Travel tips for your vacation rental trip to Bulgaria

Bulgarian Cuisine and Restaurants

The people of the Balkans surely know how to enjoy life and its little pleasures and Bulgarians are no exception.  Like in all warm Southern countries, dining is more a ritual than just a habit; even on work nights, local people, especially those who live in smaller towns, like to gather around the table with their family or friends and share pleasant conversation.  People are friendly and hospitable; it isn't uncommon to come over without any warning to your neighbour's place in the evening for a glass of "rakia", a strong, traditional Bulgarian alcoholic drink usually made of grapes or apricots and served with a tomato, cucumber, cheese and onion salad, known as "shopska".

Most Bulgarians' favourite breakfast is "banitza", a delicious cottage cheese pie which you can always buy just around the corner, but there's nothing like home-made banitza.  It goes very well with the world-renowned Bulgarian yoghurt.  If you're travelling in Southern Bulgaria, sample some fig jam ...  it's a real delight.  Many Bulgarian dishes are tasty not for what they contain but how they have been prepared.  Try some bean soup or meat and potato stew, known as "gyuvetch" and served in a ceramic pot.  Another famous Bulgarian specialty is "sarmi", grape or cabbage leaves filled with a mixture of rice, minced meat and spices.  Generally, spices and herbs, some of which are unique, play an important role in traditional Bulgarian cuisine, which makes it even more interesting.

Outside the capital and the major resorts, in small, peaceful towns, even the nicest restaurants are so cheap that it is sometimes more expensive to cook a meal at home than to dine out.  Eating out with friends or relatives, whether on a special occasion or just an ordinary day, is very popular in Bulgaria, and the more popular venues are often packed in the evening.  The refined dining scene in larger cities offers an immense variety of cuisines, such as Italian, French, Chinese, Indian, Thai, Mexican and more.  Still, while you're in Bulgaria you are strongly advised to try, at least once, some traditional Bulgarian dishes.  You won't regret it.  "Mehana" is the word used for casual, inexpensive Bulgarian restaurants where you can try local specialities and, in most cases, enjoy some live music as well.

This article was written by:  Reservations in Rimini
 

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