Colorful Table culinary festival in Bulgaria becomes tourist attraction
Delicious meals prepared according to ancient recipes, strong traditional drinks, and Bulgarian music and dances attracted a number of visitors and more than 400 participants to the latest edition of the Colorful Table Culinary Festival which took place in the town of Kyustendil. A number of foreign tourists were also guests to the event. This traveling festival has already taken place in 60 different towns across Bulgaria, winning a number of fans, who love traditional Bulgarian cuisine.
Each edition of the festival is a true celebration of Bulgarian traditions. This is actually the goal of the organizers – the Association for Development of Art and Crafts, who provide a stage were local people can demonstrate their traditions and cuisine. Most of the participants in the event are students from the professional schools, who are ready to show their skills in the culinary competition. 100-200 different meals usually participate in the festival, as most of them are prepared according to old and mostly forgotten recipes. The festival is very attractive to foreign tourists who can learn a lot about traditional Bulgarian meals and enjoy Bulgarian folklore. Ms. Larissa Angelova of the Association told us more:
“The idea is not just to present traditional Bulgarian meals but also the Bulgarian lifestyle. Many of these meals are related to Christian holidays and are part of the Bulgarian lifestyle and culture.”
The festival always starts with folk dances. There is also an eating competition entitled “Who ate the beans?” During the past year, at the festival edition in the village of Djulyunitsa we had competitors from USA who won the eating contest, Ms. Angelova says. The variety of dishes presented at the culinary show is enormous. The recipes are also gathered and a book in Bulgarian and English is also soon to be published.
The traditional Bulgarian ‘banitsa’ is the queen of meals. You cannot image how much banitsa is eaten during the festival, Larissa Angelova says and adds: “The traditional banitsa is prepared by layering a mixture of whisked eggs and Bulgarian cheese between fillo dough and then baking it. However, different types of filling can be used. This traditional meal always gathers considerable interest. Great meat dishes are also presented. It is a fact that Bulgarian cuisine is very diverse. There are many ancient recipes but also newer ones in which products that entered our culture due to globalization are also included.”
The festival also pays attention to children, who not only can enjoy the meals at the festival but also take part in a drawing competition. The next edition of the festival will take place on July 25 in Sofia, promising an unforgettable fiesta, full of music and dances.
Text and photo: bnr.bg
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