Holiday Foods of the WorldBulgarian BanitsaBy Veneta Dinova

Banitsa: a simple yet delicious Bulgarian traditionBanitsa (Bulgarian: Баница) is a traditional

Bulgarian food prepared by layering a mixture of whisked eggs and pieces of cheese between fillo pastry and then baking it until golden brown in the oven.

Preparation: Ingredients

◦ 1 pack of fillo dough3 eggs1 lb Bulgarian cheese (or feta cheese)3 tablespoons butter1 cup of milk or yoghurt

Preparation◦ Mix the crumbled cheese, milk and eggs together. Don't over

mix - cheese should be lumpy. Melt the butter in a cup. Butter the bottom of a casserole pan. Lay 5-6 sheets of fillo dough, one after another (not together) as you spread some butter in between. Spread some of the cheese mixture on top, lay another 3-4 sheets, spreading butter in between. Repeat until all mixture is used. Lay the last 3-4 sheets on the top with no butter in between. Spread the rest of the butter on top. Cut in portion sized squares and bake in the oven until golden (about 30 minutes on 400 F).

TraditionThis pastry carries centuries of traditions,

much like Bulgaria itself, a small country founded in 681 A.D. and wedged between Greece and the Black Sea. There are many variations of banitsa, depending the region, but one constant is that it always celebrates life's highlights: baptisms, weddings, traditional festivals, New Year's Eve.

Kusmeti (lucky charms)Traditionally, some kusmeti (lucky charms)

are put into the pastry on some of the national holidays or other occasions - Christmas Eve, the first day of Christmas, New Year's Eve, etc. They are usually small pieces of a dogwood branch with varying numbers of buds on them- these symbolize health and longevity. Other wishes include happiness, health, and success throughout the new year.

Breakfast or Dessert? Both!Banitsa is served for breakfast or dessert

with plain yogurt, ayran (plain yogurt smoothie), or boza. It can be served hot or cold and is always a very tasty meal. There are several varieties which include banitsa with spinach, banitsa with milk, banitsa with pumpkin (tikvenik), etc.

Bad cook? No Problem!Even if you can't cook, banitsa will give the

false impression that you can. That's fortunate, because in the old days, it is said that mothers would choose a bride for their son based on the girl's banitsa skills.

Works Cited "Banitsa: A Simple Yet Delicious Bulgarian Tradition ."

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"Bulgarian Recipe – Banitsa." Bulgarian Food- Bulgarian Recipe- Banitsa Recipe- Bulgarian Cuisine. Stresov International, n.d. Web. 9 Oct. 2013.

"Find Bulgarian Food." Banitsa (Banitza, Banica). Find BG Food, n.d. Web. 10 Oct. 2013.

"Map of Bulgaria." Map in the Atlas of the World. Welt- atlas.de, n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2013.

"Menu." Come2bulgaria.com. WordPress, n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2013.

Ralitsa. "Ralitsa's Famous Banitsa." Ralitsa's Famous Banitsa. Rich Roesing, n.d. Web. 12 Oct. 2013.