The flag of Bulgaria, which symbolizes unity and strength, features a white band lined with the three national colors with two crowned rampant golden lions holding a shield in front. The shield is inscribed with the words ‘Unity Makes Strength’ and a coat of arms.

The Bulgarian cuisine is rich and varied, with a wide variety of meat dishes and vegetarian options. Fish and chicken are particularly popular and a range of sausages are available. Bulgaria is a net exporter of lamb so it can be found in many dishes. The country is also famous for its wine and rakia, the fruit brandy that is often served before meals.

Another of the country’s culinary highlights is its collection of cured and dried meats, known as banski starets or lukanka. These can be eaten raw or smoked and are often enjoyed with the dipping condiment ljutenitsa, which is similar to a chutney.

One of the most common and versatile foods is sudjuk, a fermented sausage that resembles salami but has a much stronger bite from the addition of spices like red and black pepper. It is eaten with eggs for breakfast, on pizza for lunch and dinner or grilled as an accompaniment to barbecued meats. It is a staple food in the Balkans and can be enjoyed throughout the year.

Tarator is a cool and refreshing soup that’s very popular in summer. It’s usually made with a combination of cucumbers, yogurt, garlic, Bulgarian yoghurt and dill and can be quite thick in consistency.

Shkembe chorba, or tripe soup takes a bit of guts to try. It uses the lining of the stomach and is boiled with milk, garlic, chillies, vinegar and is said to be a great hangover cure!

Meshana skara or mixed grill is a great way to enjoy the best of the Bulgarian cuisine. It is basically a mixture of different types of grilled meat in various forms and versions. Kyufte (flat meatballs) skewers and kebapche (grilled skinless beef or pork sausages) are all included.

A typical Bulgarian meal will end with dessert. The most common is sladko ot iagodi, which is a delicious jam that’s made from whole wild strawberries. Other varieties are raspberry, apricot, plum and more.

Bulgarian is a member of the South Slavic branch of the Indo-European language family and is spoken by 5.4 million people in Bulgaria (approximately 85% of the population) and in Romania, Canada, Greece, Turkey, Serbia and Montenegro and other countries. It is closely related to Russian and to the other Slavic languages.

Bulgarian is one of the most complex languages in terms of grammatical structure and has several distinctive features. For example, it has an additional mood that is not present in other Slavic languages. This is the conditional mood and it allows for a range of meanings that cannot be expressed in other languages using other verb forms. This makes the Bulgarian language very interesting and worth studying.