The best about Bulgarian cuisine is the plenty of fresh vegetables, eaten raw, roasted or stewed with meat in terracotta pots. Also, be prepared for lots of garlic, onions, oil and spices.

The Influences of its neighbours, Turkey and Greece are also present in traditional meals like ' surmi ' (stuffed vine leaves), ' moussaka ' and ' baklava '.The Bulgarians are starting the meal with a salad and rakia (Bulgarian spirit usually made from grapes). This stage of the meal can last up to an hour so drink slowly after each toast.

Most Bulgarian restaurants offer for dessert pancakes or crème caramel. The Sweet-shops or Cafes usually have a good selection of pastries and cakes. Try the ' garash torta ', which is the Bulgarian equivalent of the Sacher Torte, made from eggs, walnuts and cocoa. Some local Snacks (called ''zakusk'') are sold in tiny shops all round town or at stands on the street. If you are feeling a little peckish why don't you try:

' banitsa ' - dough pastry filled with white cheese and eggs;
' gevrek '- like a very dry bagel;
' kifla '- croissant usually filled with jam or covered with sugar;
' piroshka '- fried dough stick filled with white cheese.

Finally, if you are feeling really adventurous, try the traditional drink ' boza ', - a thick malt drink with a distinct smell.

Note: Menus are usually printed in both Bulgarian and English. Normally the restaurants stay open from 11 a.m. till midnight , but some work round the clock.

The wine making potential in Bulgaria is enormous. The climate in the northern part is continental with cool winters and hot summers. It is milder to the south due to the influence of the Black sea and the Mediterranean . Local hilly terrenes create ideal micro-climates and combined with good quality soils they produce extremely suitable conditions for growing best quality grapes.

The best wines are produced from the Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon varieties, high quality, rich, and Bordeaux-like. Local grapes include:

• Gamza - the most widespread sort.
• Melnik - makes hefty red wines that age very well
• Mavrud - is a full bodied, spicy red that can age to more than 8 years
• Pamid - rustic and hardly unforgettable but still good enough.

White wines are produced from renowned varieties such as Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Riesling as well as from the local varieteies like (Misket or Dimiat).

Bulgaria is the second largest exporter of bottled wine in the world, second only to France and it has four times the area, planted with Cabernet Sauvignon, of California . In the Bulgarian wine industry, traditional classic technologies are applied, as well as refined, and modern ones borrowed from the leading wine producing countries.