"Colorful or
Particolor salt," a staple condiment on most Bulgarian tables, is a spice
mixture typically comprised of a blend of salt, fenugreek, and summer savory. However, thyme,
paprika, dill, parsley, roasted pumpkin seeds, corn, dried basil, oregano,
garlic and parsley are added in variations. Every family and region has
its own version, but savory is a mainstay. Used to season many dishes and
items from cheeses and meats to egg dishes, it is often sprinkled on homemade,
buttered fresh bread for breakfast and historically, bread dipped in sharena sol is offered in traditional
folk greeting to guests to one’s home.
Rascasse or black scorpion fish. This is a smaller and less glamourous fish than the red scorpion fish, and is well camouflaged, in blacks, greens and browns. However, it is just as useful in a bouillabaisse.
Plum brandy is a spirit of distinction in Bulgaria, particularly plum brandy made by the monastery in Troyan using the celebrated regional plum variety, Madzharkini, which is both very fragrant and lush. The ancient monastics further enlivened the brandy with the addition of some 40 aromatic herbs. Today, Plum brandy is still made in homes in modest quantities and put by to age. The process of fermentation involves creating a mash from the plums with some of the cracked pits from which the distilled liquid is obtained. The brandy is then kept in oak barrels to age from 2 to 10 years. Its flavor is fruity, sweet and redolent of oak of the aging barrels and almond from the pits in the plum mash.
