Bulgarian cuisine

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Tarator is a cold soup made of yoghurt and cucumber (dill, garlic, walnuts and sunflower oil are sometimes added) and is popular in Bulgaria.
Bulgarian Kebab with Rice.
Bulgarian Christmas Eve table

Bulgarian cuisine (Bulgarian: българска кухня, bulgarska kuhnya) is a representative of the cuisine of Southeastern Europe. Essentially South Slavic, it shares characteristics with other Balkans cuisines. Owing to the relatively warm climate and diverse geography affording excellent growth conditions for a variety of vegetables, herbs and fruits, Bulgarian cuisine is diverse.

Famous for its rich salads required at every meal, Bulgarian cuisine is also noted for the diversity and quality of dairy products and the variety of Bulgarian wines and local alcoholic drinks such as rakia, mastika and menta. Bulgarian cuisine features also a variety of hot and cold soups, an example of a cold soup being tarator. There are many different Bulgarian pastries as well such as banitsa.

Most Bulgarian dishes are oven baked, steamed, or in the form of stew. Deep-frying is not very typical, but grilling - especially different kinds of meats - is very common. Pork meat is the most common meat in the Bulgarian cuisine. Oriental dishes do exist in Bulgarian cuisine with most common being moussaka, gyuvetch, and baklava. A very popular ingredient in Bulgarian cuisine is the Bulgarian white brine cheese called "sirene" (сирене). It is the main ingredient in many salads, as well as in a variety of pastries. Fish and chicken are widely eaten and while beef is less common as most cattle are bred for milk production rather than meat, veal is a natural byproduct of this process and it is found in many popular recipes. Bulgaria is a net exporter of lamb and its own consumption of the meat is prevalent during its production time in spring.[1]

Traditionally Bulgarians have consumed a notable quantity of yoghurt per head and is noted historically for the production of high quality yoghurt, including using a unique variety of micro-organism called Lactobacillus bulgaricus in the manufacturing process.[2] It has even been claimed that yoghurt originates from Bulgaria. Though this cannot be substantiated, Bulgaria has been part of a region that has cultivated and consumed yoghurt from as far back as 3000 BC.[3]

Certain entries, salads, soups and dishes go well with alcoholic beverages and the alcohol of choice for some is Bulgarian wine.

Contents

[edit] Holiday meals

There are several holidays that are characterized by specific meals. On Christmas Eve, it is a tradition to have vegetarian stuffed peppers and vegetarian stuffed vine leaves. On New Year's Eve, there are dishes made with cabbage. On Nikulden (Nicholay's Day; December 6), people usually cook fish, while on Gergyovden (George’s Day; May 6), it is a tradition to eat roast lamb.

[edit] Traditional Bulgarian foods

Lukanka
Telesko vareno
Soup Topcheta (left) and Shkembe chorba (right)
Green salad (left) and Shopska salad (right)
Stuffed peppers

[edit] Cold cuts

[edit] Soups

[edit] Salads and relishes

[edit] Sauces and appetizers

[edit] Hot appetizers

[edit] Skara

Shishcheta.
  • Kyufte (Meatballs - Minced meat, with special traditional spices, shaped as a ball.)
  • Kebapche (Like meatballs, but with different spices and shaped as bars.)
  • Parjola (Pork Steaks in traditional style.)
  • Shishcheta (Arranged on a skewer marinated pieces of chicken or/and pork and vegetables.)
  • Karnache (Kind of sausage with special spices.)
  • Nadenitsa (Kind of sausage with special spices.)
  • Tatarsko kyufte (Stuffed meatballs.)
  • Nevrozno kyufte (Very piquant meatballs.)
  • Chicken in caul
  • Cheverme (One of the best Bulgarian grilled dish. The tradition that Bulgarian chefs respect requires that speciality to be prepared by slowly rotating under a gentle embers for 4 to 7 hours. This is the reason why, if you want to try this delicacy is necessary to give order to the restaurant at least one day earlier.)
  • Meshana skara (Mixed grill.)
  • Grilled Vegetables (Usually prepared for garnish.)
  • Grilled Fish (Various traditional recipes for grilling sea or river fish.)

[edit] Main dishes

Banitsa.
Skara, Tatarsko kyufte.
Cheverme from Rhodopes.
Kavarma topped with egg, served with bread and Ayran.
Chicken Yahniya.

[edit] Breads and pastries

Bulgarian traditional bread pogacha
A pile of mekitsi with jam. Mekitsi is a traditional Bulgarian dish made of kneaded dough made with yoghurt that is deep fried.

[edit] Cheeses and other dairy products

Vacuum packed Kashkaval cheese in Bulgarian store.

Bulgaria as a homeland of yogurt has a strong tradition in the making of a variety of dairy products.

[edit] Sweets

Baked pumpkin with walnuts.
A tahini-based halva with pistachios
Kozunak as prepared in Bulgaria for orthodox Easter
Kazanlak donuts.

Halva is a popular dessert in Bulgaria, and the term 'halva' (халва) is used for several varieties of the dessert. Tahini halva (тахан халва) is most popular and can be found in all food stores. Two different types of tahini halva are made - one using sunflower seed tahini and another using sesame seed tahini. Traditionally, the regions of Yablanitsa and Haskovo are famous for their halva.

[edit] Spices and herbs

[edit] Other staples

[edit] Traditional Bulgarian drinks

Mavrud wine on the shelves in a supermarket in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. This particular wine is from Perushtitsa.
A bottle of Bulgarian beer in a traditional restaurant
Pelinkovac is a bitter liqueur based on wormwood

[edit] Wine

[edit] Distilled liquors

[edit] Beer

[edit] Fermented beverages

[edit] Hot beverages

  • Chay (Tea usually prepared with one or several herbs and/or fruits.)
  • Greyana Rakiya (Mulled Rakiya - A winter alcoholic beverage.)
  • Greyano Vino (Kind of mulled wine - A winter alcoholic beverage.)

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ (April 2006). "Bulgaria Poultry and Products Meat Market Update." Thepoultrysite.com. Accessed July 2011.
  2. ^ http://cbs-sci.blogspot.com/2005/02/want-to-live-100-years-eat-bulgarian_02.html
  3. ^ http://www.slimntrim.com/Bulgarian_Community/original_secret_of_bulgarian_yog.htm

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