Bulgarian feta, yogurt and phyllo pastry (banitsa) - Vered's Israeli Cooking (2024)

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How do you eat Bulgarian feta cheese? ›

Bulgarian Feta

This is the saltiest type of feta, with a firm yet creamy texture. We're all about slicing it up and dressing it with good olive oil, salt, and pepper. A simple treatment let's the substantial texture and pleasant creaminess shine.

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.

She explained that French feta, made of 100% sheep's milk, is the least salty of the three. Bulgarian may be made of sheep and/or goat, while Greek feta will be primarily sheep's milk and sometimes up to 30% goat's milk ― both are a little saltier than French.

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.

Banitsa and burek (the Yugoslavian name for Börek) are very similar in that they are phyllo-based savory dishes, often filled with a form of cheese. While banitsa is usually made with cheese, burek can be made with other fillings such as spinach or meat.

Everybody has heard about the English breakfast with bacon and eggs, or the French croissants or loaf with confiture. But what about the typical Bulgarian breakfast? “Popara” made with bread, white cheese, butter and warm milk; Photo: www.detstvoto.net. Widespread morning meal in Bulgaria is “Popara”.

Crumbled. One of the easiest and more popular ways to incorporate Feta to a dish is to crumble it. Feta Crumbles are so versatile that you can use them to garnish pasta, watermelon, grapes, nuts, chickpeas, potatoes, salads, pizza, or eggs. It's the perfect tangy touch to elevate any dish.

While many people have a preferred way to enjoy feta in a salad, over pasta, and in a variety of other recipes, Bulgarian Feta Cheese, Sirene, is slightly different in texture and flavor from the Greek variety. Sometimes considered the saltiest of the varieties, you can pair this cheese with soups or salads.

Feta cheese has a high moisture content and also a high acid content. This makes it not good for melting or flowing. Melted Feta is very chewy and not gooey at all (Which is what we like in melted cheese).

This rich feta comes from Bulgaria. It is a white brine cheese, both creamy and crumbly and has a smooth texture, sliceable body and a tarty taste.