Traditional Cuisine

Bulgarian cuisine is exceptionally diverse and delicious. Present in it are multiple salads, dough articles, stew dishes, as well as specific dishes, which you can taste only in specific regions of the country. Many of the dishes are prepared according to old recipes, transferred from generation to generation, for many centuries.

The most typical products, by which Bulgaria is famous in the entire world, are yogurt and the white brined cheese. Under various forms they are always present on the table of Bulgarians.

One of the most famous and preferred breakfasts in the country is banitsa. It is a dish made of dough, which can have various fillings – of cheese, spinach, rise, meat, etc.

Other popular breakfasts are pancakes, buhtas (fritters), mekitsas (fried dough pieces), fried slices of bread, etc. All of them are very delicious, when they are served with jam, marmalade, honey or Bulgarian yogurt.

People in the country grow vegetables with exceptional taste qualities. That is why salads occupy a basic place in our culinary tradition. The most popular Bulgarian salad is Shopska Salad, but there are also others which are worth tasting – Shepherd’s Salad, Harvest Salad, Snezhanka, Monk’s Salad, Dobrudzha Salad, Roasted Peppers Salad and many others.

One of the most popular appetizers is Tarator (Cucumber Soup). It is a cold soup, prepared of yogurt, cucumbers, dill, crushed walnuts and spices.

Soups and broths are also popular in the country – you can taste beans soups with an amazing taste in the region of the village of Smilyan in the Rhodope Mountain. There are interesting recipes for fish soup in the regions of the Black Sea and the Danube River.

Some of the most popular among the basic dishes are those prepared on barbeque – meat balls, kebapches, grilled meat pieces, grilled sausages, etc. Various stews and dishes in clay pots are prepared in Bulgaria (hotchpotch and casseroles – Chomlek, Kavarma, Kapama (in the Bansko region), etc.

Another favorite Bulgarian dish is stuffed cabbage/vine leaves – small or large ones. They are balls made of filling wrapped in vine or cabbage leaves. They are very popular in the Thracian region.

One of the trademarks of the Bulgarian cuisine is Cheverme – an entire lamb, roasted on a spit. This dish is typical for the Rhodope region, but it is prepared all over the country.

Potatoes are a product which is present in many Bulgarian recipes. The most popular potato dishes are Ogreten, Patatnik (in the Rhodope region), potato stew, fried potatoes, etc.

In Bulgaria you can taste various meat cold cuts and delicacies. Flat sausage is the most famous one. It is prepared all over the country, but it has the greatest traditions in the town of Gorna Oryahovitsa. Another popular delicacy is the Banski Starets (Bansko Old Man) – as the name shows, it is prepared in the mountain town of Bansko. In the region of the town of Elena and the Elena Balkan Mountain, you can taste the so called Elena Pork Leg. It is prepared by salted pork meat.

Such delicacies are usually consumed with good wine. Bulgaria is a country where wine with wonderful taste is made. This is due to the unique climate and the typical soils, as well as to some local sorts of grapes – Gamza (North Bulgaria), Wide Melnik Vine (in the region of Melnik and Sandanski), Dimyat (in the regions of Varna, Shumen and Stara Zagora), Mavrud (Plovdiv, Pazardzhik, Asenovgrad), Red Misket (Straldzha and Sungurlare), Ruby (Plovdiv and Septemvri) and Pamid (Pazardzhik, Pamidovo and Plovdiv).

Another popular alcoholic drink in the country is Rakia. It is made of grapes or other fruits – plums (in the region of the town of Troyan, Teteven), apricots (in the region of Tutrakan, Silistra, Dobrich), figs, pears, etc. Rose rakia is prepared in the Valley of Roses (Karlovo and Kazanlak) by the Bulgarian oil-yielding rose.

This does not exhaust at all the diversity of Bulgarian dishes and drinks. In order to get to know the culinary magic of the country, you must cross its entire territory, because every region keeps its traditions and offers various culinary delights.