3 Course of Meal….

Today I will talk about one of my favorite things to do, which is cooking. In order to give you an idea of how tasty Bulgarian cooking is, I will share a couple of my favorite meals that I grew up with.

Bulgarian cuisine is tasty, healthy, and nutritious. Cooking traditions in Bulgaria are centuries old and a lot of the dishes are prepared according to recipes handed down from generation to generation.

Here are my three course of meal and a few recommendations for what you can try if you ever happen to visit Bulgaria.

Shopska salad

For the first course I would like to suggest you a Salad. Some of the most popular salads in Bulgaria are shopska, which is the national salad and my first recommendation, potato salad, snejanka with yogurt, and cabbage with carrots. When combined with drinks, Bulgarians can spend hours eating salads.

Why shopska salad? Shopska salad is really the best loved dish in Bulgaria. It is basically made by combining diced garden tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, raw or roasted peppers, feta cheese (Bulgarian white cow cheese) and parsley with a light dressing of sunflower oil and red wine vinegar.

Meals with pork are my second recommendation following the great and amazing Shopska Salad.

Rolled, or stuffed, cabbage leaves and vine leaves, as well as stuffed bell peppers…

Pork is the most widely used meat in Bulgarian cuisine but fish, chicken, and lamb are also eaten regularly. Beef and veal are less common as most cattle are bred for milk production.

Rolled, or stuffed, cabbage leaves and vine leaves are made in every Balkan country, as well as stuffed bell peppers, grilled meat, and pastries with cheese filling. Stuffing for cabbage and peppers can include cooked grains, chopped carrots, onions, beans, rice, or ground meat. Some Balkan countries use pickled cabbage leaves, while others use steamed cabbage and sauerkraut.

Kozunak

For the final course I would recommend is the traditional bread named Kozunak. Kozunak is prepared in Bulgaria for orthodox Easter and it’s a slightly sweet yeast-raised bread with raisins that crosses the line between bread and coffee cake.

Sometimes we served Kozunak at Christmas and for other special occasions. I like it with Raspberry jam!

Hope you enjoy my three course of meals and you will share your favorite menu with me and my readers…