Food and Drink of Medieval Bulgarians
- by anna
- 29 March, 2015
Food:
The mountain chains that run the length of Bulgaria, the rivers that are fed by the melting snows, the fertile valleys and the plain below the river Danube, the fishing villages that line the Black Sea coast, the lakes and forests, all provide for a rich variety of food. Cold winters and hot summers, with adequate rainfall contribute to successful agricultural production.
In the Middle Ages the Bulgarian lands were full of game – wild boar, deer, partridge, rabbit, hare, which the population could hunt despite the prohibitions, which medieval lords imposed. Tamara and the family of Ivan Alexander would have taken part in hunting trips and would have enjoyed eating game on their table.
When meat was not available, the poor people had a staple diet of corn, wheat, rye, barley and other cereals. Derivative products from those were also consumed. They were used for making breads and pitas, pancakes, cereal meals and snacks. 1 Several sources comment on the size of the Bulgarian bread loaves – pointing out that just half a loaf could feed nine men. 7
Yearly, a wide variety of vegetables would be planted – some were eaten fresh – like carrots, cabbage, and spinach; others would be planted for cooking – like peas, beans, lentils, turnips; some would be used both cooked and raw: garlic, onions, cabbage, carrot, beetroot etc. Dock leaves and mushrooms, which were growing in the wild, were gathered and used for soups and stews. Herbs like parsley, mint and savoury grew in the wild and were also cultivated. Soups, stews and bread were the main food stuffs of the nation.1
Fruit was grown in Bulgarian lands from ancient times – orchards of apricots, apples, pairs, plums, etc were cultivated, but the trees self-seeded and grew also in the wild. Berries, growing in the wild were gathered and used for puddings. Oranges and bananas were imported for the Palace inhabitants. 4 Fruit was eaten fresh and cooked accompanied by yoghurt and honey. 6
Bee keeping was especially encouraged throughout the kingdom and the honey and beeswax became increasingly important products in the Middle Ages. 7 Honey was the main product, used to sweeten food – sugar, which was imported from Egypt, was very expensive and was mainly used for the needs of the Royal Family and the aristocracy. It became more popular in Bulgaria after the 13th century.
The properties of various herbs and flowers were identified and linked to the treatment of particular conditions. They were used fresh or dried and ground into powder for their use in infusions. The most popular ground herbs in the Middle Ages were cumin, caraway, camomile, thyme and basil. 6 Tree-blossom was also included in the medicinal tea section – linden, elderflower, etc. The Bulgarian nation trusts natural remedies more than chemically-based medication to this day. The palace in Tirnovo would have had a herb garden, producing herbs for food and medication.
Nuts were also cultivated – hazelnuts, walnuts and almonds. Wild chestnuts would be gathered in the autumn and stored for winter consumption.
Farm animals like cows, buffalos, sheep, goats, pigs were reared in order to provide meat, milk, lard, hide for leather clothes and cheese for the aristocracy and the palace. With time ordinary families acquired a cow or a few sheep and milk and cheese became part of the staple diet. There are two types of cheese in Bulgaria – “Feta” – white cheese, which could be made of cow milk or sheep’s milk and Yellow cheese, similar to the Stilton, called ”Кashkaval” (кашкавал). Those have traditionally been produced in the home environment for a significant number of centuries. 2
Another by-product of the milk is the famous Bulgarian yoghurt. Yoghurt has been produced in various places in the world – the legend claims that in the 12th century military leader Genghis Khan fed his troops with it. Even then it was an established food product – it is supposed to have existed 4 centuries before Genghis Khan! 3
It is not quite clear when the technology of making yoghurt in Bulgaria was developed, but it is supposed to contain two specific bacteria Lactobacillus Bulgaricae and Streptococcus thermopiles. It was made originally from sheep’s milk, but cows, milk, goats and buffalo milk have been and are still used for the making of yoghurt. Buffalo and goats’ yoghurt a much thicker, creamier and richer and are considered a delicacy in Bulgaria. 1
Folk legends claim that yoghurt was created “by mistake” – shepherds, carrying milk in their goatskin bags, noticed that after being heated, when left on the hot mountain slopes, it turned into yoghurt. To help the process, they softened the roots of plants, common in the Rhodope mountains – like Christ’s Thorne (Paliurus Aculeatus) and Barberry (Berberis Vulgaris Lam) and put the resulting juice in the milk to immunize it. Then the yoghurt lasted longer and was found to be much better tasting; it had a positive effect on the health of the body. 3
A delicacy, which occasionally appeared inland, but was regularly consumed in the coastal and river areas were mussels, clams and oysters and of course fish. 6 Fish was plentiful and used for food by all, where it was available. The Turkish traveller Evlya Chelebi states that “The unbelievers eat much shellfish, oysters and other sea creatures!” During archeological digs in the Bulgarian Royal Palace in Tsarevetz, Tirnovo, many mussel shells were found; in Preslav mussel shells were discovered in the army quarters, indicating that at the time they were food, cheap enough to feed the army with. Further evidence of eating shellfish was found by archaeologists in monasteries – the clergy consumed those too. Many families in the middle ages would send their children to gather shellfish from the sea or the rivers to help feed the family. 4
While cooking, much lard was used (animal or fish) and until glazing of the pottery was introduced, food substances, which got into the pores of the clay or wooden food utensils, produced micro-organisms, which affected people’s health.
The technique of glazing pottery came from the East and through Byzantium it arrived in Bulgaria. It became widely used before and during the SecondBulgarianKingdom – the 11th – 12th century and immediately brought an improvement in health. Dishes were mass-produced, decorated in a distinctive style and made much stronger by being baked several times. 5
Chinese porcelain was used in Bulgaria in the 14th century – porcelain dishes had appeared first in the Black Sea ports, but a large porcelain dish had also been found in the Tsarevetz palace at that time. 5
Drink:
The Thracians had introduced viticulture on Bulgarian lands on a vast scale, which included the planting of vineyards and setting up wineries for the production of the wine. It is possible, that grapes have been grown on Bulgarian lands since 6,000 BC.
However, it was the Romans, who were credited with the expansion of wine production and applying new techniques. They surveyed the land to establish the best areas for planning vineyards. The archaeological remains of a winery in Madara (North-East Bulgaria) indicate that large scale wine production was in place here between the 2nd and the 4th centuries AD. 1
There is a colourful legend, relating to Khan Krum and his introduction of a law prohibiting drinking and winemaking. One of the Khan’s lions broke out of its cage. It was eventually killed by a young man by the name of Mavrud. The Khan wanted to thank and reward the young man and meet his mother. He asked what gave the young man the courage to single-handedly kill the beast. After promises that nothing will happen to them, the mother admitted, that she had kept a vine in her garden, despite his decree and made wine, which her son drank. According to the legend, the Khan rescinded on his law and allowed the re-establishment of vineyards. The memory of the young man’s valour lives in the Mavrud grape, which is named after him, it is only grown in Bulgaria, and to this day excellent wines are produced from it. 1
The reader may remember that the Byzantine Emperor Nicephorus took Pliska in 811. According to a monk’s eye-witness account, Nicephorus found fabulous riches in the Royal palace, as well as large quantity of barrels of good wine in the cellars. He then graciously allowed his soldiers to get drunk on the khan’s wine in celebration of the victory. 2, 9, 10
Wine was kept in tall clay jars, as we can see in the London Gospels of Ivan Alexander, but was transported in leather bags. In time wooden barrels were used, which enhanced the flavor and taste of the wine. Before drinking, wine was cooled down in wells – again this is evidenced in the London Gospels of Ivan Alexander. Considering that the quality of water at the time was not good, people drank wine in large quantities, in the same way they drank beer in England in the Middle Ages. 5, 10
A favourite drink from ancient times is ayryan, which is produced bymixing equal quantities of water and yoghurt and shaking it until a smooth drink is produced. This is still popular with the Bulgarian nation.
Another popular drink was boza – it was made from millet, tastes thick and sweet, but after time it ferments, turns alcoholic and becomes fizzy. Boza is an ancient drink, which was consumed in Byzantium, sweetened with honey. From the 13th century, when increased production brought a fall in its price – sugar was used to sweeten it. Its name in Bulgarian originates from the fact that in some part of the country babies were weaned with it – boza comes from bozaya (бозая), which is the Bulgarian word for “suckling” – being breast-fed. 6
The technologies for producing spirits were imported in Bulgaria during the first Bulgarian Kingdom from the Arabs, who were known as active trading partners of Bulgaria. Archaeologists have found distilling dishes in several places in Bulgaria from the time of the Second Bulgarian Kingdom. With time, the number found increased, as does the use of alcohol for medical and cosmetic purposes. Spirit made of wine, was also produced in Southern Italy, then part of Byzantium, in the 10th century, and from the 11th to the 14th centuries highly alcoholic liquids were produced in Armenia, Russia, Asia. Grain vodka appeared in Russia and the Baltic in the 14th century. It is at this time that the spirit, (made out of plums or grapes) used initially as a medicine, became a drink, popular to this day in Bulgaria, under the name of rakiya. 5