Food in Bulgaria - Fancy something wicked to warm you up on those winter nights? Try some culinary delights of the Balkans.

Tried any of the food in Bulgaria yet?

If you are feeling adventurous and experimental, and your stomach doesn’t mind, you should definitely taste some of thetraditional Bulgarian food recipes.

The Balkan countries are famous for eating a lot of fruits and vegetables, so an ordinary meal course will always start with a salad of your choice.

One of the most famous food in Bulgaria is a salad is called Shopska – it is delicious and made with tomatoes, cucumbers, pepper, white cheese, dressing and some spices and you’ll be getting fruits or something sweet and tempting for desert – people on a diet – watch out! Unlike American portions, all Bulgarian food and portions are normal size, the trouble comes with the number of portions within a meal.

I strongly recommend you try the following excellent examples. They are typical of different types of food in Bulgaria.

Food in Bulgaria - Types & recipes

Boza – traditional breakfast drink (you’re gonna love this – it’s fermented beverage, made from wheat or millet, containing 1% of alcohol) often consumed with Banitsa (traditional pastry, prepared by layering a mixture of whisked eggs and pieces of sirene (white cheese) between filo pastry and then baked in the oven).

Guveche – a mixture of sirene, vegetables and eggs, maybe thin sliced pieces of meat (for the carnivorous part of us), baked in the oven is a speail clay pot. Attention – when served, no matter now hungry you are, keep your fingers away from the pot, the waiter will remove the lid, in most cases you can see the ingredients inside still boiling. Don’t go throwing it at the back of your throat and burning your tongue and toncils. It’s worth waiting a few minutes – it’s delicious!

Shopska salata (salad) of course! This is a must and available in all restaurants. The safe option on the menu, this salad is filled with delicious sheeps cheese, fresh tasty locally grown tomatoes, cuecumbers, bell peppers, parsley, spring onion and a vinegerette dressing to top it all off.

Tarator – cold soup, great for summer days.

It is made of yoghurt, cucumbers, walnuts, dill, vegetable oil and water. Oh yes, I almost forgot, if you’re a vampire or you’re planning on snogging someone’s face off after lunch or dinner, ask for the no-garlic version! It is best served chilled or even with ice.

Sarmi – a mixture of fried rice and mince, folded in wine leafs, baked in the oven.

Tsatsa – small fried fish, served in plastic plate at the beach, best consumed with cold beer.

Rakia – similar to brandy, made by distillation of fermented fruits. 40 % alcohol when bought from a store or served in a restaurant, and 50 % or 60% when it’s home made! Danger, danger – high voltage! Cold winter days, up in the mountains, rakia is poured in a little copper pot called ‘djazve’, honey is added and pot is brought on top of a burning fire until it boils. The mixture is called ‘greyana rakia’ and rejuvinates and warms up the entire body. Use in moderation!

There’s many, many, more foods of Bulgaria to try. Essentially South Slavic, Bulgarian cuisine shows Turkish, Greek and Middle Eastern influences, and to a lesser extent Armenian, Italian, Mediterranean and Hungarian ones.

One of the best foods in Bulgaria is the version of the Greek musaka, Turkish baklava and so on.

Traditional restaurants could be found around every corner, just keep your eyes open. They are usually called ‘mehana’.)

The most famous ones are – Restaurant Puldin (Plovdiv), Mahana Staro Selo (Varna), mehana Vodenitsata (Sofia) and many, many more.

Often, accompanying dinner, there’s traditional music and dances. Back to top of food in Bulgaria

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