What to Bring Back from Bulgaria?
I love bringing food home from my trips, and Bulgaria was no exception. And a country where the Balkans meet the Orient has plenty that travels easily - cheeses, cured meats, spices and rose cosmetics.
So what do I recommend as the best food souvenirs from Bulgaria?
Bulgarian Sirene Cheese
Sirene is my favorite Bulgarian ingredient. The white cheese is made from cow's, sheep's and goat's milk, and you will also come across a rarer buffalo version. It is grated over salads, it goes into banica and in Bulgaria it turns up with practically every meal - and a vacuum-sealed pack survives the trip in a suitcase without any trouble.
Price for sirene cheese: depends on the type of milk and the size of the pack
Mursalski Tea
One gift from Bulgaria worth considering is Mursalski tea - a herb called ironwort, or mountain tea, that grows in the Rhodope Mountains. It is credited with health benefits, it tastes pleasant and it has no caffeine, so you can enjoy a cup in the evening as well.
Price for a 20 g pack of Mursalski tea: 4.50 BGN (2.20 EUR)
Sujuk Sausage
Sujuk is a flat dried sausage, usually made from ground beef or game and a lively mix of spices. Some sticks develop a white bloom of edible mold on the surface, much like a Hungarian-style dry salami. It is excellent with beer or on a board next to sirene.
Price for one sujuk sausage: 9.50 BGN (4.80 EUR)
Dried Beef Pastarma
To make pastarma, beef is first salted, coated in a spice mixture and air-dried for several weeks. The result is aromatic and spicy, and it is sliced paper thin. The delicacy has Ottoman roots: you will find its counterpart in Turkey or Armenia.
Price for an 80 g pack of pastarma: 9.50 BGN (4.80 EUR)
Bulgarian Colorful Salt Seasoning Mix
Colorful salt (sharena sol) is the most widely used seasoning mix in Bulgarian cuisine. You sprinkle it on bread, cheese and vegetables. The pack in the photo holds salt, red pepper, savory and fenugreek; there are also blends where, despite the name, salt is missing altogether. For pocket change you get a souvenir you will genuinely use at home.
Price for a pack of colorful salt: 0.80 BGN (0.40 EUR)
Bulgarian Seasoning Mix for Tarator
This blend of garlic, fennel greens and black pepper is meant for the cold soup tarator and the Snow White yogurt salad. At home you can put either one together in minutes - all you need is yogurt and a cucumber.
Price for a pack of tarator seasoning mix: 1.60 BGN (0.80 EUR)
Bulgarian Bean Seasoning Mix
When I shop, I often reach for ingredients when I have no idea what they taste like. That is exactly how I ended up with this bean mix: salt, red pepper, fenugreek, chili, lovage, basil, dried onion, carrot, tomato powder, parsley and garlic. I have already given it a go and it is a real find - the fenugreek gives beans an unusual flavor.
Price for a pack of bean seasoning mix: 1.60 BGN (0.80 EUR)
Bulgarian Cream with Damask Rose Extract
Bulgaria made its name growing Damask roses in the famous Rose Valley and the oil extracted from them is among the priciest in the world. So a cream with rose extract and hyaluronic acid made it onto the shopping list as a gift. The Damask rose smells wonderful, has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, works against wrinkles and brightens tired skin.
Bulgarian Wine
If luggage weight and liquid limits allow, definitely consider the excellent Bulgarian wine made from the local Mavrud or Melnik grapes. And anyone who likes something stronger will be happy with Pliska brandy or Bulgarian beer.
What food souvenirs do you bring back from Bulgaria?
