When Bulgarians sit down for a meal, they raise their glasses to make a traditional toast. “We look each other in the eyes and say ‘Nazdrave’,” explains a Bulgarian author to his Israeli visitor in the story ‘Sozopol’ in the collection Rakiya – Stories of Bulgaria. ‘To your health!’
The characters in the story are drinking rakiya, a Bulgarian alcoholic beverage that's made from fermented fruits, most commonly grapes, apples, pears, peaches, apricots, and cherries. “It’s best when it’s homemade,” the Bulgarian author continues. The Israeli finds the drink powerful, burning his throat with its strong alcoholic punch.
“It’s an acquired taste," the Bulgarian says, laughing at the Israel’s reddening face.
The rakiya drink also features in the book’s titular story. Two former best friends are competing in a mountain village to produce the best rakiya. Similar contests consider alcoholic drinks mass-produced by established wineries and corporations but the village competition, on the other hand, is open to residents of the area who make rakiya in their bathrooms, garages, and cellars. Winning is solely a matter of local pride.
Overall, alcohol plays a very minor role in the local cuisine presented to readers of Rakiya – Stories of Bulgaria. In ‘Sozopol’, a waiter sets down a spread of fresh salads in colorful ceramic dishes. The Bulgarian author insists that his Israeli visitor try a salad composed of chopped tomatoes and cucumber and topped with a generous amount of grated white cheese. “Shopska salad is our most famous and national dish,” he explains to his guest.
Other dishes served in the stories of the collection include grilled fish, vegetable guvech (a vegetable stew), kebapche (grilled meat sausages), and sheep’s yogurt with honey. In the story 'Three Women in Sofia', an American studying in Bulgaria is treated to banitsa−flaky pastries of baked filo dough, some of them filled with salty cheese and others stuffed with sweet pumpkin filling. And he also savors one of Bulgaria’s most popular fruits. “Cherries! The size of golf balls! Pulpy, delicious, and incredibly sweet.”
Visitors to Bulgaria can enjoy many other tasty examples of the country’s characteristic cuisine. Hopefully Rakiya – Stories of Bulgaria will whet readers’ appetites to taste them all.
Thanks for stopping by to share your food for thought, Ellis!
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