Bulgarian food is simply delicious and trying some of the best traditional Bulgarian food should be top of your list of things to do when visiting Bulgaria. Unsurprisingly, Bulgarian cuisine has many influences from the Balkans, Greece and Turkey, all being close neighbours. However, many Bulgarian dishes are unique to the country, making it all the more important to sample as many as possible. Check out our list below of the best Bulgarian foods you must try:
1. Shopska Salad
Shopska salad is one of the most popular traditional Bulgarian foods, and one you will see on most menus across the country. The salad is commonly eaten as a starter, or as a side. Consisting of diced tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and onions, the salad is then topped with grated sirene cheese (a Bulgarian cheese). These ingredients also mean that the salad’s colours match the Bulgarian flag.
2. Sarmi
A dish found across many Balkan countries in different varieties, Sarmi is the Bulgarian version of stuffed vine or cabbage leaves. In Bulgaria, they are traditionally stuffed with rice or a mix of rice and minced meat. The cabbage leaf version, pictured below, is often served in winter, whereas the vine leaf version is commonly served in warmer months or as a side dish or starter.
3. Meshana Skara
Meshana Skara is a mixed grilled meat dish, eaten all over Bulgaria. The dish commonly includes kebapche, kyufte, pork skewers and pork steaks. Although this dish is normally served with chips and lyutenitsa (a sauce) to accompany the meat, side dishes can vary depending on where you are.
4. Banitsa
Visiting Bulgaria and not seeing or trying a banitsa would be almost impossible! This delicious pastry is found in bakeries across Bulgaria, and is great as a snack or with breakfast, as it is most commonly eaten by locals. They come with a variety of fillings but the standard is sirene cheese (Bulgarian cheese, similar to feta cheese). Other fillings include onions, spinach, mushrooms and pumpkin.
5. Lyutenitsa
Lyutenitsa is a relish and a popular traditional Bulgarian food that is served with bread, meats and many other meals in Bulgaria. The relish is made from tomatoes, peppers, onion, garlic and chilli. Naturally, the chilli makes this relish a little hot, but the sweetness of the tomato and peppers offset this perfectly.
6. Kebapche
One of the most common grilled meats that you will find in Bulgaria is kebapche, which is minced meat shaped into a sausage form, seasoned, and served with a side. Kebapche is very similar to the Balkan cevapi but is usually larger. Common sides to serve with kebapche are chips, sirene cheese and onions, which are used to make the kebapche into a main dish.
7. Tarator
Tarator is a light and refreshing cold Bulgarian soup that is served all year round but is particularly popular in the summer months. The soup is made from Bulgarian yoghurt, cucumbers, dill and garlic. Walnuts are sometimes added too. This dish is super tasty, very affordable and available in most places across Bulgaria, and is one of the Bulgarian dishes you have no excuse not to try!
8. Moussaka
Yes, there is Bulgarian moussaka! Most commonly known as a Greek dish, Bulgaria has its very own moussaka, which is similar to Greek moussaka but is made with potatoes and minced pork meat, rather than lamb or beef mince and aubergine. The Bulgarian version also uses yoghurt on top to give it a tangy flavour.
9. Lukanka
Across the Balkans, and much of Europe for that matter, dry-cured meats are found everywhere. Bulgaria has many of its own cured meats but lukanka is the most popular. Lukanka is distinctive due to its flattened shape. The dry-cured sausage is made from pork and beef meat which is seasoned with cumin, salt and black pepper.
10. Tsatsa
Commonly eaten in the summer months, tsatsa are small fried fish. Similar to the small fried fish that can be found in Spain, Portugal and much of the Mediterranean, tsatsa are lightly coated in flour and deep-fried whole. This dish is the perfect traditional Bulgarian food for a warm summer’s day, and goes great washed down with a cold beer and a squeeze of lemon.
If you want to know more about Bulgaria including how to get in, out and around some of the most popular cities, check out our collection of Bulgaria travel guides. We also have a great selection of city walks for Sofia, Varna and Burgas in Bulgaria, which you can check out on our Youtube channel. Let us know in the comments below if you have tried any of these Bulgarian dishes and which was your favourite. For more tips on Bulgarian food, take a look at our Burgas restaurant guide and Sofia restaurant guide which lists some of our favourite restaurants, cafes and bars in these locations.
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Great list! Thanks for sharing!
Everything looks delicious but especially the banitsa!!
I didn’t know much about food in Bulgaria, thanks for sharing. It all looks and sounds delicious!