Banitsa Recipe (Traditional Bulgarian Food) - Happy Foods Tube (2024)

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What is Bulgaria's traditional food? ›

Main courses are very typically water-based stews, either vegetarian or with lamb, goat meat, veal, chicken, or pork. Deep-frying is not common, but grilling—especially of different kinds of sausages—is prominent. Pork is common, often mixed with veal or lamb, although fish and chicken are also widely used.

Banitsa is prepared by layering a mixture of whisked eggs, plain yogurt, and pieces of white brined cheese between filo pastry and then baking it in an oven. Traditionally in Bulgaria, lucky charms are put into the pastry on certain occasions, particularly on New Year's Eve.

How to make banitsa. Mix crumbled Feta cheese, with yogurt, eggs and baking soda. Lay a sheet of filo pastry on your worktop, spoon some of the filling over (you can spread it slightly) and roll. This is then rolled into a snail like shape and placed in a greased oven-proof dish.

Shopska salad

One of the most popular Bulgarian dishes, this salad is made out of chopped tomatoes and cucumbers, sliced peppers and onion as well as white cheese and a dressing with sunflower or olive oil and optionally some vinegar and salt.

A traditional Bulgarian Breakfast is “Banitsa s boza”. Banitsa is 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.

It's flakey & buttery phyllo dough rolled with feta — or Bulgarian white cheese which we call Sirene. I will never forget waking up to the smell of fresh bread and homemade “Banitza”. It is simply the most delicious phyllo pastry dish, and the options for fillings are endless.

Photo: We have 4 different types of banitsa (typical Bulgarian pastry): - with cheese; - with lentils; - with spinach and cheese; - with ham.

Banitsa is best served warm. Refrigerate leftovers. You can reheat it in a microwave for a minute or two or in a regular oven for 10 minutes at 350°F. Bulgarians often eat banitsa for breakfast with yogurt.

The Bulgarian version of the pastry, locally called byurek (Cyrillic: бюрек), is typically regarded as a variation of banitsa (баница), a similar Bulgarian dish. Bulgarian byurek is a type of banitsa with sirene cheese, the difference being that byurek also has eggs added.

What is the best breakfast in Bulgaria? ›

Banitsa – Баница (Most Popular Bulgarian Breakfast Choice)

The most common filling for a pie is eggs and cheese, but it can be made with spinach and cheese, pumpkin, cabbage, leek, and many other options. It can also be prepared with minced meat.

It is the basis of traditional Bulgarian dishes such as tarator, a cold soup made of yoghurt, water, cucumber, walnuts and herbs; and snezhanka, a salad consisting of yoghurt, cucumbers, garlic and dill. People sip yoghurt drinks in the streets and dip fried courgette slices into yoghurt in eateries.

It shared physiognomies with other Balkans cuisines and due to the geographical factors, such as climatic conditions, Bulgarian cooking traditions are diverse. Prepare to eat until your heart's content, because Bulgarian food is tasty, fresh and filling!

Bulgaria is Famous for its Roses

This is because rose oil is Bulgaria's biggest export and a vital part of the country's economy. The unique species of rose called Rosa Damascena grows well across much of the country, but it grows particularly well in The Rose Valley — an area south of the Balkan Mountains.

Rakija - the national drink of Bulgaria. Rakia is a traditional Bulgarian fruit brandy. Almost no Sunday meal in Bulgaria goes by without the tasty Rakia rounding off the meal. Tourists know the rakia served by local restaurants and kitchens all too well.

Nestinarstvo, or the ritual fire dancing on live coals, is an ancient Bulgarian custom, which has both Christian and pagan elements. It is believed to originate from the Thracians, and more accurately from their sun worship.