Bulgarian Cuisine

Bulgarian cuisine is fresh, hearty and rooted in the country's rich farmland and its Balkan and Ottoman heritage. Meals often begin with shopska salad, the beloved national dish of tomato, cucumber, pepper and grated white brine cheese, alongside grilled meats like kebapche, rich bean and meat stews cooked in clay pots, the flaky filo pastry banitsa, and the famous thick Bulgarian yogurt, all washed down with the potent grape or plum brandy rakia.

What you'll find

• Shopska salad - the national salad of tomato, cucumber and white cheese.
• The grilled meats - the kebapche and kyufte grilled minced meats.
• Banitsa - the flaky cheese-filled filo pastry.
• Yogurt and rakia - the famous thick yogurt and the potent fruit brandy.

When to go

Year-round; a traditional mehana tavern, often with folk music, is the atmospheric place to enjoy a hearty meal, and the markets brim with fresh produce. The rakia and salad are the traditional start to a meal.

What to expect

Bulgarian food is fresh, hearty and good value rather than refined or spicy, so its appeal is the quality of the produce, the salads and grilled meats rather than sophistication. The rakia is potent and best sipped. The famous yogurt and white cheese feature heavily. A traditional mehana serves the most authentic food and atmosphere.

Nearby

Every region has its specialities; the mehanas are found everywhere.