Tourist Guide (Part 3): The Culinary Road – Taverns, Kapama and the True Taste of Bansko

Coming to Bansko and eating pizza or a burger is a culinary crime. This region has one of the most distinctive cuisines in Bulgaria, preserving recipes that are hundreds of years old.

But with mass tourism, "tourist traps" have also appeared - places where the price is overpriced and the prices are double.

This guide will teach you how to order like a local (Banskalia) and which dishes you must try.

Appetizing still life of an authentic country-style dinner featuring a steaming clay pot of cooked food, thinly sliced meat delicacies, and bottles of red wine in a cozy atmosphere.

1. The Holy Trinity of Bansko Cuisine

If you see these three dishes on the menu, you've come to the right place. But what exactly are they?

Banska Kapama

This is not just “meat and cabbage.” Real kapama is cooked in a clay pot (pot) for at least 5-6 hours over low heat.

• Composition: Sauerkraut, rice and at least 3 types of meat (pork, beef, chicken) + sausage (sudzhuk) and black pudding.
• The secret spices: Garlic pepper, bay leaf and a glass of red wine.
• Tip: Order one kapama for two or three people. The portions are usually huge.

Chomlek

A dish for connoisseurs that melts in your mouth.

• Composition: Veal shank (on the bone), stewed with whole onions, potatoes, carrots and red wine.
• Preparation: It is cooked all night in the oven. The meat should just fall off the bone.

Old Man of Bath (Babek)

This is the "king" of dry appetizers.

• What is: A raw, dried pork delicacy stuffed into a pork stomach. It is characterized by its spices – cumin and black pepper.
• When to eat: A perfect appetizer for red wine in front of the fireplace.

2. Where to eat? (Avoiding the pitfalls)

В Bansko There are two types of establishments:

1. Tourist taverns (On Pirin Street)

They are located on the main street. They have shouters out front, loud music, and menus with pictures.

• Plus: Convenient location, party.
• Minus: Often higher prices and “industrially” prepared food.

2. Family Taverns (In the Small Streets)

They are located in the labyrinth of the old quarter or in the side streets.

• How to recognize them: They don't have waiters. Often the owner or his family serves. It smells of wood and cooking.
• Recommended areas: Walk around the church "“Holy Trinity”" and the square, but enter the intersections (e.g. "Otets Paisii" Street or around "Vazrazhdane" Square).

3. What should we drink?

Bansko is at the foot of Pirin Mountain, but is close to the Mesta and Struma valleys – regions with rich wine traditions.

• Red wine: Look for local varieties like Wide Melnik vine or Melnik 55. They are light, fluffy and go perfectly with the heavy Bansko cuisine.
• Brandy: Local pride. If you are offered "homemade", ask if it is grape or fruit. Be careful with the degrees - in the mountains the alcohol sets in faster!

4. Dictionary of the tourist in the tavern

To impress the waiter, use local names:

• “Sudjuk” – Sausage (dry or baked).
• “Kostereta” – Old, dried beans (often added to soup).
• “Crap” – A type of pickle or garnish.
• “"On the Borin"” – It means that the meat is grilled over charcoal.

Next step: You ate well, now it's time to burn off the calories. But not on skis, but on the summer trails of Pirin. Did you know that the oldest tree in Bulgaria is here?

???? Read Part 4: Summer Guide – Baykusheva Mura, Vihren and the Lakes