The ingredients are simple and locally available; however, they also reflect the geographical location of Idrija, which lies at the juncture of alpine, Mediterranean, and Pannonian areas. A simple pasta dough is thus filled with tasty and heavily larded potatoes.

In Idrija, žlikrofi have been prepared for at least 150 years, but the exact origin of the special shape is not known. While Idrija žlikrofi always contain the same ingredients, the sauce defines and elevates a new flavour. Žlikrofi are traditionally served with “bakalca” (a sauce made from mutton), though, today the choice of sauce is limited only by imagination.