A Beginner's Guide to Bulgarian Food
From banitsa and shopska salad to tarator, kebapche and rakia: the Bulgarian dishes every first-time visitor should try, and where to eat them.
Bulgarian food is generous, seasonal and built around a handful of excellent ingredients: sun-ripened vegetables, white brined cheese, yogurt, grilled meat and fresh herbs. It shares ideas with its Balkan neighbours, yet it has a character of its own.
If you are visiting for the first time, this guide covers the dishes you are most likely to meet, what goes into them and how Bulgarians tend to enjoy them.
Start the Day with Banitsa
Banitsa is a pastry made from thin layers of filo dough, usually filled with eggs and sirene, the local white cheese. It is baked until golden and often eaten for breakfast, sometimes with a glass of boza, a thick, slightly sour fermented grain drink, or with yogurt.
You will find banitsa in bakeries across the country, sold by the piece and often still warm. Variations include versions with spinach, leeks or pumpkin, the last one usually sweet.
Banitsa also has a festive role. On New Year’s Eve many families bake one with small written wishes, or kasmeti, hidden inside, and each person’s slice reveals their fortune for the year ahead.
Shopska Salad
Almost every Bulgarian meal in a restaurant begins with a salad, and the most famous is shopska salad. It combines chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and onion, topped with a generous layer of grated sirene and often a little parsley.
The white, green and red of the salad are often compared to the colours of the Bulgarian flag. It is simple, but when the tomatoes are in season it is hard to beat.
Tarator: The Summer Soup
On a hot day, look for tarator, a cold soup made from yogurt, water, finely chopped or grated cucumber, garlic, dill and a little oil. Walnuts are often added as well.
Tarator is refreshing and light, and many Bulgarians consider it essential summer food. It is usually served as a starter.
Lyutenitsa
Lyutenitsa is a thick relish made mainly from roasted red peppers and tomatoes, sometimes with aubergine, garlic and spices. Despite the name, which relates to the Bulgarian word for “spicy,” it is usually mild.
Bulgarians spread it on bread, sometimes with crumbled sirene on top, or serve it alongside grilled meat. Many families still make their own in late summer, when peppers are roasted in large quantities and the smell drifts through neighbourhoods.
Kebapche and Kyufte
Bulgarian grilled meat is a staple of casual dining. The two classics are:
- Kebapche: an elongated, sausage-shaped portion of seasoned minced meat, typically flavoured with cumin, grilled without a casing.
- Kyufte: a flat, round patty of minced meat with onion and herbs, also grilled.
Both are usually served with chips, bread, lyutenitsa or a simple salad. They are popular in restaurants, at summer festivals and from grill stands, and they pair naturally with a cold beer.
Sirene: The Cheese on Everything
Sirene is a white brined cheese, made from cow’s, sheep’s or goat’s milk, and it appears in a remarkable number of Bulgarian dishes. You will find it in banitsa, on top of shopska salad, baked in clay pots with tomatoes and eggs, and served on its own with bread.
It is salty and crumbly, and visitors sometimes compare it to feta. Bulgarians will tell you it is its own thing, and once you have tried a few varieties, you may agree.
Kiselo Mlyako and Lactobacillus Bulgaricus
Bulgarian yogurt, kiselo mlyako (literally “sour milk”), holds a special place in the national cuisine. It is thick, tangy and eaten plain, used in sauces and soups, and mixed with water to make a drink.
Bulgaria’s yogurt also has a scientific claim to fame. The bacterium that gives it its distinctive character was identified in 1905 by the Bulgarian scientist Stamen Grigorov, and it was later named Lactobacillus bulgaricus after the country. Today it is known in scientific classification as Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus, and it remains one of the cultures used to make yogurt worldwide.
Rakia
Rakia is a strong fruit brandy and the traditional Bulgarian spirit. The most common types are made from grapes or plums, though other fruits are used too.
Rakia is usually served cold in small glasses and sipped slowly, often alongside a salad at the start of a meal rather than as a shot. Many households make their own in autumn. It is strong, so pace yourself, and remember that drinking and driving laws are strict.
Where to Eat: The Mehana
For the most traditional experience, look for a mehana, a Bulgarian tavern. Mehanas typically have rustic, wood-heavy interiors, folk decorations and menus focused on grilled meats, clay-pot dishes, salads and homemade-style desserts. Some offer live folk music in the evenings.
You can also eat very well in everyday places: bakeries for banitsa, small grill restaurants for kebapche, and family-run guesthouses in villages, where meals are often based on local produce. Markets are a good place to see seasonal vegetables, cheeses and honey.
A Few Tips for First-Timers
Order a salad and share several dishes, as many Bulgarians do. Ask staff for the seasonal or house specialities, and be adventurous with yogurt and cheese. Portions can be large, and meals are often unhurried, so allow time to enjoy them.
Most of all, eat what is in season. Bulgarian cooking is at its best when the tomatoes are ripe, the peppers are roasting and the table is full.