Aylyakria ★ 4.4
Aylyakria runs an early-Kapana brunch in a Revival-era room. Banitsa, shopska, mish-mash and gluten-free options listed, alongside Bulgarian wines.
Order: Banitsa with sirene, shopska salad, glass of Bulgarian wine
History
Stamen Grigorov isolated Lactobacillus bulgaricus in 1905 at a Geneva laboratory, and the bacterium gives Bulgarian yoghurt its characteristic tang and texture. Bulgaria built a yoghurt export industry on the discovery; the country's centenarians were once attributed to daily yoghurt consumption, and the live-culture pots remain a fixture on every Plovdiv breakfast table.
Common allergens: Dairy
Make it at home
Ingredients
- 1 litre full fat cow's milk
- 2 tablespoons live Bulgarian yoghurt (starter culture)
Method
- Heat the milk to 85 degrees Celsius in a heavy pan, stirring to prevent skin.
- Cool the milk to 45 degrees Celsius.
- Whisk in the starter yoghurt until smooth.
- Pour into a clean glass jar. Cover with a lid.
- Wrap the jar in a towel; place in an oven with only the light on, or in a warm spot at 40 to 45 degrees Celsius for 8 hours.
- Refrigerate when set. The yoghurt thickens further as it cools.
- Save two tablespoons as starter for the next batch.
Tip from the editors. Don't disturb the jar during fermentation; movement breaks the curd. Use a thermometer; temperature is everything for the Bulgarian culture.
Where to eat bulgarian yoghurt
Bulgarian yoghurt in Plovdiv
Hemingway ★ 4.0
Hemingway's Gurko Street garden runs a slow Bulgarian brunch through summer. Refined room, seasonal salads and grilled plates, glass of Bulgarian wine.
Order: Bulgarian breakfast plate, glass of Mavrud
Pavaj ★ 4.6
Pavaj opens at noon as Kapana's late-brunch stop. Farm-driven Bulgarian small plates with house bread; weekend afternoons settle into long tables and Mavrud.
Order: Farm vegetable plate with Mavrud glass
Hali Banitsa Counter ★ 4.6
The old banitsa counter beside Hali sells phyllo pastry under 4 BGN. Marmalade banitsa is the local favorite; queue early, gone by lunch most weekdays.
Try: Banitsa with sirene or marmalade
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