“Mastika and Rakia – Mastika is an anise-flavored liqueur made from raisins, grapes, figs, or plums. Rakia is a typically made from plums (but can also be produced from peaches, apricots, figs, and apples). It also serves as the national drink of Bulgaria. Both liqueurs taste similar to brandy. Most meals include drinks served as aperitifs.”

About their food:”Lunches and dinners often include soups, salads, stews, grilled meats, or stuffed vegetables. Regional culinary variations include the presence of more fish dishes along the Black Sea, less pork in the more Muslim Southeast, and more diverse dairy products in mountain areas. Plums, apricots, peaches, and melons are a few of the fruits available in the country. Cafes, pubs, and sweet shops are popular meeting places for a drink, coffee, or snack.”

Alexander Nevski Cathedral, Sofia

The Global Road Warrior, “Bulgaria: Country Snapshot,” http://www.globalroadwarrior.com/contentinfo.asp?cid=21&nid=65&next_nid=66 (accessed October 9, 2013).