For two weeks in Bulgaria, I had the incredible privilege of living with a Bulgarian family. A close friend of mine agreed to give me a full tour of Bulgaria, and his family from different parts of Bulgaria welcomed me with open arms to stay in their home. It was such an incredible experience, and despite the language barrier, I learned so much about Bulgarian culture. Here are some of the things that surprised me the most: Everything is Smaller When you can see a family with everything they need in such a small space, it makes you wonder why Americans have such huge homes and cars. In each home I stayed at, the living room was converted to an extra bedroom and provided plenty of space even with one extra body.
Slippers - Always
Hard soled slippers are always worn in the home to keep your feet warm and prevent sickness. I always forgot to put them on, and my host’s mother would find a pair and put them at my feet. Despite our language barrier, she didn’t want me getting sick - it was the sweetest thing.
Amazing Food
Fresh vegetables from local gardens made every meal clearly different from my meals in America. Even the cheese, served in cubes as a snack at every meal, was sourced from a nearby villages. “Clean! No chemicals!” my host’s mother told me in Bulgarian at the dinner table.
Breakfast might be toast with margarine, cheese, and tomatoes, sliced cucumbers, and fresh fruit.
Main dishes for dinner are hearty, and include a lot of potatoes, cheese, and pork. This took the form of Moussaka, ribs, or beef & sausage burgers.
Every meal was served with delicious white bread; families burn through loaves of bread!
Drinks
I drank a lot of juice in the Bulgarian home, including carbonated apple juice and homemade cherry juice. There was also a milk and cucumber drink that is served which is cold, chunky, and delicious. For alcohol, beer was served from large cans and Rakia can be home-made. The Rakia I tried was from apricots grown at my host’s grandmother’s home!
Laundry in the Kitchen Where you might find a dishwasher in an American home, two homes I stayed at had a washing machine in the kitchen instead. Dishes were washed by hand, and clothes were dried outside on the balcony.
Community Well In Sofia, water can be consumed directly from the faucet. In smaller towns like Blavograd, however, water is collected from a nearby community fountain. The water is delicious, and usually carried home in large plastic bottles that used to hold two liters or so of juice or soda. These bottles are equipped with plastic carrying handles, and perfect for getting water home. Water for washing purposes is available in the home or flat.
Opmerkingen