When you visit this charming country you should not miss the local cuisine. Bulgaria offers cuisine with its own characteristics and phenomenal variety. It is a combination between of the Slavic, Greek and Turkish cuisines. The Bulgarian cuisine is lots of onion, garlic and many seasonings like red and black pepper, pimento, bay leaves, and savory. The cooking in Bulgarian cuisine usually includes roasting, boiling and frying.

This cuisine also is very famous with local first-quality Bulgarian wines. The white wines are characterized by a tingling taste and a delicate aroma. Well-known labels include Misket, Traminer, Dimyat and Riesling. The most popular of red wines include Mavrud, Gamza, Merlot and Cabernet. The salad and rakia (Bulgarian spirit schnapps made from grapes) are the traditional start to the meal. Here I introduce you with some of the most popular Bulgarian dishes:

Shopska salad – chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, onions and peppers sprinkled with “sirene” (Bulgarian white cheese), parsley, vinegar, sunflower oil and salt. Serve in the shape of a pyramid, top with chopped parsley and grated cheese.
Shkembe chorba- tripe soup with garlic, vinegar and chilli, quite tasty if you can bring yourself to try it
Tarator – cold yoghurt and cucumber soup and we are recommending you
Banitsa – is one of the most popular and typical Bulgarian dishes, more of a breakfast or snack thing than a main course. There are many shapes and varieties: with cheese, spinach or pumpkins (tikvenik) and etc.
Sarmi– a mixture of minced meat and rice, rolled in grape vine or sauerkraut leaves. The meal is baked in the spiced juice of the canned grape vine leaves (or sauerkraut juice) and this is where the unique taste comes from.
Musaka – it is cooked from minced meat and potatoes, but there is also a vegetarian option.
Kavarma – aromatic harmony of meat – beef, chicken, pork, or lamb, mushrooms, union, tomatoes, peppers, carrots… It is cooked and served in a clay pot and so be careful, usually it is served straight after cooking and is very hot.
Giuveche – it contains meat or sausages, vegetables, cheese and eggs. Always cooked and served in a pot, which is hot.
Kapama – a very rich dish made of at least 3 kinds of meat, rice and sauerkraut. Takes quite a lot of time to be prepared, but believe me, waiting is worth… It’s a perfect winter dish, very good with lots of red wine.
Bob chorba – traditional bean soup with plenty of herbs
Chushki byurek – fried peppers stuffed with egg and cheese
Luttennitza – this is a Bulgarian type of salsa
Cheverme – believe me it is something that you should not miss in the Rhodope Mountains.