Fish soup
Fish soup is the traditional dish of the Danube region – from Vidin, through Tutrakan and Silistra. Its secret is the freshly caught Danube fish with the addition of traditional vegetables for the region. Several types of fish are usually used for the broth and the soup is prepared on an open fire.
Some places add spicy seasonings and chilli peppers and the dish is known as Danube/Vlashka salamura or pryasol.
Fish dishes
Danube cuisine is inextricably linked with the river – fish and all fish products are traditional for almost all places along the Danube. Tarana caviar, fresh catfish, carp and pike, carrasius or Danube bleak, prepared according to local recepies, will welcome you in the big cities and small towns in the region. A mandatory dish for Saint Nicholas Day, the day of fishermen, is a carp in batter, stuffed with walnuts, onions, raisins and tomato.
Garash cake
Kosta Garash was the owner of the first Bulgarian grand hotel Islyakh Hane, which was built in 1870 in the then town of Ruschuk (now Ruse). Royals, nobles, travelers and foreigners stayed there. Garash was a certified pastry chef from Vienna and wanted to impress the noble guests with a culinary masterpiece. Likely inspired by the world-famous Sachertorte, he created his own original recipe for a dessert that is to this day the most recognisable sweet temptation from the Bulgarian Danube region.
Watermelon madzhun
Watermelon honey (madzhun) is characteristic for the Silistra region and the inhabitants of the village of Smilets even recreated the process of its preparation. In the past it has been used as a natural sweetener. In order to prepare it, the watermelons need to be scraped and boiled over a fire until juice is obtained and then thickened. Curiously, "plates" are carved into the ground for the fire, as well as "nests" for the vessels.
Dobruja bread
The Dobruja Region is known as the Granary of Bulgaria or Golden Dobruja. It is famous for its white flour and various pastries. In addition to the traditional Dobruja bread with its golden yellow colour, an older bread recipe is kept here, namely one using a clay pot that is baked while buried in coals.
Bel muj
Bel muj is a characteristic dish of Torlak cuisine in the northwest. It is prepared with cheese placed in a deep dish, on which salt and flour dissolved in water is poured. It is cooked over high heat until it thickens.
Kachamak
Kachamak or mamaliga is a very common dish in the Danube region. Its main ingredient is gluten-free corn flour to which butter, red pepper and crumbled cheese are added. The dish is particularly characteristic of Romanian cuisine, where it is even served as a main course. In northern Italy it is known as polenta.
Lyutika
Lyutika is characteristic for the Vratsa region and is made of roasted red peppers, roasted tomatoes and onions. Some regions add egg and cheese. Prepared in this way, the vegetables can become the basis for a meat dish called chicken lyutika.
Dobruja rogachki
Rogachki, or krastachki, is a popular everyday dish in the Dobruja region. It is a rolled thin sheet of dough that is sprinkled with cheese, folded and baked on a hot plate. This recipe is likely borrowed from the well-known gözleme from Turkish cuisine.
Vlach sarmi
The Vlach sarmi are a traditional dish for the Easter table in the Vidin region. They contain pork, rice, onions, garlic, cabbage leaves, tomato and spices. They are boiled for exactly two hours.