National Geographic Traveller (UK)

Q&A with Dany Petkov, founder of Balkan Bites food tours

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WHAT’S NEW IN SOFIA’S FOOD SCENE?

Sofia has a few really good, establishe­d vegetarian places, like Soul Kitchen

— one of my favourite restaurant­s in the city — and more seem to have sprung up since the pandemic. Restaurant­s offering modern twists on Bulgarian cuisine are also popular, including Niko’las 0/360, with food inspired by the chef’s grandmothe­r’s cooking; and Mekitsa and Coffee, which is making traditiona­l mekitsa (deep-fried yeast dough) hip. soulkitche­n.bg nikolas.bg mekitsa-and-coffee.business. site

WHAT BULGARIAN SPECIALITI­ES SHOULDN’T WE MISS?

I know it sounds a little strange, but it has to be tarator, a cold yoghurt and cucumber soup that’s one of our staple dishes. You’ll find it almost everywhere.

WHAT MOST SURPRISES VISITORS ABOUT SOFIA’S FOOD SCENE?

The freshness of the ingredient­s. It’s because of this that Bulgarian dishes tend to have very little spice, and our salads, like shopska (consisting of fresh tomatoes and crumbled sirene cheese), are typically served without a dressing. Western visitors are also often surprised to learn how much we Bulgarians love our yoghurt!

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