Bulgarian cuisine

Introduction to Bulgarian Cooking The Bulgarian cuisine is one the world's simplest, healthiest and most naturally elegant styles of cooking, akin to the cuisines of Turkey and Lebanon. The seasoning is light and the accent on preserving natural flavours.

Among the many features of the modern Bulgarian table likely to appeal to Western tastes are the appetizers or “meze”. These include white beans and preserved vegetables in olive oil, peppers, olives, tomatoes, spicy sausage “pasterma”, hot pastry and deep-fried savouries in batter, green onions, cucumber, yoghurt, pickled cucumbers and a white, very salty, fresh cheese like the Greek feta. Herbs — thyme, tarragon, basil, savory, mint, dill — are widely used, both fresh and dried, to flavour salads and in curing or preserving cheese and meat. Flat and leavened bread, white and brown, accompany meze.

The sausage, salami, cheese, yoghurt, vegetables and fruit that characterize this very natural table first appear at breakfast, along with yellow cheese and a number of other excellent fermentedmild products that confirm Bulgaria as a worthy home of the supposedly life-enhancing bacillus bulgaricus. Meat, often lamb, is simply prepared, by grilling on charcoal or spit-roasting. Out of minced meat the Bulgarians make spiced meatballs and rissoles which are baked or grilled, and cubed meat (kebap) is cooked in the same way or baked with vegetables.

Chicken and game are relished, and a festive specialty is stuffed white fish with nuts and raisins.

Probably the best-known dish outside the country, and one promoted as national, is “gyuvech”, a sealed casserole of up to twelve different vegetables, with or without the addition of meat or fish, and sometimes with a garnish of grapes.

A special preparation is “banitsa”, consisting of wafer-thin layers of buttery pastry enclosing a filling of spinach and cheese or ground meat and cheese with herbs. Savoury, it is like a pastry version of lasagna; sweet versions come with nuts and cheese or jam and cheese, or pumpkin. “Moussaka” is another well-known composite dish of baked meat and vegetables and herbs, sometimes topped with a savory custard or yoghurt. For padding they enjoy pilaf (rice) in both sweet and savory forms, with raisins and with poultry stock and onions.

The Bulgarians have a passion for stuffed fresh or fermented cabbage leaves, and they also stuff every other kind of vegetable and fruit from quinces to peppers, tomatoes to aubergines. Traditional allyear Bulgarian soups are made with predominantly southern ingredients like spinach, lamb, olives, rice and lemons. The most famous is tarator, made with cucumber and yoghurt, thickened with ground walnuts and served.

1. Adapted from "The Food and Cooking of Eastern Europe“ by Lesley Chamberlain, Penguin Books, London, 1989 2. Information sources from the local Museum

In December, Sonya and Kaira visited the Museum of Trade in order to research the history of our region’s traditional cuisine. They examined books from the museum’s collection, and learned new, previously unknown, words. We have prepared and presented an online lesson, where the two girls told their classmates about what they had learned in the museum. Together, we watched a film showing how our grandmas kneaded their bread back in the day.

Mission „Master chef” In order to get to know the traditions and culture of our country better, in the beginning of December the children received a task. They had to research what kind of dishes are prepared for Christmas, and, together with their mothers and grandmothers, prepare their family’s favourite holiday dish.

We prepared cheese banitsa and sweet biscuit balls in the school’s kitchen.

Our proposals: The soups have a very important role in the Bulgarian cuisine, as in many occasions the appetizers are removed and these become the first course. Most of the soups are based on vegetables, such as beans, but other may include meats. „Tarator” is a Bulgarian soup that is served cold. It resembles of the Greek dish named „Tzatziki”.

Tarator Soup This Bulgarian recipe is intended to serve four persons Ingredients:1 large cucumber, peeled, diced, salted and drained, 7.2 dl yoghurt, 7.2 dl iced water or mineral water, 30 ml olive oil, 85 gr walnuts, crushed, 3 large cloves garlic, crushed with salt Directions: Combine all the ingredients in a blender and serve chilled.

Traditional Bulgarian Dish – Stuffed Cabbage Leaf Rolls Ingredients: cabbages: 1 pickled, rice: 0.500 kg, onions, sunflower oil, black pepper, red pepper, savory, salt, garlic: 3 cloves, water: 1 liter Preparation: 1. Cut the onion and garlic into small pieces. Heat sunflower oil in a frying pan and fry the onion and garlic for 2-3 minutes. Add rice and fry another 2-3 minutes as you mix constantly until the rice gets crystal. Pour 1 litter water and stir. When the water is absorbed by the rice, remove the rice from the stove and add the spices - savory, black pepper, red pepper and salt. Mix and let it cool for 10-15 minutes.

2. Prepare the Gyuvetch vessel. Cover with the outer cabbage leaves of the first cabbage its bottom and sideways. “Undress” the cabbages leaf by leaf as you keep the whole and big enough to stuff leaves and save the inner heart for salad. Take a leaf in your palm as the leaf is curled up and the stem end is closest to you. Take 2-3 table spoons from the rice filling and place it in the upper middle part of the leaf as you leave the sides of the leaf uncovered.

Be careful not to overstuff the leaves. If you use middle-size cabbage leaves usually 1-2 table spoons are enough. Wrap the leaf as you start to roll from the stem, fold the sides of the leaf inward and continue to roll until you have a completely rolled sarma. Continue until all cabbage leaves are stuffed. Put in cold oven and then turn it on to 200 C. Bake for 2 hours.

„Banitsa” „Banitsa” is a traditional Bulgarian pastry prepared by layering a mixture of whisked eggs and pieces of cheese between filo pastry and then baking it in an oven. “Banitsa” is served for breakfast with plain yogurt. It can be eaten hot or cold. Another popular version is “banitsa” with spinach.

Preparation:Take 12 pastry sheets (phyllo). Grease bottom of a pan with butter or oil. Brush 3 sheets with butter. Place sheets one atop the other. Spread 1/3 of filling. Top with 2 more sheets, each brushed with butter or oil. Spread second third of filling. Repeat one more time. Top last layer of filling with 3 oiled sheets. Bake in a moderate oven until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cheese Filling Ingredients: 6 eggs, pinch of baking soda, 1/4 kg white cheese, yogurt, butter/olive oil, sheets of phyllo dough Preparation: Beat yogurt adding baking soda, keep beating and add eggs and crumbed (or grated or crushed) cheese.

Combine and stir ingredients well. Put down 2 sheets of phyllo dough down in buttered/oiled pan.Pour enough of the mixture to cover phyllo sheets and top with 2 more sheets. Continue to repeat the process: put down 2 sheets and make sure to brush them well with butter/oil then layer with mixture until all of the mixture is done, then cover with atleast 2 sheets. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until golden.

Vasil Levski Comprehensive School 2021