Bulgarian Cuisine

Hello Adriana,

Welcome on board !

I hope members will share their preferences with you soon.

Eager to read the answers.

All the best

Bhavna

Hi Adriana 😊

I generally find the pork dishes to be of good quality here in Bulgaria and enjoy those dishes with peppers, mushrooms onions & garlic. Kavarma is a favourite of mine.

I'm not a huge fan of the kuftes/ kebaches as some can be very fatty & greasy.. also dislike the potato puree as it's served cold as a side dish , and we are used to it being served as a side dish, but hot! I enjoy salads and fish dishes too, but can't or won't try carp, and don't like the idea of the sprats either.

I like it when we visit a restaurant and our starters are brought out before our main dish . It doesn't always happen & we are used to it now, and accept it. The other way around it is just to order the starter and when that arrives, then order the main course. If you can think of more specific questions, I'll be happy to try and help.

I would never eat shkembe. Would not give it to my dog.

More vegetarian dishes would be great. There's such an emphasis on meat that those who don't eat it often have limited choice. That includes using vegetable oils rather than animal fat to cook vegetable dishes.

I also agree with what Jane says. A greater variety of vegetarian options would be great, let the imagination run riot, these dishes can be so tasty - I've had some fun conjuring up dishes for my vegetarian friend & enjoy them equally.

I have eaten skembe, and have to admit it's an acquired taste, but it was ok. My partner, who is Bulgarian tells me it's the traditional hangover cure!

My favourite quick dish is probably mish mash, which should tick the vegetarian box for some.

Although meat is very prominent, there is actually a tradition of vegetarian and vegan dishes, especially attached the the penitential seasons before Christmas and Easter. If you dig around in cook books featuring traditional Bulgarian cuisine they are there, but I'm not sure they feature in restaurant menus very often.

I have eaten skembe, and have to admit it's an acquired taste, but it was ok. My partner, who is Bulgarian tells me it's the traditional hangover cure!
My favourite quick dish is probably mish mash, which should tick the vegetarian box for some.
Although meat is very prominent, there is actually a tradition of vegetarian and vegan dishes, especially attached the the penitential seasons before Christmas and Easter. If you dig around in cook books featuring traditional Bulgarian cuisine they are there, but I'm not sure they feature in restaurant menus very often.
-@porridgeandprunes

Shkembe made me sick from the look only. I dont drink so dont know.

@Jules999  Thank you very much for your reply. With regards to the starters and main course- would it be better if served like in most places in Europe - f.e. you eat for 1-2 hours and you need to vacant the table or to keep it the Bulgarian way - eating and drinking for hours

@Anastasija_gust Actually tribe is very popular in European cousine, not with the BG recipe but the Italian and Spanish ones

Shall we agree that menus in Bulgarian restaurants are too big, meaning most of the food is cooked and frozen in advance, and a menu with a few fresh dishes would be more appreciated?

@Adriana Petrova that's a tricky one, and depends on the location of the restaurant, and whether there are any other bars etc around it, that one could drop into, if the table was needed for a later booking. Personally, I like to sit and relax as the Bulgarians do, during and after a meal. I don't eat out very often, and see it as a bit of a luxury, so I like to take my time & enjoy the experience, rather than be on a time constraint.

@Adriana Petrova Absolutely! We recently visited a restaurant near to where we live. The menu is fairly small, but caters for everybody, even vegans. The dishes are cooked to order and so tasty & fresh. We definitely prefer a smaller but fresher choice. This is Gordon Ramsay's mantra also!

@Adriana Petrova yes too big.

@Adriana Petrova kepp the Bulgarian way. Eating drinking all night.

@Jules999  me the same sit and relax as the Bulgarians do. We are foreigners and must do as Bulgarians. Its too funny when foteigners get angry in Bulgarian restaurants if starters get served with main meal.

Thank you all for your replies, quite helpful. Another question - what do most of you miss from the "UK" menu?

Battered cod fish, chips (fries) and mushy peas.  Also Sunday Roasts.  God, I need to go back home!!!

@Adriana Petrova custard, marmite, sponge puddings, black pudding.  Marmite I can buy (at great expense) in Varna.  The rest I've been getting from the British Corner Shop dot Co dot UK.

@Snowball6 When you mentioned fish I notice carp is not very popular with English people Chips/fries are in every restaurant in Bulgaria, is there any particular type you mean?

When fish & chips are mentioned together, it generally refers to cod or haddock ( not a fish I've seen here, the closest I've come to is hake ), and in batter or breadcrumbs. Definitely not carp.......

Scharan is carp.