When I travel I always book accommodation with breakfast included in order not to waste time in the morning. I would recommend you to do so but not in Bulgaria. Why? If you book a hotel in Bulgaria with a continental breakfast included you will miss out a big and an important part of discovering the country – the Bulgarian breakfast. If you book a guesthouse in the mountains or the villages you can enjoy a homemade breakfast/ and food every day. Because Bulgarian breakfast is a real feast for the eyes and the palate after all!
However, if you prefer to book a room in a luxurious hotel, don’t ask for breakfast, otherwise, your experience won’t be authentic and you won’t have the chance to taste Bulgarian pastries. If you visit Bulgaria for the first time (and not only!!!) have breakfast from the local bakeries (закуÑвални). To introduce you to the Bulgarian breakfast, I’ve chosen five different Bulgarian typical pastries full of calories and easy to find almost everywhere that you absolutely should try.
Table of Contents
The first place is for the absolute classic – Banitza with Boza
Banitza resembles the Turkish burek and is made of filo pastry and white Bulgarian cheese (similar to feta). Boza is a typical Bulgarian fermented drink made of barley. You may find this combination greasy and unusual, but give it a try. If you want to know where in Bulgaria you can eat the best banitza ever, check out this article: The apricot paradise – things to do in Northeastern Bulgaria
The second place is for Makedonska Mekitza from Dobrinishte
In Dobrinishte you can eat the biggest and the best mekitza garnished with sirene and jam. Mekitza is a big doughnut that goes well with something sweet – icing sugar or jam. Delicious and nutritious! Read more about Bansko region and how to get to Dobrinishte here: Soak in a hot spring, eat the biggest mekitza in the world and had a ride in the Rhodope Narrow Gauge – Winter Fairy Tale in Bansko region
Next comes milinki and ayran
Another must-try Bulgarian pastry is Milinki. It is a puffy bread filled with sirene and seasoned with sesame seeds. Thus, It’s salty and goes well with ayran.
Kifla with jam and coffee
Furthermore comes kifla with jam and coffee. Kifla is the Bulgarian equivalent of croissant, but with a sweet filling – usually jam or lokum. As it’s sweet, it’s the perfect companion for your morning coffee.
Fried bread with jam, sirene, honey with tea
This is the traditional breakfast served at the guest houses outside the rated destinations in Bulgaria. Fried bread with jam, honey, sirene, and herbal homemade tea is the mountain classic.
To conclude I hope to have convinced you to eat local when visiting Bulgaria! Because Bulgarian breakfast is a real feast for the eyes and the palate!
Thanks for reading!