This creamy potato and bean purée is typically paired with sauerkraut, turnip, pork cracklings, roasted meat, ham, or sausages. Although it appears under various names such as krompirjev mož (potato man), medved (bear), or belokranjski mož (Bela krajina man), the most common is matevž, which is probably derived from the male name Matej.

Once considered a frugal dish, matevž is nowadays appreciated as a traditional delicacy that is mainly associated with the region of Kočevsko and the wider region of Dolénjska.