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.

Traditionally, Bulgarians prepare and serve banitsa on two holidays –Christmas and New Year's Eve. On these days, people add kusmeti ("lucky charms") into the banitsa. These are usually small pieces of dogwood branch, which symbolize health and longevity.

Photo: We have 4 different types of banitsa (typical Bulgarian pastry): - with cheese; - with lentils; - with spinach and cheese; - with ham.

The Bulgarian version of the pastry, locally called byurek (Cyrillic: бюрек), is typically regarded as a variation of banitsa (баница), a similar Bulgarian dish. Bulgarian byurek is a type of banitsa with sirene cheese, the difference being that byurek also has eggs added.

Banitsa. BULGARIA. M.B. Banitsa is a traditional Bulgarian dish made by layering sheets of buttered phyllo pastry with a mixture of eggs, yogurt, and white cheeses like sirene and feta for the simple and classic version of banitsa.

In Bulgaria, banitsa is more than just a food item; it's a cultural symbol that reflects the country's history, hospitality, and shared moments among loved ones. Its enduring popularity showcases the dish's significance in Bulgarian culinary traditions and its ability to bring people together.

Get yourself a four-leaf clover! One of the most well-known good-luck charms in the Western world, this rare clover has been a symbol of good fortune and prosperity for hundreds of years—and as one legend claims, ever since the dawn of humankind.

The Story of Lucky Charms

Hearts, Stars, and Horseshoes. Clovers and Blue Moons. Unicorns, Rainbows, and Tasty Red Balloons.

Bulgarian Feta (Sirene)

Bulgarian feta, or sirene, is a salty firm cheese with grainy structure, usually made from cow's milk (although sheep, goat and buffalo milk is used too). Bulgarians add it to most of their traditional pastries (like banitsa), in vegetable stews, and in salads.

Is Bulgarian white cheese the same as feta? ›

Bulgarian white cheese is a feta variation known in Bulgaria, Macedonia and other Balkan countries as “Sirene”. Made from sheep's milk, Sirene is a tad saltier than Greek feta and has a creamier texture, with a hint of yogurt overtones.

Originally it was made with sheeps milk, but today much of it is made from cows milk. You should take note that none of these Bulgarian packages of this style cheese pictured here contain the words 'Feta'. They simply say 'Bulgarian White Cheese' but not much at all has changed in this age old process.

Bulgarian yoghurt is a traditional Bulgarian dairy food, a hallmark of the country, produced by microbial lactic acid fermentation of pasteurized milk, inoculated with a starter culture of only two lactic acid bacterial species—Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus (L. bulgaricus) and Streptococcus thermophilus.

Akra are crunchy root-vegetable-based Haitian fritters. Haitian chef Gregory Gourdet makes his by finely grating fresh taro root and tossing the shreds with scallions, garlic, chile, and herbs. Egg binds the mixture, which is fried in batches to achieve a crisp, golden crust that reveals a creamy, garlicky interior.