Bulgarian Treats

In order to get me more familiar with the local culture in Bulgaria, my tour guide brought me to a couple of restaurants near Vitoshka street yesterday. I placed my fate in his hands to decide what what types of Bulgarian things I should sample, here's what he came up with:

A thick red sauce made from tomatoes, yet not called ketchup, Lyutenitsa has been a popular snack for centuries here. This was supposed to be spread on bread, however it was tasty on everything I put it on.

Bowl of Lyutenitsa
A clear alcohol resembling Baijiu, Rakia is helpful in creating hangovers and has a fruity aftertaste.

Grape Rakia 
Covered with enough sirene cheese to not be able to tell whats underneath, this Shopka Salad was filled with tomatoes and cucumbers and kind-of resembled a Greek salad.

What was left of my Shopka salad before I realized I should take a picture of it
A leathery and slightly fruity wine, Melnik is produced in the town of Melnik about 20 km from the Greek border. Out of the whole population of 400 people, only a couple families produce this.

Bottle of organic Orbelus brand Melnik Wine

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