Bulgarian cuisine offers hearty and unique dishes with generous portions and a variety of flavors, making it perfect for a gastronomic tour.
One of the most famous and indispensable summer dishes is Tarator, a cold soup made with cucumbers, dill, yogurt, and optionally, oil, garlic, and walnuts.
Another popular dish is "pileska supa," which is a chicken soup with vermicelli. There is also "bob chorba," a thick and flavorful tomato soup with beans.
The portions of appetizers are unusually large, so it's best to be prepared and order for two. The most popular Bulgarian salad is "Shopska salad," which is similar to Greek salad: tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, olives, and sirene (Bulgarian feta cheese).
Among the hot appetizers, the breaded kashkaval (regular rennet cheese) and siren (bryndza) are popular. The Chopski siren, stewed in a pot with vegetables (zelenchutzi) and an egg, is worth a try. There's also Tracy-style siren, the same dish with the addition of smoked sausages.
Bulgarian cuisine, like any Slavic cuisine, is impossible without potatoes cooked in different ways. For example, extremely interesting is the potato, fried in a breading of spices. One of the most popular dishes is moussaka (potato casserole with minced meat).
Vegetables, meat and fish on the skara (grill) are also widespread in Bulgaria, they are cooked just amazingly. A favorite local spice is chubrika (thyme). Bulgarian cuisine is not very spicy.
The traditional dish Banitsa - an incomparable pastry with cottage cheese or siren - is usually offered by Bulgarians for breakfast.
Traditional pastries and cakes are also incredibly delicious. For example, palacinka - pancakes with different fillings.
And it is impossible to miss the oriental souvenir sweet - Turkish delight. Cheapest thing to buy in a supermarket. Although, we must admit that the Turkish version of the dessert is much tastier.
