3. With the
foundation of the
Bulgarian state,
the cuisines of
Thracians, Slavs
and protoBulgarians merge
together. Each
ethic group
contributed with its
culinary traditions.
Thracians, Greeks, Romans,
Bulgarians, Slavs, and many other
tribes and peoples who settled in
the territory of modern Bulgaria
have influenced that tradition from
antiquity till now. Archaeological
evidence suggests that the main
ingredients of our ancient cuisine
were traditional vegetables like
cabbage, carrots, beet, turnip,
onions, garlic; different kind of
meat like sheep, goat, pork, beef,
poultry; grains - millet, oats,
barley, rye, wheat; as well as
some legumes like broad beans,
lentils, peas, vetch.
4. After 1940, and especially after
1968, many of the main ingredients
could not be found at the market so
they were replaced by others which
are still part of our national cuisine.
So butter has been replaced by
lard, olives – by pickles,
powdered egges – by milk
mayonnaise. “Rusensko vareno”
is used instead of Caviar. Some
emblematic names like “Shopska
salad”, “Kavarma po radomirski”,
“Bob chorba po manastirski”,
“Yaica po panagurski”, “Chushki
burek” and so on appear in
Bulgarian cuisine.
One of the characteristic
features of Bulgarian cuisine is
that most products in a dish
are treated simultaneously.
This is especially true in
baking and the explanation is
simple – households didn’t
have ovens in the past so they
took the prepared baking dish
to bakeries. Even after the
advent of modern technology
this tradition of preparing food
is still preserved.
5. Compared to other
cuisines, in Bulgarian
cuisine spices like onions,
garlic, red and black
pepper, allspice and bay
leaf are very often used.
Culinary zones are usually
characterized by regional,
culture and historical
designation of the traditions
associated with food,
methods used for preparing
food and serving it.
That is why cuisines are
generally discussed according
to the regions they cover on
one hand, and according to
the similar cultures of the
nations that create culinary
traditions, from another hand.
So today Bulgarian cuisine has
many similarities with the
Balkan, Slavic and
Mediterranean cuisines
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6. Tarator
Tarator is a cold summer soup made of yoghurt and
cucumbers. It is served chilled. Local variations may replace
yoghurt with water and vinegar, omit nuts or dill, or add
bread. The cucumbers may on rare occasions be replaced
with lettuce or carrots.
7. Ingredients
1 long cucumber, chopped or grated
(we prefer it peeled)
1 garlic clove, minced or smashed
4 cups yoghurt
1 cup water
1 teaspoon salt (we like it saltier)
1 tablespoon dill, finely chopped
4 big pecans, well crushed
3 teaspoons olive oil
Preparation
Put all those together and mix well.
When ready garnish with olive oil
(or other favorite oil). Best when
chilled.
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8. Shopska salad
Shopska salad is a traditional Bulgarian cold salad made
from tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, raw or roasted peppers
and sirene (Bulgarian cheese, feta cheese, white brine
cheese). Shopska salad is a very distinctive Bulgarian dish. It
is named after a group of very frugal people called shopi who
live in the capital of Bulgaria, Sofia.
9. Ingredients
4 ripe tomatoes
2 long cucumbers
1 onion
1 red or green pepper
1/3 bunch of parsley
2 tablespoons (olive) oil
3 tablespoons of red wine vinegar
1 cup (1/2 lb) Bulgarian cheese (or feta
cheese)
Preparation
Chop all tomatoes (we recommend
leaving the pieces bigger), cucumbers
and the pepper and put in a bowl.
Add the finely chopped onions and
parsley. Sprinkle with the oil and vinegar
and mix it all together. Grate the feta on
top.
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10. Banitsa
It is one of the most popular and typical Bulgarian dishes,
more of a breakfast or snack thing than a main course. There
are many shapes and varieties of banitsa - with cheese,
spinach or butternut squash, but the cheese one is the most
common and famous one. It is a traditional Bulgarian dish
consumed at any meal.
11. Ingredients:
2 packets of phyllo dough (Bulgarian "fini kori" or
phyllo from the frozen desserts section)
200 grams of yellow cheese (Bulgarian kashkaval
or a mixture of cheddar and mozzarelle)
500 grams of white cheese (Bulgarian sirene or
feta cheese)
7 eggs
100 grams of butter
1/2 cup of soda water
1 cup yogurt
Preparation
Mix six of the eggs, the grated butter, the crumbled
white cheese, the yellow cheese cut in small
pieces, and the yogurt. In a buttered pan, lay a
layer of the phyllo dough, spread a layer of the
mixture, and continue alternating layers so that the
phyllo and the mixture are finished about the same
time. Finish with a layer of phyllo dough. Then cut
the banitsa into serving pieces. Mix the last egg
with the soda water and stir. Pour the mixture over
the banitsa and make sure there are no pieces of
the phyllo dough left dry.
Bake in a preheated over at 200 C for 40 minutes,
or till golden.
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12. Monastery "Gyuvech"
Ingredients
600gr meat (lamb, veal or pork)
1 dl oil or 800 gr lard
1 onion
200 gr tomatoes
salt
pepper
2-3 dl warm water or soup from
cube
300 gr fresh mushrooms (or 100
gr dried)
150 gr paprikas
100 gr olives
100 gr rice
1 dl wine
1/2 bunch of parsley
13. Preparation:
Wash meat, wipe and cut into big pieces. Fry it quickly in heated oil,
add finely chopped onion, cook gently until slightly soft, add half of the
tomatoes (100 gr) peeled and cut into small pieces, add salt and
pepper, pour in warm water or soup from cube (or bone stock), then
simmer. When half tender turn into a fireproof or earthenware dish,
add mushrooms trimmed, washed, and cut into thin slices and
paprikas cut into strips. When mushrooms and paprikas are tender,
add olives and rice picked over and half-cooked. Add more salt and
pepper if necessary, pour in wine and some warm water as needed.
Bake in the oven preheated to 175-200 degrees centigrade. After 1015 minutes add the rest of the tomatoes cut into rounds and bake until
brown. When done, sprinkle "gyuvech" with chopped parsley and
pepper.
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