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Gastronomy, Life and Arts. By Velin Vergiev. Bulgarian Cuisine. Famous for its rich salads required at every meal, Bulgarian cuisine is also noted for the diversity and quality of dairy products and the variety of Bulgarian wines and local alcoholic drinks such as rakia ,
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Gastronomy, Lifeand Arts By VelinVergiev
Bulgarian Cuisine Famous for its rich salads required at every meal, Bulgarian cuisine is also noted for the diversity and quality of dairy products and the variety of Bulgarian wines and local alcoholic drinks such as rakia, mastika and menta. Bulgarian cuisine features also a variety of hot and cold soups, an example of a cold soup being tarator. There are many different Bulgarian pastries as well such as banitsa. Most Bulgarian dishes are oven baked, steamed, or in the form of stew. Deep-frying is not very typical, but grilling – especially different kinds of meats - is very common. Pork meat is the most common meat in the Bulgarian cuisine. Oriental dishes do exist in Bulgarian cuisine with most common being moussaka, gyuvetch, baklava, etc.
Main Dishes • Tarator • Bob Chorba • ShkembeChorba • Shopska Salad • Meatball • Stuffed peppers • Moussaka • Banitsa
TARATOR Tarator is a cold soup made of yoghurt andcucumber (dill,garlic, walnuts and sunflower oil are sometimes added) and is served chilled or even with ice. A salad versionof tarator is known as"Snowwhite salad“, also called Dry Tarator. It is made of thick(strained) yogurt, withoutwater. It canbe served as anappetizer or as a side to themain meal. It is a Commonrefresher during the summer.
BOB CHORBA Bob chorba is a national Bulgarian dish. The name translates to "bean soup". It is a soup made fromdrybeans, onions, tomatoes, cubritsa or dzhodzhen (spearmint) and carrots. Localvariations may also exclude the carrots orinclude paprika, potatoes or even some kind of Meat.
SHKEMBE CHORBA How we made shkembechorba? In Bulgaria, a whole pork, beef or lamb tripe is boiled for few hours, chopped in small pieces, and returned to the broth. The soup is spiced with ground red paprika which is briefly fried ,and often small quantity of milk is added. In some areas it is Traditionally the soup is served with mashed garlic in vinegar and hot red pepper. There is a variant of the soup with intestines instead of tripe.
SHOPSKA SALAD The salad is made from tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, raw or roasted peppers (preferably roasted), sirene (white brine cheese), and parsley. The vegetables are usually diced and salted, followed by a light dressing of sunflower oil orolive oil, which are occasionally complemented by vinegar. The addition of vinegar only contributes, however, to the sour flavour that the tomatoes impart. In restaurants, the dressings are provided separately. Lastly, the vegetables are covered in a thick layer of grated or diced sirene cheese. This salad is often consumed as an appetiser with rakija.Shopska salad derives its name from the regional group called Shopi living mostly in parts of Bulgaria.
MEATBALL A meatball is made from an amount of ground meat rolled into a small ball, sometimes along with other ingredients, such as breadcrumbs, mincedonion,spices, and possibly eggs. Meatballs are usually prepared and rolled by hand, and are cooked byfrying,baking, steaming, or braising in sauce. There are many kinds of meatball recipes using different types of meats and spices, including vegetarian and fish alternatives, and various methods of preparation
STUFFED PEPPERS Stuffed peppers is a traditional bulgarian dish.In the Bulgaria cuisine, is usually prepared with bell peppers (or a similar species) stuffed with ground meat, usually pork, rice, onion and other vegetables and spices. The peppers are stuffed with the ingredients and then baked in a rich, tomato based sauce. There are many different ways for preparing the peppers.People usually use fresh peppers but in winter it is more typical to use dried peppers.Stuffed peppers are also known as “palnenichyshki” in Bulgaria
MOUSSAKA Moussaka isan aubergine (eggplant) or potato based dish of Bulgaria.It is prepared with sautéed aubergines, green peppers, tomatoes, onions, and minced meat. In Bulgaria people use potatoes instead, pork mince and the top layer is yogurt mixed with raw eggs and a couple of spoons of flour. In Bulgaria there is also a three-layer version: the bottom layer consists of ground pork and beef, the middle layer slices of potatoes, the top layer a custard. Each layer is cooked on its own and layered in a pan and baked until the top layer is browned.
BANITSA Banitsa is a traditional Bulgarian food prepared by layering a mixture of whisked eggs and pieces of cheese between filo pastry and then baking it in an oven.Traditionally, lucky charms are put into the pastry on certain occasions, particularly on New Year’s Eve. Banitsa is served for breakfast with plain yogurt, ayrian, or boza. It can be eaten hot or cold. Some varieties include banitsa with spinach or the sweet version, banitsa with milk or pumpkin. Traditionally, banitsa is made with homemade or commercially made pastry sheets that are prepared from a baker's hard dough including flour,eggs, and water. The filling is made of crushed white cheese ,yoghurt, and eggs. Sometimes baking soda is added to the yogurt, which makes the yogurt rise
Etiquette In Bulgaria, gestures for indicating "yes" and "no" are essentially opposite from those common in most of the rest of Europe. A sideways shaking of the head indicates "Yes," and a short upward and downward movement (nod) of the head indicates "No." Bulgarians generally pride themselves on their hospitality and neighborliness. An uninvited visitor will first be greeted with a handshake or verbal greeting at the outermost doorway or gateway, and will be invited further into the private domestic space depending on the nature of the visit. At mealtimes, a guest will be offered food and drink, and at other times a drink (often homemade rakiya); it is impolite not to accept this hospitality. The obligation to accept a host's offer extends to situations outside of the home, such as when invited for a meal or a drink in a restaurant or other establishment. When visiting someone's home, it is customary to bring flowers or sweets. On the street or in other public places, strangers will usually avoid making eye contact. In public transportation, it is expected that younger people will give up a seat to an older woman or to a parent with a young child. Failure to do so invites public censure from other passengers. In ethnically-mixed areas, it is considered polite to greet a neighbor or acquaintance in that person's own language.
The Arts and Humanities Support for the Arts. During the state socialist period, the arts were state funded (and regulated). State-sponsored folk ensembles were charged not only with preserving heritage, but also with the task of transforming folk art forms to the level of high culture. State sponsorship allowed the arts to flourish, and ideological limits did not necessarily compromise artistry. Puppet theater, for instance, developed to a high standard of excellence. Since the fall of state socialism in 1989, state funding has evaporated, and entrepreneurship on the part of individuals and ensembles has become necessary for survival, where before salaries and programming emanated largely from the Ministry of Culture. This has been a tough transition for many practitioners of the arts. What state funding remains is granted subject to open competition.
Literature Bulgarian literature begins with the advent of literacy in Old Church Slavonic (Old Bulgarian) in the late-ninth century C.E. The earliest writings were religious in nature. In the late-eighteenth century, secular writings began to be written using a more accessible modern vernacular Bulgarian. Several important writings on the history of the Bulgarian nation date from this period. In the early nineteenth century, the modern standard language developed through the promotion of literacy in the schools. Literature and journalism flourished around the theme of national emancipation. Ethnologists began to collect and publish folklore, another vehicle for the development of national consciousness. Bulgarian Revival and early modern literature continues to form the core of literature studies within the Bulgarian education system. Several Bulgarian authors and poets have achieved international fame.
Graphic Arts. Bulgaria's graphic art traditions have their roots in Orthodox Christian icon and fresco painting, and some Bulgarian medieval works are world famous and significant in the history of world art, particularly the frescos in the Boyana church near Sofia. Folk arts and crafts thrive, and distinctive and beautiful traditions exist in wood carving, ceramics, and weaving and other textile arts.
Performance Arts Bulgaria boasts a rich palette of music, dance, and theater, ranging from folk music and dance to classical and modern opera, jazz, and Western-style popular music. Of particular note here are the varieties of folk and folk-influenced musics, many of which have become well-known in the outside world since the mid-1980s, achieving status as virtual icons of Bulgarian national culture. Particularly prominent are women's vocal (choral) music and wedding band music. Traditionally, folk musicians are often gypsies, the music is sensuous, and performances involve a high degree of spontaneity, particularly at events such as weddings. In theater, opera, and ballet, the repertoire of Bulgarian artists includes a range of international and local productions. Bulgarian cinema had its heyday in the 1970s and 1980s under state sponsorship, but now produces only between five and ten films annually.
