Traditional Bulgarian Food and Wine
Traditional Bulgarian Food and Wine [The Bulgarian specialties you definitely want to taste]
Bulgarian food culture is characterized by local ingredients, farmed grown gardens, and local restaurants producing their own products. Moreover, the food shares many similarities with the neighbors – Romania, Serbia, Macedonia, Greece, and Turkey.
In this article, you can find an Authentic Bulgarian Food Guide to understand better the country’s rich culinary traditions. You can also use this article as a guide when on holiday with your family, friends, and loved ones to experience the Bulgarian culture. The focus is on the traditional food and dishes found on the Bulgarian coastline and in Sunny Beach.
Read our dedicated blog article to fin the Top 6 Restaurants in Sunny Beach.
If you want to experience the Bulgarian culture through local food specialties while being on a family or romantic vacation at Home George, keep reading! 
Traditional Bulgarian Food
Traditional Bulgarian food varies between the regions of the country. For example, popular dishes in the following areas are:
Thracian Valley – clay pot dishes like gyuvech
Rhodopes region – cheverme, slow-cooked lamb and reign supreme
Pirin mountains – Kapama found in traditional restaurants called mechana with authentic folkloric décor (Remember the mechana restaurant type as it is widespread in Sunny Beach as well)
Black Sea cost – fish and seafood
Further, herbs and spices have an essential role in the flavor of Bulgarian foods. Besides, Bulgarians consume considerable amounts of the famous Bulgarian yogurt that would need its own dedicated article to explain its particularities. Finally, Rakia, the national alcohol made with grapes or fruits (plums or apricots), cannot be mentioned as it usually kicks off the meals.
Before continue reading Leave a comment below about your Bulgarian food experience!
Traditional Bulgarian Starters
In Bulgaria, most of the meals start with a fresh salad that usually includes tomatoes, cucumbers, cheese, or a mix of green lettuce enhanced with spices and herbs.
Explore the list below with the most traditional Bulgarian starters to begin your meal:
Salads
Shopska Salad is the 'National Dish of Bulgaria' with main ingredients of tomatoes, cucumbers, bell papers, red onion, Bulgarian white sirene cheese, parsley, vinegar, and sunflower or olive oil. It was created in the 1950s by Balkan tourists to promote tourism to Bulgaria, and in 2014, the Shopska Salad took first place in the Taste of Europe contest.
There are a few variations of the Shopska salad, such as Ovcharska salad that includes eggs, mushrooms, and ham in addition to the shopska. Other popular salads are Russian salad, potato with onion salad, and red paper-based salads.
Starters
In the hot summer months, especially when at the seaside, there is nothing more refreshing than Tarator. That is a cold yogurt soup with very few ingredients to add – cucumber, traditional Bulgarian yogurt, water, garlic, salt, and fresh herbs like dill, mint, and parsley.
A variation of Tarator, where there is no liquid added to the yogurt, is called Snezhanka.
Another starter is the Bulgarian Red Pepper Dip called Lutenitsa, found all over the country. It is a sauce-like spread typically made of roasted bell papers, eggplants, tomatoes, onion, and garlic pureed together. You can find it on restaurant menus and in local store jars.
Other traditional and tasty dips are made with yogurt, cheese, cucumbers, eggplants, and more.
In Bulgarian, locals, and tourists eat many grilled types of meat and dishes that are slow-cooked stews and soups made of meats or in a vegetarian version.
Bulgarian Meats
Let's first start with Bulgarian cuisine's main staples – the typically grilled or slow-cooked meat. The most common meat in Bulgarian food is pork, lamb, veal, and chicken. There are three categories that the meat is divided into.
Cold Cuts – Sudjuk, Lukanka and Elena Fillet
Read our blog post about Local Places and Attraction to discover many possibilities while on vacation in Sunny Beach! 🤩
Traditional Bulgarian Main Dishes
Sudjuk is probably the most popular cold cuts cured sausage, round in shape and made with ground pork, spiced with black pepper salt and cumin. In many resultants in Sunny Beach, you can order several dishes made with this local specialty from the menu.
Another popular cold cut is Lukanka with a distinctive flattened shape, and it is made with pork, veal and spiced with black paper, cumin and salt. The difference with Sudjuk is that Lukanka tastes somewhat spicier.
Mild taste and unique aromatic flavor are typical for the Elena fillet. The cured meat is made with lean pork and covered with salt, paprika, and savory. It is offered in many restaurants in Sunny Beach and perfects to eat paired with Bulgarian red wines.
Check out our dedicated article about the Top 10 Restaurants in Sunny Beach to visit and taste Bulgarian specialties while on vacation.
Grilled Meats
Kyufte, Kebapche, Shische, Shashlik
In Bulgaria, the two most popular everyday grilled meat are Kebabpche and Kyufte. They are both made of ground meat, a pork and veal mix with salt, pepper, and cumin.
Further, you will find two different types of skewers: shische and shashlik. What is impressive the way of shashlik being stuffed skewers to look like a sword.
Besides, you will also find grilled sausages specialties, grilled chicken lamb, and more to enjoy the Bulgarian meat specialties to the fullest.
Meat Combos – Sache
Traditional Bulgarian hot plate with several types of meat (veal, chicken, and pork) is called Sache. The meal is excellent for sharing because of its size. It includes various meats and a variety of grilled vegetables that make it a good option for vegetarians.
Gyuvech
The Bulgarian dish is slowly cooked in a clay pot in the oven. Gyuvech may include meat, most of the time pork, mixed with tomatoes, onions, peppers, garlic, and savory. You can find a variation with eggs and vegetarian options as well. There are gyivech dishes made of rice, potatoes, mushrooms, and carrots.
Traditional Bulgarian Desserts
Banitsa
One of the Bulgarians favorite dessert food and also a signature of the country is Banitsa. Generally, served at breakfast, the dessert is made with filo pastry, prepared in layers filled with eggs, white cheese, and yogurt. However, there are many options for filling the layers, such as spinach, leeks or cabbage, and a sweet version made with apple or pumpkin. That, in turn, makes Banitsa a perfect option for the different times of the day, sweet or savory.
Yogurt
The Bulgarian Yoghurt known as Kiselo Mlyako among the Bulgarians has been cultivated for more than 4000 years. Research has shown that the Bulgarian Kiselo Mlyako offers several health benefits because of the native Bulgarian bacteria Lactobacillus Bulgaricus, a factor of longevity in the Bulgarian population. The bacteria cause the milk to ferment and gives the incomparable flavor of this sour milk.
Yogurt is an integral part of Bulgarian cuisine. You can find many yogurt-based dishes such as salads, dips, soups, and desserts. Besides, every supermarket or local shop offers large pots of the Kiselo Mlyako ranging from 2% to 10%. The most popular one is 3.6%.
Bulgarian Wine
Traced back to the ancient Thracian tribes between 4000 and 6000 years ago is evidence of Bulgaria being one of the oldest wine-making counties globally. There are two most typical Bulgarian indigenous varieties Mavrud and Melnik Wines. These are red wines made of native grapes that transform wine drinking into a heartfelt and exclusive experience.
Discover the world of Bulgarian Wine and Read the following articles in the Authentic FoodQuest:
- Melnik Wines - 7 Melnik Wineries You Want to Visit for Amazing Bulgarian Wines
- Mavrud Wines - Villa Yustina, the best winery in the Thracian Valley
Finally, to experience the taste of the most popular traditional Bulgarian foods check our dedicated article about the Top 10 Restaurants in Sunny Beach.
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