If you are invited to someone's home or choose a good traditional restaurant you'll be able to sample what's best about Bulgarian cuisine; plenty of fresh vegetables, eaten raw, roasted or stewed with meat in terra-cotta pots. Lots of garlic, onions, oil and spices. Influences of its neighbours, Turkey and Greece are also present in dishes such as 'sarmi' (stuffed vine leaves), 'moussaka' and 'baklava'.

Bulgarians like their salads: a salad and rakia (Bulgarian spirit/ schnapps usually made from grapes) are the obligatory start to the meal. Be warned, this stage of the meal can be a very drawn-out process lasting up to an hour.

These are some of the more popular Bulgarian salads, well worth a try:

Shopska salata - chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, onions and peppers sprinkled with 'sirene' (Bulgarian white cheese);
Snezhanka - thick creamy yoghurt with chopped cucumber or gherkins, walnuts and garlic;
Kyopulo - roasted aubergines, peppers, loads of garlic, parsley.

Soups are also a very important element in the Bulgarian menu;

Bob chorba - traditional bean soup with plenty of herbs;
Shkembe chorba - tripe soup with garlic, vinegar and chilli, quite tasty if you can bring yourself to try it;
Tarator - cold yoghurt and cucumber soup. Bulgarians like their meat - mainly pork (svinsko), veal (teleshko) and chicken (pile)- grilled, fried or as a stew:
Kavarma - meat and vegetable stew, usually served in individual pots;
Gyuvech - stewed chunks of vegetables and lamb;
Kyufteta - spicy meat balls/ hamburgers;
Kebapcheta - spicy mince meat, sausage shaped, grilled.

Vegetarians may find the choice on the menu a bit limiting which is a shame as there are plenty of delicious vegetarian dishes. Usually you can find the following but if all else fails try a selection of starters or a combination salad (a plate of various salads):

Kashkaval pane - fried yellow (or white) cheese;
Chushki byurek - fried peppers stuffed with egg and cheese;
Sirene po shopski - white cheese, egg, tomatoes and peppers baked in a pot.

The fame of Bulgarian wine speaks for itself. It is inexpensive and good. Bulgarian beers such as Astika, Zagorka and Kamenitsa are all very continental in their appeal and much cheaper than imported beers. Be wary with spirits, as there is a lot of fake stuff on the market. If it in any way tastes strange, don't drink it. By the way, the Bulgarian for cheers is 'Nazdrave!'

Bulgarian cuisine isn't strong on desserts, most restaurants offer only pancakes or creme caramel. Cafes usually have a good selection of pastries and cakes. The 'garash torta' is the Bulgarian equivalent of the Sacher Torte, made from eggs, walnuts and cocoa.

Snacks (zakuska) are available all over town in tiny shops or from stands on the street. If you are feeling a little peckish why not try:

Banitsa - fillo dough pastry filled with white cheese;
Gevrek - like a very dry bagel, sold from big bags on street corners;
Kifla - croissant usually filled with jam;
Piroshka - dough stick filled with white cheese and fried.
Finally, if you are feeling really adventurous, try some 'boza', - a thick malt drink with a distinct smell. It's said to be an acquired taste!

Worth nothing:
- Bulgarians tend to serve food warm rather than piping hot.
- Bulgarians think nothing of lighting up a cigarette in the middle of their salad, so if you are a non-smoker, brace yourself!
- When ordering a main course in a restaurant, check if it comes with
'garnitura' (potatoes or veg) - usually you have to order side dishes extra

OUR TOP 4 RECIPES

Vegetarian Moussaka

2 marrow vegetables
1 cup of rice
4 big carrots
4 potatoes
200 g fresh peas
200 g sweet corn
salt, black pepper, curry
1 bunch of spring onions
1 bunch of dill
50 g butter
For the topping:
1 cup of yogurt,
400 ml fresh milk,
1 egg,
a pinch of salt,
2 tablespoons of flour

Preparation:
Fry the finely chopped onions and carrots in a big baking tray with a bit of oil. Add the rice and stir with a wooden spoon for about 5 minutes. Add the finely cut marrow vegetables and potatoes, the peas and the corn. Fry on a weak fire (low temperature) for 10 more minutes. After that add 1 teaspoon of salt, a pinch of curry, a pinch of black pepper, the butter and the finely cut dill. At the end add 2 tea cups of water and leave in the oven. Bake for about 30 minutes and then pour over the ready top layer mixture. Bake until the top turns into a tender pinkish colour.
Preparation of the topping: Melt the butter and add the flour. Stir until you have a homogenous mixture. Add the fresh milk with a pinch of salt and stir constantly until it boils. Take away from the fire and bind with the yogurt and the egg.

Lamb Roll (with fresh potatoes)

Fresh young lamb is always tasty.
But if you would like to cook something different for George`s Day (Gergiov den) try this lamb roll.
Ingredients:
3 kg de-boned lamb shoulder
1.5 kg stewed spinach
100g bacon, sliced
100g peeled almonds
1 bunch of fresh mint leaves
salt (to taste)
red paprika powder
black pepper
2 kg fresh spring potatoes for the garnish
100 g butter

Preparation:
Arrange the de-boned meat in such way so that you could fold it in a roll. On top of it arrange the spinach, bacon, almonds, and the mint leaves. Sprinkle with salt and fold it into a tight roll. Bind with cotton thread or string. Grease as season the roll with salt, black pepper, and red paprika powder. Place it in a baking tray with 1 cup of water. Cover with foil. Put it in the pre-heated oven (180 Celsius) and "forget about it" for 4 hours. When you feel the tempting flavor of the well baked lamb roll, pull it from the oven. Take off the foil, place the potatoes on the sides and return back to the oven for another hour. You end up with a wonderful crisp skin, tender potatoes and a delicious meal.
Serve with a green salad and wait to collect all the congratulations that will follow.

Banitsa - Cheese and Egg Pie

for the dough:
1 kg plain flour
1/2 tablespoon salt
1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons vinegar
400 ml lukewarm water (app)

for the filling:
5 eggs
400 g feta cheese
300 g oil and butter (half each

Stuffed Peppers

12 - 14 red peppers
500g minced meat (pork & beef mixed)
2 tomatoes peeled and chopped
1 onion finely chopped
1 carrot grated
200g rice
2 tbsp oil
20g butter
salt
pepper
parsley & "chubritsa"(Bulgarian herb or use mint)

Preparation:
Wash and clean the peppers. Combine the remaining ingredients adding one cup of boiling water. Mix well. Stuff the peppers, leaving room for the rice to expand. Arrange in an oven proof dish, pierce the peppers in one or two places with a fork, sprinkle with salt and some butter and add three cups of boiling water. Bake at 170 celsius for approx. one hour till the rice is well cooked. Any excess liquid can be drained and used for making a bechamel sauce to serve with the peppers - alternatively serve with yoghurt.