Bulgarian cuisine contains a unique blend of flavors that reflect the country’s position in south-eastern Europe. Greek, Turkish and Middle Eastern influences are blended with the country’s native Slavic traditions. Plus, many people say they can detect influences from elsewhere as well: Hungarian cuisine, a taste of Italy, and just a hint of the Mediterranean.

The first thing visitors will notice is that Bulgaria has its own distinctive ingredients. These include kiselo mlyako (lit. “sour milk”), which is a yogurt, and sirene (a brined white cheese that can be made from cow’s, goat’s, or sheep’s milk).

Some popular traditional Bulgarian dishes include:

– Shkembe chorba – Some Bulgarians proudly claim that this unique tripe soup is a national historical tradition, while viewing it as crude and a bit vulgar. The soup is made from the stomach lining of cows, mixed with milk, and then seasoned with vinegar, garlic, and chili peppers. According to legend, if drunk in the morning, the soup can act as a hangover cure.

– Tarator – A cold soup, often eaten in the warm Black Sea regions of the country. Tarator is made with yogurt, cucumbers, nuts, vegetable oil, and water, and is seasoned with garlic and dill. It is often served cold, sometimes even on the rocks.

– Shopska Salad – Traditional Bulgarian salad made with diced vegetables: raw or roasted peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers and onions. The salad is served topped with grated or chopped sirene.

– Lyutika – A type of salad seasoning made from a mixture of roasted peppers, tomatoes and onions, finely crushed with a pestle and mortar. Lyutika is seasoned with garlic and parsley, and is sometimes mixed with yoghurt, sirene, hard-boiled eggs, or even pieces of cooked chicken.

– Lukanka – Spicy sausage made from pork or beef (veal). The sausage is prepared in dried cow intestine and hung to dry for up to 3 months. Once dry, it is pressed and often a white mushroom is allowed to grow (the mushroom is removed before eating). When Lukana is eaten, it is cut into thin slices and served cold.

– Soujouk – Another type of dry-cured spicy sausage. Soujouk is made from minced beef and cannot be eaten cold, but must be cooked before eating. Due to its high fat content, it can be cooked in its own juice without oil.

– Elenski but – Dry-cured ham, traditionally from Elena in Northern Bulgaria.

– Banitsa – A light baked savory cake made with eggs and sirene.

– Sarma – A rolled sheet, stuffed with a spiced mixture of minced meat, rice and finely chopped onions.

– Popara – A meal made of dry bread, perhaps a bit stale. The bread is cooked with milk, tea or water, a small amount of butter and sugar, and kajmak (a type of cream) or sirene.

– Gyuvetch: a casserole made with minced beef, bell peppers, onions, tomatoes, eggplant, and okra.

– Tsarska turshiya – Pickled vegetables; cauliflower with carrots, celery and red bell peppers.

– Selska turshiya – Pickled vegetables; cauliflower with green onions, green tomatoes, cabbage, carrots, and celery.

Apart from savory dishes, Bulgaria is also home to many excellent desserts. These include:

– Garash – A pecan cake, glazed with cream and dark chocolate, then covered with chocolate glaze.

– Halva: a sweet made with tahini from sesame seeds or sunflower seeds. There is also a variant made with semolina and another variety (known as “white halva”) made with sugar that is traditionally eaten just before Lent.

– Kozunak – Sweet bread with milk, butter, sugar, eggs, raisins and lemon zest.