Shopska salad (
Bulgarian,
Macedonian and
Serbian: ''Шопска салата''; hr, Šopska salata; ro, Salata bulgărească; cs, Šopský salát; pl, Sałatka szopska; sq, Sallatë Shope; hu, Sopszka saláta; el, Σαλάτα σόπσκα) is a cold
salad
A salad is a dish consisting of mixed, mostly natural ingredients with at least one raw ingredient. They are typically served at room temperature or chilled, though some can be served warm. Condiments and salad dressings, which exist in a va ...
popular throughout
Southeastern Europe
Southeast Europe or Southeastern Europe (SEE) is a geographical subregion of Europe, consisting primarily of the Balkans. Sovereign states and territories that are included in the region are Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia (a ...
. This is
Bulgaria's most famous dish and national salad, whose colors recall the
Bulgarian flag.
Recipe
It is made from
tomato
The tomato is the edible berry of the plant ''Solanum lycopersicum'', commonly known as the tomato plant. The species originated in western South America, Mexico, and Central America. The Mexican Nahuatl word gave rise to the Spanish word ...
es,
cucumbers,
onion
An onion (''Allium cepa'' L., from Latin ''cepa'' meaning "onion"), also known as the bulb onion or common onion, is a vegetable that is the most widely cultivated species of the genus ''Allium''. The shallot is a botanical variety of the onio ...
/
scallion
Scallions (also known as spring onions or green onions) are vegetables derived from various species in the genus '' Allium''. Scallions generally have a milder taste than most onions and their close relatives include garlic, shallot, leek, c ...
s, raw or roasted
pepper
Pepper or peppers may refer to:
Food and spice
* Piperaceae or the pepper family, a large family of flowering plant
** Black pepper
* ''Capsicum'' or pepper, a genus of flowering plants in the nightshade family Solanaceae
** Bell pepper
** Chili ...
s,
sirene
Sirene ( sq, djathë i bardhë; bg, сирене ; mk, сирење; sr, сир, italics=no/) also known as "white brine sirene" ( bg, бяло саламурено сирене, links=no) is a type of brined cheese made in the Balkans (So ...
(white brine cheese), and parsley. The vegetables are usually diced and salted, followed by a light dressing of
sunflower oil (or
olive oil, which is less authentic), which is occasionally complemented by
vinegar
Vinegar is an aqueous solution of acetic acid and trace compounds that may include flavorings. Vinegar typically contains 5–8% acetic acid by volume. Usually, the acetic acid is produced by a double fermentation, converting simple sugars to eth ...
. The addition of vinegar contributes, however, to the sour flavour that the tomatoes impart. In restaurants, the dressings are provided separately. Lastly, the vegetables are covered in a thick layer of grated or diced
sirene
Sirene ( sq, djathë i bardhë; bg, сирене ; mk, сирење; sr, сир, italics=no/) also known as "white brine sirene" ( bg, бяло саламурено сирене, links=no) is a type of brined cheese made in the Balkans (So ...
cheese. This salad is often consumed as an appetizer with
rakia.
History
Balkantourist invention
For the first time the term "Shopska salad" is used in a Bulgarian cookbook from 1940. It was actually utilized for a recipe of some kind of
lyutenitsa
''Ljutenica'', ''lyutenitsa'' or ''lutenica'' (, , ; ''lyuto'' or ''luto'' meaning "hot") is a (sometimes spicy) vegetable relish or chutney in Bulgarian, Macedonian and Serbian cuisines.
The ingredients include peppers, aubergines, carrots, gar ...
, and has nothing to do with the subsequent use of this designation. The salad was created as a culinary product in the state tourist association "
Balkantourist
Balkantourist ( bg, Балкантурист) is the oldest existing Bulgarian tour operator, established on 6 January 1948 as a state-owned government monopoly in what was then the People's Republic of Bulgaria. Privatised in 1995, it has contin ...
" in 1955. Despite the salad's name comes from westernmost Bulgarian region called
Shopluk
Shopi or Šopi ( South Slavic: Шопи) is a regional term, used by a group of people in the Balkans. The areas traditionally inhabited by the ''Shopi'' or ''Šopi'' is called ''Shopluk'' or ''Šopluk'' (Шоплук), a mesoregion, roughly ...
, in fact, it was invented in its easternmost region. The salad appeared at the
Black Sea
The Black Sea is a marginal mediterranean sea of the Atlantic Ocean lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bounded by Bulgaria, Georgia, Rom ...
coast, in a resort near
Varna, called
Druzhba. It can be found in one of the first state-approved repertoires from 1956 (Sbornik recepti 1956, vol. 1, p. 50). The development and popularization of the salad is attributed to the doyen of Bulgarian tourism Petar Doychev (1924-2019). It is a product of early socialism in Bulgaria, and part of tourist promotion, the only survivor of five or six similar recipes. At the time, leading chefs from
Balkantourist
Balkantourist ( bg, Балкантурист) is the oldest existing Bulgarian tour operator, established on 6 January 1948 as a state-owned government monopoly in what was then the People's Republic of Bulgaria. Privatised in 1995, it has contin ...
invented
Dobruja
Dobruja or Dobrudja (; bg, Добруджа, Dobrudzha or ''Dobrudža''; ro, Dobrogea, or ; tr, Dobruca) is a historical region in the Balkans that has been divided since the 19th century between the territories of Bulgaria and Romania. I ...
n,
Macedonian,
Thracian
The Thracians (; grc, Θρᾷκες ''Thrāikes''; la, Thraci) were an Indo-European speaking people who inhabited large parts of Eastern and Southeastern Europe in ancient history.. "The Thracians were an Indo-European people who occupied ...
and several other salads with similar names, which were associated with different ethnographical regions. It turns out that only the Shopska salad survived. The ingredients used were chosen in part because they resemble the three colors of the
Bulgarian flag, and thus would evoke a national sentiment. The salad has become initially an emblem of the Bulgarian tourism. It was approved as a national culinary symbol during the 1970s and 1980s. In 2014 Shopska salad turned out to be Bulgaria's most recognizable dish in Europe. It was the most popular recipe in a
European Parliament
The European Parliament (EP) is one of the legislative bodies of the European Union and one of its seven institutions. Together with the Council of the European Union (known as the Council and informally as the Council of Ministers), it adopts ...
initiative called ''A Taste of Europe''.
Origin dispute
From Bulgaria, the recipe spread to the cuisine of neighboring countries. Because the area of Shopluk is divided among Bulgaria, Serbia and North Macedonia, after the
breakup of Yugoslavia chefs there began to contest the Bulgarian origin of the salad. It is claimed as a local product even in
Croatia
, image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg
, anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, capit ...
. Though, Miroslav Stefanović (Maystor Miro), a four-time Serbian gastronomy chef champion, who owns the most popular chain Serbian restaurants in Bulgaria, is adamant that the Shopska salad is Bulgarian.
[Таня Харизанова, Шопската салата – балкански спорове и вкусове]
Bulgarian National Radio, 07.10.09.
/ref> Also it is widespread in Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Moldova to the east, and ...
under the name ''Bulgarian salad''.
See also
* Çoban salatası
Çoban salatası or choban salad ( Turkish for "shepherd's salad") is a salad that originated from Turkish cuisine and Azerbaijani cuisine consisting of finely chopped tomatoes (preferably peeled), cucumbers, long green peppers, onion, and fla ...
, a similar salad in Turkish cuisine
* Greek salad
Greek salad or horiatiki salad ( el, χωριάτικη σαλάτα or ) is a popular salad in Greek cuisine generally made with pieces of tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, feta cheese (usually served as a slice on top of the other ingredients), and ol ...
, a similar salad in Greek cuisine
* Israeli salad
* Kachumber
Kachumber, or cachumber, is a salad dish in Indian cuisine consisting of fresh chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, lemon juice, and sometimes, chili peppers. It is similar to many other Mediterranean and Middle Eastern salads consisting of the s ...
* Serbian salad
Serbian salad ( sr, Српска салата / ''Srpska salata'') is a vegetable salad, usually served during summer with roast meat and other dishes. It is made from diced fresh tomatoes, cucumber and onions, usually seasoned with sunflower oil ...
* Shirazi salad
Shirazi salad ( fa, سالاد شیرازی ''sālād shirāzi'') is an Iranian salad that originated from and is named after Shiraz in southern Iran. It is a relatively modern dish, dating to sometime after the introduction of the tomato to Iran ...
* List of salads
Salad is any of a wide variety of dishes including: green salads; vegetable salads; long beans; salads of pasta, legumes, or grains; mixed salads incorporating meat, poultry, or seafood; and fruit salads. They often include vegetables and fruits. ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shopska Salad
Salads
Bulgarian cuisine
Appetizers
Balkan cuisine