As during previous summers, this year I am also lucky to travel to Europe to see my family in Finland and my husband's family in Bulgaria. We spend a good amount of time in both countries and so I have had the opportunity to try many dishes in Bulgaria and learn a good deal about the food culture there. The food in Bulgaria is excellent, I especially like the cheese, the yoghurt and the vegetables.
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| Bean soup and potatoes |
Typically, Bulgarian cuisine includes bean
dishes, baked clay pot dishes and different types of salads and meats. It is
very easy to be a vegetarian there, as there are many traditional vegetarian
dishes that are really delicious. At a restaurant, I often choose a Shopska
salad and fried zucchini with garlicky yoghurt sauce or poached eggs
(Panagyurishte style) or peppers in tomato sauce. I believe the salads deserve
an honorary mention, because any given restaurant easily offers ten or more
different kinds. The basic components are tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers,
onion, black olives and cheese. These vegetables are offered in different
variations, with additional ingredients added in. The Bulgarians don't usually
use dressing, they spice the salads with olive oil, vinegar and salt, which
works very well. The vegetables in the salads are of high quality and thus very
tasty.
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| Grandma's Peaches |
Even though I have spent numerous summers in
a place where they grow potatoes, carrots, onions, strawberries and the like,
we could never grow warm-climate fruit in Finland. For this reason, it is
exciting for me to be able to pick peaches, figs, cherries and plums straight
from the tree and eat them! How much better they taste this way, than when
bought from the store! Many people grow their own veggies, no matter how small
their yards. Additionally, many people keep chickens and I had the privilege of
eating eggs produced by a neighbor's
hens.
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| Shopska salad |
Dairy products in Bulgaria are very good as
well. Yoghurt was invented/discovered in Bulgaria and needless to say I've had
the tastiest plain yoghurt there. You don't need to add anything to it at all,
it is delicious as it is. And what is more, there are no additives in the
yoghurt, only milk and bacterial cultures!
A hotel we stayed at in the small village of Koprivshtitsa offered
homemade yoghurt, which was very nice. As the milk was also provided by the
neighbor, you can't get more local than that. The two main types of cheese are
feta cheese "sirene" and yellow cheese "kashkaval". I like
them both a lot even if sometimes they might be pretty salty. Both cheeses are
eaten as they are, in addition to using them extensively in cooking. For
example sirene is used as a stuffing in
stuffed peppers and as a topping on french fries. My favorite salad - Shopska
salata (which is probably the most famous of them) - is topped with sirene as
well.
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| Cabbage and carrot salad and Shopski style white cheese (sirene) |
Banitza is a pastry made of phyllo dough and
sirene. It is a very popular item and it is sold in the numerous breakfast
stands as well as made at home. It is very delicious, if only not very healthy.
The homemade variety is so good!
Bulgaria also offers a curious addition to
ice cream flavors: violet, or as called
locally, violetka. It is surprisingly tasty!
When we are about to travel to Bulgaria, I
always think about the feasts we will be having. I only have to be a bit
careful so that I don't return home pounds heavier! Luckily there is so much to
see and to do so that consuming and expending energy balance each other out.
I hope you enjoyed the post! Take care!
Anna-Kaisa
