Bulgarian cuisine is the one you should definitely try because of its rich flavor and variety of fresh meals. Bulgaria shares a number of meals with the Greek, Middle Eastern and even Italian cuisine but add its own unique touch and flavor.
Furthermore, the great climate conditions, farming traditions and variety of herbs make the Bulgarian cuisine rich of vegetables and delicious vegetable meals. Because of that the country is also a heaven for vegans and vegetarians. Enough said, here are 10 of the most delicious Bulgarian meals you should try:
Salads
Salads are often served as appetizers in Bulgarian cuisine. One of the most famous salads in the country, and Europe as well, is ‘Shopska’ salad. Because of its simplicity and freshness it is a beloved dish to many. It is made with only fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, onion, salt, oil and the special ingredient – Bulgarian white cheese.
‘Snezhanka’ salad is another traditional favorite. It is made of strained yoghurt, cucumber, garlic, walnuts and some herbs.
Soups
Bulgarian cuisine is rich of soups, too. One of the best summer dishes is the cold yoghurt soup ‘Tarator’. It is the soup version of ‘Snezhanka’ salad because it consists of almost the same ingredients, however a water is added along with the yoghurt. There is no person in Bulgaria that doesn’t like ‘Tarator’. That’s how delicious it is.
Another, yet controversial, traditional Bulgarian meal you should try is the ‘Shkembe’ soup. If you are feeling adventurous this one is for you. It is a common dish in all the Balkan countries. It is made of boiled pork, beef or lamb tribe, has rich paprika flavor, some milk and lots of garlic. It is believed that the ‘Shkembe’ soup miraculously cure hangover.
Main Bulgarian meals
Althought an appetizer the famous Bulgarian ‘Banitsa’ is just the meal you can’t miss. It is simply the most popular pastry in the country. It’s made of filo pastry with mixture of whisked eggs and white cheese in between. You can find different varieties of fillings on almost every corner in Sofia.
Another traditional meal which can be seen in many Balkan countries is the meat and vegetable stew ‘Gyuvech’. It can be compared to ratatouille and it can be prepared with or without meat.
‘Moussaka’ is also famous meal on the Balkans, especially in Greece, but in Bulgaria it has its own unique taste. It is made of potatoes, minced meat and yoghurt and eggs top layer. Another star of the Bulgarian cuisine you should try is the very popular summer dish ‘Mish Mash’. It is made with peppers, tomatoes, feta cheese, eggs, onion and fresh herbs and is extremely delicious.
Desserts
Every child in Bulgaria loves when Grandma makes their favorite ‘Milk with rice’ dessert. It is a variety of the Milk pudding which can be found in Turkey and other Balkan countries but it is simpler than the other versions. Although it is very simple, the ‘Honey and walnuts pumpkin dessert’ is also one of the tastiest Bulgarian meals you should try.
