Bulgarian cuisine is a representative of the cuisine of Southeastern Europe. Bulgarian cuisine shares characteristics with other Balkans cuisines.
Bulgarian food is organic food. The dishes are prepared using natural products which to a great extend brings the unique taste of the Bulgarian meals. There are also many distinctive features of the Bulgarian cooking that contribute to the exception taste. When preparing meals with meat for example, Bulgarians start with cooking of the meat and gradually add the rest of the ingredients. In this way they save time and effort as the entire meal is prepared using only one pot or saucepan. The combination of milk or yoghurt with other products is also very typical for the Bulgarian national cuisine. It enriches the technology of food preparation and makes the dishes healthier. Another distinctive feature is the thermal processing of the products – they are simmered slowly on low heat which enables their nutritive qualities to be retained and, again, make the food taste much better.
Bulgarian cuisine shares a number of dishes with the Middle Eastern Cuisine as well as a limited number with the Indian, particularly Gujrat cuisine. The culinary exchange with the East started as early as 7th century AD, when traders started bringing herbs and spices to the First Bulgarian Empire from India and Persia via the Roman and later Byzantine empires. This is evident from the wide popularity of dishes like moussaka, gyuvetch, kyufte and baklava, which are common in Middle Eastern cuisine today.White brine cheese , similar to feta, is also a popular ingredient used in salads and a variety of pastries.

Bulgarian cooking traditions are diverse because of geographical factors such as climatic conditions suitable for a variety of vegetables, herbs and fruit. Aside from the vast variety of local Bulgarian dishes, Bulgarian cuisine shares a number of dishes with the Greek, Middle Eastern, and Italian cuisines.

Bulgarian cuisine often incorporates salads as appetizers and is also noted for the prominence of dairy products, wines and other alcoholic drinks such as rakia.The cuisine also features a variety of soups, such as the cold soup tarator and pastries, such as the filo dough based banitsa, pita and the various types of Börek. Main courses are very typically water-based stews, either vegetarian or with lamb, goat meat, beef, chicken or pork. Deep-frying is not common, but grilling – especially different kinds of sausages – is very prominent. Pork is common, often mixed with beef or lamb, although fish and chicken are also widely used. While most cattle are bred for milk production rather than meat, veal is popular for grilling meats appetizers (meze)and in some main courses. As a substantial exporter of lamb, Bulgaria’s own consumption is notable, especially in the spring.
The consumption of yogurt among Bulgarians is traditionally higher than the rest of Europe. The country is notable as the historical namesake for Lactobacillus bulgaricus, a microorganism chiefly responsible for the local variety of the dairy product. Yogurt has been cultivated and consumed as far back as 3000 BC. Holidays are often observed in conjecture with certain meals. On Christmas Eve, for instance, tradition requires vegetarian stuffed peppers and cabbage leaf sarmi. New Year’s Eve usually involves cabbage dishes, Nikulden (Day of St. Nicholas, December 6) fish (usually carp), while Gergyovden (Day of St. George, May 6) is typically celebrated with roast lamb.