Bulgarian Tripe Soup - Shkembe Chorba

People on the Balkans like this spicy soup, which is served broadly over the Peninsula. 

As the name suggests, it has Turkish origin, but over the years it was adapted in the cuisines of the different coutries. Even though the names of the soup are local and there are some variations concerning the included ingredients (with or without milk, onion, veal knuckles etc.), the recipe is nearly the same. It is not a sophisticated dish, but it is very tasty and it has the reputation of one of the best hangover cures. 

A man healing tool probably. I can't imagine a woman, feeling giddy and suffering from head-aches, who sips tripe soup in the morning, but who knows?

But bear in mind: tripe makes the soup gelatinous and its surface tends to become solid very fast. So the soup should be eaten really hot, which makes some slurping inevitable. This fact and also the strong taste and the garlic garnish make the soup not very proper part of the menu if you inted to invite the President for dinner. Otherwise it is a very tasty soup for an evening with the beloved ones matching perfectly with a glass of ice-cold beer. 

Carp for Saint Nicholas Day

One of the traditional Bulgarian feasts is Nikulden, the day of Saint Nicholas, which is celebrated every year on the 6th of December. Icons of this saint can be seen in nearly every Bulgarian church. The name Nikola is one of the most popular Bulgarian names. St. Nicholas is the patron of the sailors and fishermen, but also of the bankers and all the people working in the financial business, so many people celebrate today. 

Bulgarian tradition postulates that there shall be carp on the Saint Nicholas dinner table. 

Carp, cooked in dough, the so-called Ribnik, is one of the most popular dishes for this day.

Some people, who do not like the specific taste of this slow-water fish buy other types of fish, but carp is a rule according to the tradition. Carp with many scales. Because the more scales the carp is covered with, the more money will bring Saint Nicholas to the family throughout the coming year. Some scales are thoroughly washed and everybody put one scale in their wallet with the purpose to attract money.

Fish bones shall not be thrown in the garbage, they shall be buried or thrown into water in order the harvest to be good next year.

Saint Nicholas is also the patron saint of Russia and protector of all children. 

Every year children throughout the world clean their shoes the evening before the 6th of December, because they know, all the good children receive small gifts, sweets and candies in the morning.

Stuffed Peppers with Mince Bulgarian Way

This is one of the comfort food recipes - stuffing needs preparation, baking time is about an hour - so this characteristic Bulgarian recipe could be best prepared for the weekend lunch or dinner.

Although being one of the most typical recipes of Bulgarian National cuisine, the way of preparing this dish slightly differs between the different families. 

Fresh or dried peppers can be used and it can be boiled in a pot on top of the stove or baked in the oven. I prefer the baked version - it results in dryer peppers with more intense taste.

Roasted Hot Peppers

How hot should a hot pepper be? According to me - very, very hot. 

There is the so called Scoville scale method, measuring the amount of the capsaicin - the chemical compound, which irritates our mucous membranes and wakes our pain receptors. 

It is said, the burning sensation, provided by capsaicin is addictive. According to the theory, the pain induced by eating chilies makes our brain produce endorphins, which create a temporary feeling of euphoria. Heart rate increases, metabolism increases, salvation increases - the whole body is involved.

This mild addiction makes me want to have hot peppers with every meal (even with the breakfast sandwich, I admit).

There are many hot peppers varieties in Bulgaria - a real treasure for the lovers of the hot taste. Roasted chilies are served in nearly every restaurant as an appetizer or a spicy addition to the main course. 

The taste of roasted hot peppers is softer than the fresh ones. Peppers for roasting should be fresh and crisp and for this recipe chilies should have soft skins, bearing in mind they are not peeled after roasting.