Bulgarians have a strong sense of national identity, rooted in the country’s storied past. The name “Bulgaria” derives from the Proto-Bulgarians, the first Slav tribes to settle the lands now known as Bulgaria. Originally from the central Balkans, their culture combined elements from all over the region and was characterised by a high level of military and political organisation and a strong sense of community. Orthodox Christianity is enshrined in the constitution and the church has a legacy of ties to nationalist groups. Although state regulation of religious affairs has diminished since the fall of state socialism, the church remains a source of partisan political influence.
Bulgaria’s position on the Black Sea enables it to boast excellent fish dishes. Cod, grilled or baked with garlic and herbs, is a firm favourite. Many Bulgarians also love shkembe chorba (tripe soup), which is usually served as an appetiser or starter for larger meals. The dish has a somewhat off-putting appearance and is not for the faint of heart – it consists of tripe, onions, garlic and oil in a tomato broth and is customarily served with vinegar, crude pepper, salt and oil.
The Bulgarian word for bread is banitsa, which is enjoyed at breakfast or lunch. It includes sirene cheese and phyllo dough, often with nutmeg or cinnamon. It is a common sight in cafes and restaurants, but Bulgarians also make it at home. A sweet version is tikvenik, which is made from pumpkin and filled with sugar, nuts and phyllo dough.
It’s not just English words that have penetrated Bulgarian language – both specialized and commonplace French vocabulary has done so as well. The influence of both languages is reflected in the morphology and pronunciation of the language. It is also known as a borrowing language, with loanwords having a specific lexical sphere and a distinctive pronunciation.
Like most Slavic languages, Bulgarian has two grammatical genders and a case system. In general, the case system is quite simple and is based on grammatical gender, number, definiteness and a special preposition that indicates a certain relationship between a noun and its modifier or a verb and its object.
The language has a long history of written communication, with the development of a Cyrillic alphabet in the 9th century by Saints Cyril and Methodius. In the 10th and 11th centuries, Bulgaria fought several wars against neighbouring powers and was eventually absorbed into the Byzantine empire for a century and a half (1018-1185). In more recent times, Bulgaria has experienced economic uncertainty and a number of periods of conflict with neighbouring states. It was a founding member of the EU in January 2007 and has benefitted from EU funding and recovery projects to date.