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

FAQs

What is banitsa made of? ›

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.

Meshana Skara

It is a combination of grilled meat in various forms and versions. Generally, it consists of kebapche, kyufte, pork steaks and skewers of pork meat. It's basically the crème de la crème of Bulgarian food.

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.

Everybody has heard about the English breakfast with bacon and eggs, or the French croissants or loaf with confiture. But what about the typical Bulgarian breakfast? “Popara” made with bread, white cheese, butter and warm milk; Photo: www.detstvoto.net. Widespread morning meal in Bulgaria is “Popara”.

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.

Poultry was the most consumed meat type in Bulgaria. In 2022, Bulgarians consumed an average of 12.3 kilograms of poultry meat per capita. Pork ranked second with 12.2 kilograms consumed per person.

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.

Burek takes on more varying forms than banitsa

Nevertheless, banitsa's composition remains relatively constrained and dependably vegetarian in composition. On the contrary, with burek's far-reaching scope, it comes in a dizzying array of forms.

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.

How to reheat banitsa? ›

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.

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.

Greet each person in a group individually, starting with women and elderly persons. Bulgaria is still a fairly formal society – initial greetings are more formal and reserved than North Americans are typically accustomed to. Address people by their titles (if you know them), or with Mr. (GospaDIN), or Mrs.

Nazdrave!

Meaning: In Bulgarian they use the same word for “Cheers” when drinking and for “Bless you” when you sneeze. It literally means “To your health!”, or “Be healthy”.

Banitsa is usually included in breakfast menu. It is prepared according to the classic recipe - with a filling made of white cheese. Banitsa can be served with yogurt or a glass of cold buttermilk. According to the tradition, a banitsa with fortune slips is prepared for New Year's Eve.

So what makes Bulgarian yogurt so special? It lies in the tiny microorganisms, bacterial cultures, which occur naturally in milk and which are native, and specific, to Bulgaria. In 1905, Bulgarian scientist Stamen Grigorov analyzed the composition of yogurt from his home country.

Banitsa's origins can be traced back to the Ottoman Empire, where it was known as "borek." The dish made its way to Bulgaria in the 15th century and quickly became a favorite among the locals. Over time, the recipe for Banitsa evolved, with each region in Bulgaria adding its unique twist to the dish.