Bulgarian cuisine is part of the cuisine ofEastern Europe, sharing characteristics with otherBalkan cuisines. Bulgarian cooking traditions are diverse because of geographical factors such as climatic conditions suitable for a variety of vegetables, herbs, and fruit. Aside from the variety of local Bulgarian dishes, Bulgarian cuisine shares a number of dishes with its neighboring countries, in particular withTurkish andGreek cuisine.[1]
Main courses are very typically water-basedstews, eithervegetarian or withlamb,goat meat,veal,chicken, orpork. Deep-frying is not common, butgrilling—especially of different kinds ofsausages—is prominent. Pork is common, often mixed with veal or lamb, althoughfish and chicken are also widely used. While most cattle are bred for milk production rather than meat, veal is popular for grilling meat appetizers (meze) and in some main courses. As a substantial exporter of lamb, Bulgaria's own consumption is notable, especially in the spring.[7]
Similar to other Balkan cultures, the per-capita consumption ofyogurt (Bulgarian:кисело мляко,romanized: kiselo mlyako,lit. 'sour milk') among Bulgarians is traditionally higher than the rest of Europe. The country is notable as the historical namesake forLactobacillus bulgaricus, a microorganism chiefly responsible for the local variety of dairy products.[8]Sirene (сирене), a white brine cheese similar tofeta, is also a popular ingredient used in salads and a variety of pastries.
Holidays are often observed in conjunction with certain meals. On Christmas Eve, for instance, tradition requires vegetarian stuffed peppers and cabbage leavessarmi. New Year's Eve usually involves cabbage dishes, Nikulden (Day of St. Nicholas, December 6) involves fish (usuallycarp), while Gergyovden (Day of St. George, May 6) is typically celebrated with roast lamb.
Banitsa – baked pastry made of layered stuffing andphyllo. There are many varieties with different names, with arguably the most famous one being with eggs,sirene, and yogurt.[9]
Shopska salad – a common salad of chopped cucumbers, onions, peppers, and tomatoes with white cheese[23]
Snezhanka ("Snow White salad") – chopped cucumbers with yogurt, dill, garlic, and often walnuts[24]
Turshiya (alsotorsi) –pickled vegetables, such as celery, beets, cauliflower, and cabbage, popular in wintertime; variations areselska turshiya (country pickle) andtsarska turshiya (king's pickles)[25]
Cheverme – used in celebrations such as weddings, graduations, and birthdays; a whole animal, traditionally a pig, but also chicken or a lamb, is slowly cooked in an open fire, rotated manually on a wooden skewer from 4 to 7 hours
Sirene – soft and salty white brine cheese that appears in many Bulgarian dishes[28]
Kashkaval – hard yellow cheese, often used in appetizers;[10]kashkaval Vitosha is made from cow's milk, whilekashkaval Balkan is made fromewe's milk[12]
The namehalva (халва) is used for several related varieties of the Middle Eastern dessert.Tahan / tahini halva (тахан / тахини халва) is the most popular version, available in two different types withsunflower and withsesame seed. Traditionally, the regions ofYablanitsa andHaskovo are famous manufacturers of halva.
^Stefan Detchev, "From Istanbul to Sarajevo via Belgrade—A Bulgarian Cookbook of 1874",doi:10.1163/9789004367548_015 inEarthly Delights: Economies and Cultures of Food in Ottoman and Danubian Europe, c. 1500–1900, 2018, Balkan Studies Library 23,ISBN978-90-04-36754-8, p. 396
^Iskra Velinova, "The Pleasures of Being Global: Cultural Consumption of Pizza and Sushi in a Bulgarian City",Approaching Consumer Culture,doi:10.1007/978-3-030-00226-8_8, p. 190
^A considerable number of dishes belonging to the "Bulgarian" cuisine are in fact borrowed from the Ottomans. Turkish cuisine forms the core of Balkan cuisine. For more see: Evgenia Krăsteva-Blagoeva,Tasting the Balkans: Food and Identity in Region, Regional Identity and Regionalism in Southeastern Europe, Part 2, Ethnologia Balkanica, EditorsKlaus Roth, Ulf Brunnbauer, Lit Verlag, 2009,ISBN3643101074, p. 33.
^Kay, p. 57; Ross, p. 67; Kelsey Kinser,Vegan Beans from Around the World: 100 Adventurous Recipes for the Most Delicious, Nutritious, and Flavorful Bean Dishes Ever (Ulysses Press, 2014), p. 29.
