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Bulgarian food is readily available from the wide range of eateries available in Bulgaria. The self-service cafeteria allows you to point at what you want rather than having to work your way through the menu. Bulgarian cafeterias also offer excellent value and tasty fare. A mehana is a Bulgarian tavern where waiters wear traditional costumes. Bulgarian estaurants range from informal to formal with prices from inexpensive to exorbitant.
What Bulgarian Dishes to Eat
Bulgarian cuisine has influences from both Greece and Turkey and comprises a range of delicious summer and winter dishes. In winter Bulgarians start with a hearty soup, perhaps bob (bean soup) or topcheta supa (soup with meatballs). In summer, salad is favoured, normally the shopska salata (tomatoes, cucumber and onion topped with grated cheese), which can be found just about everywhere. A small range of starter dishes or dips can also be ordered including taratar (yoghurt soup with cucumber and walnuts), salata (yoghurt with cucumber, walnuts and garlic), sarmi (vine or cabbage leaves stuffed with rice and spices, sometimes with meat) or kashkaval pane (breaded fried cheese).
The basis of most Bulgarian main courses is simple grilled meats - chops, ribs and steaks. Meshana skara, the Bulgarian equivalent of a mixed grill, is a popular choice. Other items include kebabche, a grilled spicy sausage, and kyufke, a spicy meat patty.
Bulgarians also have a delicious range of slow-cooked dishes, including its national dish kavarma (a slowly cooked stew of pork and liver), drob sartna (chopped liver, rice and eggs baked in the oven) and sirene po shopski (eggs and cheese baked in a day pot with tomatoes). Musaka could be mistaken for the Greek moussaka but doesn't contain aubergine. If you work out the word gyuvech on the menu you'll be ordering meat stew.
Fish is popular along the Bulgarian Black Sea coast but will always be more expensive than meat. Plakiya is a delicious fish stew with no written recipe - just made with whatever was caught that day.
Bulgarian Side Dishes
You must order all side dishes (bread, vegetables, potatoes) separately to your meat, chicken or fish and there will be a charge for each item.
Bulgarians like to start the day with a hanitsa, a warm pastry filled with cheese.
International Cuisine
The large five-star hotels generally have a high-class restaurant serving international and continental cuisine at high prices. Chinese restaurants are numerous, along with Italian restaurants and pizzerias.
At the other end of the scale the international fast food chains have certainly made their presence felt, while the Bulgarian chain Happy Bar and Grill serve good value Western-style dishes.
Bulgarian Drinks
Although drinking water is said to be safe, bottled water will certainly taste better. The short shot of strong coffee (espresso style) oils the wheels of Bulgarian society; it is available everywhere and is excellent. For tea Bulgarians drink bilkov (herbal) or plodov (fruit) teas. Fresh fruit juices are a highlight of the summer, while the international brands of pop (soda) are readily available.
Bulgarian wine is well regarded. The country also brews good beer; leading brands include Kamenitsa and Zagorka. For something with more oomph, try domestic brands of vodka, excellent shvova rakiya (plum brandy) and rosaliika (rose liqueur). International liquor favourites are available but at a price premium. |
