BulgariaWhat to eat in Bulgaria: top 10 dishes
Traveling to Bulgaria? These are the ten dishes it is best known for, from everyday staples to festive classics, with a short background and a tip on where and when to eat each one. Ranked by how widely they are known around the world.
02Shopska salad
Shopska salad is a cold salad popular throughout Southeastern Europe. It is Bulgaria's most famous salad and national dish.
Travel tip A fixture on restaurant menus and usually shared at the table as a starter. It is topped with grated cheese and goes well with grilled meat and rakia.
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03Banitsa
Banitsa (Bulgarian: баница), also transliterated as banica and banitza, is a traditional pie made in Bulgaria. It is also made in Budjak, where it is known as milina by Ukrainian Bulgarians; North Macedonia; and southeastern Serbia.
Travel tip A breakfast favorite sold at bakeries and eaten warm, often with plain yogurt or ayran. It is also the pie where small fortunes are hidden at New Year.
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04Cozonac
Cozonac or Kozunak is both a sweet bread and a sweet yeast dough that can be used to make different traditional holiday breads and cakes. Often mixed with raisins or nuts, it can be baked as a loaf or rolled out with fillings like poppy seed or walnuts.
Travel tip A sweet bread most associated with Easter and Christmas, so bakeries and homes make it around the holidays. Eat it sliced, with tea or coffee.
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05Pinđur
Pindjur or pinjur or pinđur is a red-pepper spread or relish often used in summer and autumn. Pindjur is commonly prepared in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Bulgaria, Serbia, Kosovo and North Macedonia.
Travel tip A roasted pepper spread made in late summer and autumn, often served as a side or on bread. Look for it in jars at markets.
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06Garash cake
Garash is a chocolate cake from Bulgarian cuisine. It was created by the Austro-Hungarian chef Kosta Garash in 1885 in Ruse, Bulgaria, during the time he managed the grand hotel “Islah Hane”, which was located next to the residence of the Bulgarian Knyaz…
Travel tip A chocolate cake found in cafes and pastry shops in Bulgaria. Try a slice with coffee.
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07Mekitsa
Mekitsa is a traditional Bulgarian dish made of kneaded dough made with yogurt that is deep fried. They are made with flour, eggs, yogurt, a leavening agent, water, salt, and oil. In Serbia they are called mekike (sing.
Travel tip A fried dough eaten for breakfast at bakeries and homes, usually with jam, feta-style cheese or powdered sugar. Eat it hot.
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08Bob chorba
Bob chorba is a chorba, a Bulgarian soup. It is made from dry beans, onions, tomatoes, chubritza or dzhodzhen (spearmint) and carrots. Local variations may also exclude the carrots or include paprika, potatoes or even some kind of meat.
Travel tip A simple bean soup eaten at home and in traditional restaurants, especially in cooler months and on fasting days. It is often served with bread and chili flakes.
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09Patatnik
Patatnik or patetnik (Bulgarian: пататник or патетник) is a Bulgarian potato dish characteristic of the Rhodope Mountains in the country's central south.
Travel tip A potato dish from the Rhodope Mountains, best in mountain towns and village restaurants. It is hearty and often served with yogurt.
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10Mish-mash
Mish-mash (in Bulgarian: Миш-маш) is a Bulgarian spring dish made with fresh vegetables (typically tomatoes, peppers and onions), eggs and sirene (a type of Balkan brined cheese), and often garnished with freshly cut parsley.
Travel tip A light spring and summer dish found in family restaurants and made at home. It is usually served with bread.
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