years of distress also flax heads, corn cobs 
and often grape remains after pressing«7. For most peas-
ant work, neighbours helped each other, and also offered 
each other food. Košič recorded that in the hills there 
should be no shortage of buckwheat štruklji (dumplings 
made from the stretched dough of buckwheat flour, filled 
with cottage cheese).8 “They sow more buckwheat if the 
cereal crop sown in autumn does not thrive ... Buckwheat 
grows very well here and bears grain richly. I heard from 
1 Kalász Elek, A szentgotthárdi apátság birtokviszonyai és a ciszterci gazdálkodás a középkorban, Budapest, 1932, str. 10. 
2 Bátky Zsigmond, Kivesző gabonaféléink, Földrajzi Közlemények, 1918, str. 31. 
3 Iványi Béla, Képek Körmend múltjából, Körmendi füzetek 4., Körmend 1943, pp. 82-83. 
4 Bátky Zsigmond, Kivesző gabonaféléink, Földrajzi Közlemények, zv. 46/1, Budapest,1918, p. 32.
5 Bátky Zsigmond, Kivesző gabonaféléink, Földrajzi Közlemények, zv. 46/1, Budapest,1918, p. 33.
6 [Jožef Košič] Csaplovics János, A magyarországi vendus-tótokról, Tudományos gyűjtemény, Pest, 1828, zv. 5., p. 3-50. Some 
chapters have been translated into Slovenian: Marija Bajzek (ur.), O Slovencih na Ogrskem, v: Jožef Košič, Življenje Slovencev 
med Muro in Rabo, Izbor del, Budimpešta, 1992, pp. 17-50. 
7 Marija Bajzek (ur.), O Slovencih na Ogrskem, v: Jožef Košič, Življenje Slovencev med Muro in Rabo, Izbor del, Budimpešta, 1992, 
str. 28.
8 Marija Bajzek (ed.), O Slovencih na Ogrskem, in: Jožef Košič, Življenje Slovencev med Muro in Rabo, Izbor del, Budimpešta, 
1992, p. 29.
50
Kozar – Mukič (2024): Buckwheat at Slovenians in Hungary
a plane-land farmer that 4 kebli9 of seeds produced 180 
kebli of buckwheat grain. However, this rarely happens. 
They sow large areas with buckwheat, because buckwheat 
fields are very attractive for bees, which are highly valued 
by local people. Buckwheat cake (pogača) and žganci are 
favourite food of Slovenians.10 Arable land was also ob-
tained by arsonism (burning bushes). “Rye is first sown 
in the soil prepared in this way, then buckwheat, and next 
spring - oats,” writes Košič.11
Buckwheat was cultivated in Porabje and in the 
Hungarian provinces of Őrség, Göcsej and Hetés until 
the 70s of the 20th century. In Porabje in the villages 
of Ritkarovci, Sakalovci, Štanovci and Gornji and Dolnji 
Senik. During the Second World War, buckwheat groats 
(kaša) was still sold at the market in the county centre 
of the province, Körmend in Hungary and Gornji Pet-
rovci in Prekmurje, Slovenia.12 Cultivation was aban-
doned due to a change in weather conditions, since 
buckwheat is a delicate plant. In the 70s of the 20th 
century, “beautiful, sunny autumn days were replaced 
by humid, foggy days. A lot of damage is also done to 
buckwheat by wild game living in impenetrable forests 
all over the land.«13
Two types of buckwheat were grown in Porabje: grey 
buckwheat (törsko dino) for human consumption and 
flowers for feeding honey bees, and the green buck-
wheat, Tartary buckwheat (»divdjo dino« - »wild buck-
wheat«) for animal feed. Buckwheat was sown at the be-
ginning of July in a rye stubble and harvested at the end 
of September.14 They ploughed the soil only 10-15 cm 
deep, buckwheat seeds were sown by hand. Buckwheat 
grew up to 30-40 cm high. Originally, buckwheat was 
harvested with a sickle, and later already with a scythe. 
Harvested buckwheat was tied up in small bundles, 
which were placed individually on the field. In a good 
weather, the bundles dried up within a week. They were 
threshed with threshing sticks (grain flails), hand or an-
imal driven, or electric driven threshing machines. The 
grain was dried on tarpaulins, after which it was stored 
in wooden boxes or barrels. It was husked into groats 
9 kebel – škaf, mernik, bushel, wooden container of cca. 30 liters, measure of volume for cereals. 
10 Marija Bajzek (ur.), O Slovencih na Ogrskem, in: Jožef Košič, Življenje Slovencev med Muro in Rabo, Izbor del, Budimpešta, 
1992, p. 40.
11 Marija Bajzek (ur.), O Slovencih na Ogrskem, in: Jožef Košič, Življenje Slovencev med Muro in Rabo, Izbor del, Budimpešta, 
1992, p. 40. 
12 Madáchy Károly, Pridelovanje in uporaba ajde pri Slovencih v Železni županiji, in: Etnografija južnih Slovanov na Madžarskem 
2., Budimpešta, 1977, p. 143. in: Csaba József, A hajdina termesztése és felhasználása Vas megyében, in: Savaria, A Vas megyei 
múzeumok értesítője, zv. 7-8., Szombathely 1973-1974, 2012. 
13 Madáchy Károly, Pridelovanje in uporaba ajde pri Slovencih v Železni županiji, in: Etnografija južnih Slovanov na Madžarskem 2., 
Budimpešta, 1977, p. 147.
14 Marija Kozar, Etnološki slovar Slovencev na Madžarskem. = A magyarországi szlovének néprajzi szótára, Monošter – Szombathe-
ly, 1996, p. 14.
Fig. 1. – Seller of buckwheat groats (kaša) in Gornji Petrovci in 1943. 
(Photo: József Csaba, kept by Savaria Museum, Inv. SNF 517)
Slika 1. – Prodajalec ajdove kaše v Gornjih Petrovcih 1943.  
(Foto: József Csaba, hrani Muzej Savaria, inv. št. SNF 517)
Fagopyrum 41 (2): 49-56 (2024)
51
(kaša) in a wooden hand stope (mortar with a pestle) 
or with a wooden hand mill with two wooden disks 
(mlin za dino). Buckwheat grains were ground into flour 
in a mill in Gornji and Dolnji Senik. In 1970, another 
50 hundredweights of buckwheat flour was ground in 
Dolnji Senik.15
Buckwheat groats (kaša) was cooked on milk, served 
with cabbage and beans (rič). They baked it in the furnace 
or stuffed in black pudding sausages. They ate it in the 
evening, For breakfast or lunch. Buckwheat flour was 
used to bake buckwheat cakes (zlevanke), prepared with 
yeast (raji dinski šterc, kaup) or without yeast (žeti dinski 
šterc, kaup). For lunch or dinner, žganci (žgonke, žgounitje) 
were also prepared from buckwheat flour and eaten with 
fresh or sour milk.  Women thought it was easier to give 
birth to a baby than to mix buckwheat žganci (Baukše eno 
dejte roditi, kak žgonke z dine graužati.)16
Nowadays, consumers from Porabje purchase buck-
wheat groats and flour from neighbouring Slovenia. Groats 
can be prepared as a side dish, instead of rice.17 Buckwheat 
flour is used to bake buckwheat zlivanka (žeti dinski šterc), 
which is served warm, to taste also with cracklings on the 
top.18 For dessert, buckwheat cake (dinska torta) is baked.19
The flowering fields of buckwheat with grey seeds 
(törske dine) once served for feeding bees with the nec-
tar in Porabje. Bees were maintained in straw baskets, 
knitted from rye straw and willow viters (basket, koš)20. 
When the fields of green buckwheat (Tartary buckwheat), 
»wild buckwheat« (divdje dine) for animal feed prevailed, 
this type of beekeeping ceased in Porabje, because this 
type of buckwheat does not give nectar for honey-bees. 
However, a stinger has been preserved, saying that »in 
Sakalovci they harvest everything when it is green, only 
buckwheat when it is white. When buckwheat bloomed, 
white dust flew around and they began to ring the bell, 
saying buckwheat was burning. That the field burns. The 
firefighters came to extinguish the fire, but there was no 
fire. Only buckwheat bloomed, and that was smoking«21
Figure 2. – Bundles of buckwheat. Gornji Senik 1966.  
(Photo: János Bárdosi, kept by Savaria Museum, Szombathely,  
Inv. SNF No. 13522)
Slika 2. – Snopi ajde. Gornji Senik 1966. (Foto: János Bárdosi, 
hrani Muzej Savaria, Szombathely, inv. št. SNF 13522)
15 Madáchy Károly, Pridelovanje in uporaba ajde pri Slovencih v Železni županiji, v: Etnografija južnih Slovanov na Madžarskem 2., 
Budimpešta, 1977, p. 144.
16 Madáchy Károly, Pridelovanje in uporaba ajde pri Slovencih v Železni županiji, v: Etnografija južnih Slovanov na Madžarskem 2., 
Budimpešta, 1977, p. 145. 
17 Put a tablespoon of lard in a saucepan, when it is hot, add a cup of washed buckwheat groats (kaša). Fry a little. Pour 2 cups of 
water, salt, then let it boil. Stir a couple of times in between. Add onions and, if necessary, a little more water. Cover and place 
in the oven to simmer until soft. Source: Hilda Čabai, Slovenska kuhinja ob Rabi = Szlovén konyha a Rába mentén, Monošter / 
Szentgotthárd, 2000, p. 53. 
18 In sour milk mix buckwheat flour, lard and salt. The mass should be denser than for pancakes. Grease the baking pan well with fat 
and pour a mass into it, about 1 cm thin, and bake. In: Hilda Čabai, Slovenska kuhinja ob Rabi = Szlovén konyha a Rába mentén, 
Monošter / Szentgotthárd, 2000, p. 84.
19 The yolks from six eggs are mixed with sugar until foamy. Add hard egg white snow and 10 dkg buckwheat flour with half of the 
small bag of baking powder. Bake the cake. Cut it into slices, pouring them with cooked  wine. Serve it hot or cold.  Source: Hilda 
Čabai, Slovenska kuhinja ob Rabi = Szlovén konyha a Rába mentén, Monošter / Szentgotthárd, 2000, p. 102. 
20 Marija Kozar, Etnološki slovar Slovencev na Madžarskem. = A magyarországi szlovének néprajzi szótára. Monošter – Szombathe-
ly, 1996, str. 29. 
21 The narrative tradition of Slovenians in the Rába region: fairy tales and sentences from the sound recordings of Milko Matičetov. 
Edited by: Marija Kozar Mukič, Dušan Mukič, Monika Kropej Telban. Ljubljana, Založba ZRC, ZRC SAZU, 2017. 392 p. (Zbirka 
Slovenski pravljičarji 2.), p. 340. 
52
Kozar – Mukič (2024): Buckwheat at Slovenians in Hungary
REFRENCES
Marija Bajzek (ur.), O Slovencih na Ogrskem, v: Jožef Košič, Življenje Slovencev med Muro in Rabo, Izbor del, Budimpeš-
ta, 1992.
Bátky Zsigmond, Kivesző gabonaféléink, Földrajzi Közlemények, zv. 46/1, Budapest, 1918, 23-35. 
Csaba József, A hajdina termesztése és felhasználása Vas megyében, v: Savaria, A Vas megyei múzeumok értesítője, zv. 
7-8., Szombathely 1973-1974, 207-215.
Hilda Čabai, Slovenska kuhinja ob Rabi = Szlovén konyha a Rába mentén, Monošter / Szentgotthárd, 2000.
Iványi Béla, Képek Körmend múltjából, Körmendi füzetek 4., Körmend, 1943.  
Kalász Elek, A szentgotthárdi apátság birtokviszonyai és a ciszterci gazdálkodás a középkorban, Budapest, 1932.
Marija Kozar, Etnološki slovar Slovencev na Madžarskem. = A magyarországi szlovének néprajzi szótára, Monošter – 
Szombathely, 1996.
Madáchy Károly, Pridelovanje in uporaba ajde pri Slovencih v Železni županiji, v: Etnografija južnih Slovanov na Madžar-
skem 2., Budimpešta, 1977, str. 143-149.
Madáchy Károly, Hajdina a Körmendi járás területén, Rokopis, Arhiv etnološkega oddelka Muzeja Savaria NA-774, Szom-
bathely, b. l.
POVZETEK 
Ajda pri Slovencih na Madžarskem
Marija Kozar - Mukič*
* Marija Kozar – Mukič, dipl. etnologinja in prof. slovenskega jezika s književnostjo, višja kustosinja Muzeja Savaria v pokoju, 
dopisna članica SAZU, mukic@t-online.hu
dnjepanonskih Slovanov se je do konca dobe Arpadovičev 
(1301) asimilirala. Ostali so bili potisnjeni na območje 
zahodnega obmejnega obrambnega pasu. Madžarski kralj 
Béla III. (1172–1196) je leta 1183 v Monoštru ustanovil 
cistercijansko opatijo z namenom, da bi se obdelovalo in 
obljudilo redko naseljeno območje v tem pasu. Cisterci-
janci so za obdelovanje svoje posesti potrebovali delovno 
silo. To so bili že naseljeni in na novo priseljeni Slovenci, 
Nemci in Madžari. Slovenci so na pristavah monoštrskega 
samostana izoblikovali naselja, ki so se v Slovenskem Po-
rabju ohranila do danes. Prebivalcem Gornjega in Dolnje-
ga Senika ter Ritkakovcev so bili zemljiški gospodje člani 
družine Batthyány v Dobri (danes Neuhaus v Avstriji).22
Na Madžarskem so gojili ajdo v nekaterih hribovitih 
predelih, ki so mejili na sosednje s slovanskim prebival-
stvom naseljene pokrajine, države.23 Na severu Madžar-
Večina Slovencev na Madžarskem živi danes – na ob-
močju 94 kvadratnih kilometrov v kotu, ki meji na Slo-
venijo in Avstrijo  – v mestu Monošter/Szentgotthárd (s 
predmestjem Slovenska ves – Rábatótfalu) ter v okoliš-
kih šestih vaseh: Gornji Senik (Felsőszölnök), Dolnji Se-
nik (Alsószölnök), Sakalovci (Szakonyfalu), Števanovci 
(Apátistvánfalva), Verica-Ritkarovci (Kétvölgy) in Andov-
ci (Orfalu). Slovenci in njihovi potomci živijo še v mestih 
Sombotel/Szombathely, Mosonmagyaróvár, Győr, Pécs 
in Budimpešta ter raztreseno po Prekodonavju (med 
Donavo in avstrijsko, slovensko ter hrvaško mejo). Na 
ljudskem štetju leta 2022 so jih popisali blizu 4000. 
Predniki današnjih Slovencev so se med rekama Rabo 
in Muro – skupaj z Avari – pojavili prvič v drugi polovici 
6. stoletja. Skupine Madžarov so prihajale v Karpatski ba-
zen v več desetletjih med letoma 860 in 896. Večina spo-
22 Kalász Elek, A szentgotthárdi apátság birtokviszonyai és a ciszterci gazdálkodás a középkorban, Budapest, 1932, str. 10. 
23 Bátky Zsigmond, Kivesző gabonaféléink, Földrajzi Közlemények, 1918, str. 31. 
Fagopyrum 41 (2): 49-56 (2024)
53
ske v županiji Nógrád, ki meji na Slovaško. Na zahodu v 
Železni županiji in županiji Zala, ki mejita na Slovenijo. 
Arhivski vir iz 17. stoletja priča o tem, da so množično go-
jili žita oz. poljščine, med njimi ajdo, na posestvih druži-
ne Batthyány. Pridelek so zbirali v kraju Körmend (30 km 
od današnjega Porabja). Leta 1652 se je toliko ajde nabra-
lo v tukajšnjih skladiščih, da se je pridelek celo pokvaril.24 
V znanstveni reviji geografov pa se je etnolog Zsigmond 
Bátky že leta 1918 pritoževal, da na tem območju Ogrske 
gojijo vedno manj ajde. Leta 1901 so v Železni županiji 
(kamor spada tudi Porabje) poželi ajdo še na 8000 hek-
tarjih.25 »Največ je ajde v Železni županiji med Slovenci, 
Hrvati in Nemci. Ajdova polja z belimi cvetovi in rdečimi 
stebli na kraje (sloge, ogone) oranih njivah pritegnejo po-
zornost vsakega, ki potuje iz Szombathelya proti Gradcu 
v dolini Rabe.«26
Prve podatke o ajdi pri Slovencih na Madžarskem 
najdemo v madžarskem spisu gornjeseniškega sloven-
skega župnika Jožefa Košiča (1788–1867) z začetka 19. 
stoletja, iz katerega je nekaj poglavij prevedenih v sloven-
ščino.27 Pri opisu prehrane omenja Košič, da »Pozimi se 
hranijo ... z zelo priljubljeno ajdo ... V hribih le redko kje 
pečejo čisto ržen kruh, temveč zmešajo ovseno, koruzno, 
ajdovo, ječmenovo moko, v letih stiske pa tudi lanene 
glavine, koruzne storže, velikokrat pa tudi grozdne tro-
pine.«28 Pri večjem kmečkem delu so si sosedje pomagali, 
ki so jim ponudili tudi hrano. Košič je zabeležil, da v hri-
bih ne sme manjkati hajdinjače (štrukljev iz ajdove moke, 
napravljenih iz vlečenega testa, napolnjenih s skuto)29. 
»Več ajde sejejo takrat, če jeseni posejano žito ne uspeva 
... Ajda tukaj zelo lepo uspeva in bogato rodi. Od ravnin-
skega kmeta sem slišal, da s 4 kebli30 semena pridela 180 
keblov ajde. Vendar se to le redko zgodi. Z ajdo posejejo 
velike površine, ker ajdova polja zelo rade obiskujejo če-
bele, ki pa jih tukajšnji ljudje visoko cenijo. Ajdova pogača 
in žganci so priljubljena hrana Slovencev.«31 Orno zemljo 
so pridobivali tudi s požigalništvom. »V tako pripravljeno 
zemljo najprej posejejo rž, potem ajdo, naslednjo pomlad 
pa oves,« piše Košič.32
Ajdo so v Porabju ter v madžarskih pokrajinah Őrség, 
Göcsej in Hetés gojili do 70. let 20. stoletja. V Porabju 
v vaseh Ritkarovci, Sakalovci, Števanovci ter Gornji in 
Dolnji Senik. Med drugo svetovno vojno so ajdovo kašo 
še prodajali na tržnici v okrajnem središču pokrajine, 
Körmendu na Madžarskem ter v Gornjih Petrovcih v Pre-
kmurju.33 Gojenje so opustili zaradi spremembe vremen-
skih razmer, saj je ajda občutljiva rastlina. V 70. letih 20. 
stoletja so zamenjali »lepe, sončne jesenske dneve vlažni, 
megleni dnevi. Mnogo škode pa napravi v ajdi tudi raz-
pasla divjad v nepreglednih gozdovih širom pokrajine.«34
V Porabju so pridelovali dve vrsti ajde: sivo ajdo (tör-
sko dino) za prehrano ljudi in pašo čebel ter zeleno ajdo 
(divdjo dino) za živinsko krmo. Sejali so jo na začetku julija 
v rženo strnišče, poželi pa konec septembra.35 Zemljo so 
24 Iványi Béla, Képek Körmend múltjából, Körmendi füzetek 4., Körmend 1943, str. 82-83. 
25 Bátky Zsigmond, Kivesző gabonaféléink, Földrajzi Közlemények, zv. 46/1, Budapest,1918, str. 32.
26 Bátky Zsigmond, Kivesző gabonaféléink, Földrajzi Közlemények, zv. 46/1, Budapest,1918, str. 33.
27 [Jožef Košič] Csaplovics János, A magyarországi vendus-tótokról, Tudományos gyűjtemény, Pest, 1828, zv. 5., str. 3-50. Nekaj 
poglavij je prevedenih v slovenščino: Marija Bajzek (ur.), O Slovencih na Ogrskem, v: Jožef Košič, Življenje Slovencev med Muro 
in Rabo, Izbor del, Budimpešta, 1992, str. 17-50. 
28 Marija Bajzek (ur.), O Slovencih na Ogrskem, v: Jožef Košič, Življenje Slovencev med Muro in Rabo, Izbor del, Budimpešta, 1992, 
str. 28.
29 Marija Bajzek (ur.), O Slovencih na Ogrskem, v: Jožef Košič, Življenje Slovencev med Muro in Rab,. Izbor del, Budimpešta, 1992, 
str. 29.
30 kebel – škaf, mernik, lesena posoda prb. 30 litrov, prostorninska mera za žitarice
31 Marija Bajzek (ur.), O Slovencih na Ogrskem, v: Jožef Košič, Življenje Slovencev med Muro in Rabo, Izbor del, Budimpešta, 1992, 
str. 40.
32 Marija Bajzek (ur.), O Slovencih na Ogrskem, v: Jožef Košič, Življenje Slovencev med Muro in Rabo, Izbor del, Budimpešta, 1992, 
str. 40. 
33 Madáchy Károly, Pridelovanje in uporaba ajde pri Slovencih v Železni županiji, v: Etnografija južnih Slovanov na Madžarskem 
2., Budimpešta, 1977, str. 143. in Csaba József, A hajdina termesztése és felhasználása Vas megyében, v: Savaria, A Vas megyei 
múzeumok értesítője, zv. 7-8., Szombathely 1973-1974, 2012. 
34 Madáchy Károly, Pridelovanje in uporaba ajde pri Slovencih v Železni županiji, v: Etnografija južnih Slovanov na Madžarskem 2., 
Budimpešta, 1977, str. 147.
35 Marija Kozar, Etnološki slovar Slovencev na Madžarskem. = A magyarországi szlovének néprajzi szótára, Monošter – Szombathe-
ly, 1996, str. 14.
54
Kozar – Mukič (2024): Buckwheat at Slovenians in Hungary
preorali le 10-15 cm globoko, ajdovo  seme so sejali na 
roko. Zrasla je do 30-40 cm visoko. Prvotno so tudi ajdo 
želi s srpom, pozneje že s koso. Požeto ajdo so zvezali v 
manjše snope, ki so jih postavljali posamično. V lepem 
vremenu so se snopi v tednu dni posušili. Mlatili so jih s 
cepmi, gepljem ali mlatilnico. Zrnje so sušili na ponjavah, 
potem pa ga pospravili v lesene zaboje ali sode. V kašo so 
ga ophali v leseni ročni stopi (možar s tokačom) ali lesenem 
ročnem mlinu z dvema lesenima kolutoma (mlin za dino). 
V moko so ajdovo zrnje mleli v mlinu na Gornjem in Dol-
njem Seniku. Leta 1970 so na Dolnjem Seniku zmleli še 
50 stotov ajdove moke.36
Ajdovo kašo so kuhali na mleku, z zeljem in fižolom 
(rič). Pekli so jo v peči in nadevali v krvavice. Jedli so jo 
zvečer. Za zajtrk ali kosilo so iz ajdove moke spekli ajdove 
zlivanke s kvasom (raji dinski šterc, kaup) ali brez (žeti din-
ski šterc, kaup). Za kosilo ali večerjo so pripravili iz ajdove 
moke tudi žgance (žgonke, žgounitje), jedli so jih s sladkim 
ali kislim mlekom. Ženske so bile mnenja, da je lažje ot-
roka roditi, kot pa ajdove žgance mešati (Baukše eno dejte 
roditi, kak žgonke z dine graužati.)37
Porabci ajdovo kašo in moko danes nabavljajo v sose-
dnji Sloveniji. Kaša se lahko pripravi kot priloga, namesto 
riža.38 Iz ajdove moke se peče ajdova zlivanka (žeti dinski 
šterc), ki se servira toplo, po okusu tudi z ocvirki.39 Za 
sladico pa se peče ajdova torta (dinska torta).40
Cvetoča polja sive ajde (törske dine) so nekoč tudi v Po-
rabju služila za pašo čebel. Čebele so gojili v slamnatih ko-
ših, pletenih iz ržene slame in vrbovih viter (koš).41 Ko so 
prevladala polja zelene ajde (divdje dine) za živinsko krmo, 
so v Porabju prenehali s tovrstnim čebelarstvom, ker ta vr-
sta ajde ne medi. Ohranila pa se je zbadljivka, ki pravi, da »v 
Sakalovcih pospravljajo vse, ko je zeleno, le ajdo, ko je bela. 
Ko je cvetela ajda, je letel naokoli bel prah in so začeli zvoni-
ti, češ da ajda gori. Da njiva gori. Gasilci so prišli gasit, a ni 
bilo nobenega ognja. Ajda je cvetela in tisto se je kadilo.«42
36 Madáchy Károly, Pridelovanje in uporaba ajde pri Slovencih v Železni županiji, v: Etnografija južnih Slovanov na Madžarskem 2., 
Budimpešta, 1977, str. 144.
37 Madáchy Károly, Pridelovanje in uporaba ajde pri Slovencih v Železni županiji, v: Etnografija južnih Slovanov na Madžarskem 2., 
Budimpešta, 1977, str. 145. 
38 V kozico damo žlico masti, ko je vroča, dodamo skodelico oprane ajdove kaše. Malo prepražimo. Prelijemo z 2 skodelicama vode, 
solimo, potem naj vre. Vmes nekajkrat premešamo. Dodamo čebulo in po potrebi še malo vode. Pokrijemo in postavimo v pečico, 
da se duši do mehkega. Vir: Hilda Čabai, Slovenska kuhinja ob Rabi = Szlovén konyha a Rába mentén, Monošter / Szentgotthárd, 
2000, str. 53. 
39 V kislo mleko zamešamo ajdovo moko, mast in sol. Masa mora biti gostejša kot za palačinke. Pekač dobro namažemo z mastjo 
in vlijemo vanj maso, približno 1 cm tanko, ter spečemo. Vir: Hilda Čabai, Slovenska kuhinja ob Rabi = Szlovén konyha a Rába 
mentén, Monošter / Szentgotthárd, 2000, str. 84. 
40 Rumenjake iz šestih jajc umešamo s sladkorjem do penastega. Dodamo trd sneg iz beljakov in 10 dkg ajdove moke s pol pecilnega 
praška. Spečemo torto. Narežemo jo na rezine, ki jih prelijemo s kuhanim vinom. Ponujamo jo toplo ali hladno. Vir: Hilda Čabai, 
Slovenska kuhinja ob Rabi = Szlovén konyha a Rába mentén, Monošter / Szentgotthárd, 2000, str. 102. 
41 Marija Kozar, Etnološki slovar Slovencev na Madžarskem. = A magyarországi szlovének néprajzi szótára. Monošter – Szombathe-
ly, 1996, str. 29. 
42 Pripovedno izročilo Slovencev v Porabju: pravljice in povedke z zvočnih posnetkov Milka Matičetovega. Uredili: Marija Kozar 
Mukič, Dušan Mukič, Monika Kropej Telban. Ljubljana, Založba ZRC, ZRC SAZU, 2017. 392 p. (Zbirka Slovenski pravljičarji 2.), 
str. 340.
VIRI IN LITERATURA
Marija Bajzek (ur.), O Slovencih na Ogrskem, v: Jožef Košič, Življenje Slovencev med Muro in Rabo, Izbor del, Budimpe-
šta, 1992.
Bátky Zsigmond, Kivesző gabonaféléink, Földrajzi Közlemények, zv. 46/1, Budapest, 1918, 23-35. 
Csaba József, A hajdina termesztése és felhasználása Vas megyében, v: Savaria, A Vas megyei múzeumok értesítője, zv. 
7-8., Szombathely 1973-1974, 207-215.
Hilda Čabai, Slovenska kuhinja ob Rabi = Szlovén konyha a Rába mentén, Monošter / Szentgotthárd, 2000.
Iványi Béla, Képek Körmend múltjából, Körmendi füzetek 4., Körmend, 1943.  
Fagopyrum 41 (2): 49-56 (2024)
55
Kalász Elek, A szentgotthárdi apátság birtokviszonyai és a ciszterci gazdálkodás a középkorban, Budapest, 1932.
Marija Kozar, Etnološki slovar Slovencev na Madžarskem. = A magyarországi szlovének néprajzi szótára, Monošter – 
Szombathely, 1996.
Madáchy Károly, Pridelovanje in uporaba ajde pri Slovencih v Železni županiji, v: Etnografija južnih Slovanov na Madžar-
skem 2., Budimpešta, 1977, str. 143-149.
Madáchy Károly, Hajdina a Körmendi járás területén, Rokopis, Arhiv etnološkega oddelka Muzeja Savaria NA-774, Szom-
bathely, b. l.
56
Kozar – Mukič (2024): Buckwheat at Slovenians in Hungary