15 Dishes as Recommended by a Local
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Loading... - Agata Alex Kral
- 16 Jun 2022
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If you’re curious to learn about Bulgarian food, eager to try the best Bulgarian food and dishes, or want to cook your very own Bulgarian food, you’ve come to the right place.
Courtesy of our local expert, Venelin, we’ve compiled our list of 15 traditional Bulgarian dishes you simply must try when you visit Bulgaria.
1 – Shopska Salad (ШопÑка Ñалата)
This is the most common and traditional salad in Bulgaria. The basic version combines cucumbers, tomatoes, and white cheese, but you can find versions with peppers and onion.
This salad is so easy to make but so delicious. You take some fresh-cut vegetables, mix them, and add the famous Bulgarian white cheese on top: the secret ingredient.
You can find versions of this salad that use grated or crushed cheese, but the texture of the cheese does not matter for the overall taste.
Shopska salad is best served in combination with the traditional Bulgarian drink – rakia.
The best version of the Shopska salad is made from homegrown vegetables grown in the gardens of Bulgarian villages, and homemade white cheese.
These ingredients can be a little hard to find, but in almost every city you can find some local that sells them.
Without a doubt, Shopska salad is one of the best Bulgarian foods you can try.
2 – Tarator (Таратор)
Tarator is plain and simple to make, yet has a flavorsome taste and is very refreshing for the summer.
Simply, tarator is a cold cucumber soup. All you need to make it is cucumbers, yogurt, and water.
The recipe is as simple as the ingredients – you cut the cucumbers into small pieces and put them in a bowl. After that, you put some salt on them (if you want).
You leave it for a minute, and then you mix them with the yogurt. Then you add the water, and your tarator is ready!
There are different versions of this as well in different parts of Bulgaria – some people make it thick (with less water) and add crushed walnuts and finely chopped parsley.
3 – Bulgarian Yogurt – (КиÑело млÑко)
What makes Bulgarian yogurt unique is the bacteria Lactobacillus delbrueckii subspecies bulgaricus (often simply called Lactobacillus bulgaricus).
The yogurt itself can be used as a mixture with some main dishes (like tarator) and can be eaten as a dessert or as it is.
Its process dates back over 4000 years, and as a food, Bulgarians are proud to honor it and continue using the same process to this day.
You can also mix the yogurt with jam for a fantastic dessert.
Homemade Bulgarian yogurt is by far the tastiest. If you are visiting Bulgaria, you should ask locals to help you find a farmers’ market or a producer that is selling from their farm.
It is truly one of the best Bulgarian foods with a worldwide appeal.
4 – Musaka (МуÑака)
Musaka can be found across the Balkans and the Middle East, but every region puts a unique touch on the recipe that makes it special.
The basic version that is most famous in Bulgaria consists of potatoes that are cut into small cubes, mixed with pork meat, and are then covered with a mixture of eggs and milk/yogurt and baked.
It can be served with yogurt, which is mixed with the Musaka before you start eating.
Many variations can be found in the different parts of the country – some people make it without meat and put eggplants or zucchini.
Another variation is to have some fresh tomatoes sliced in rings on the bottom, then the potatoes and the pork meat in the next layer. Then another layer of tomatoes and, after that, the mixture of eggs and milk/yogurt on top is added.
This is a great main course you should try on your next trip to Bulgaria. Read More...
