Kavarma

Pork or chicken is slow-cooked with onion, pepper, mushroom and tomato in an individual clay pot until tender and richly flavoured, sometimes topped with an egg. It is a comforting Bulgarian classic.

Kavarma is a traditional Bulgarian stew, though its exact origins are debated, as similar slow-cooked meat-and-vegetable dishes appear across the Balkans. The name likely derives from the Turkish word "kavurma," meaning roasted or fried meat, reflecting centuries of Ottoman culinary influence on the region.

Regional variations abound: in the Thracian plain, pork and peppers dominate, while in the Rhodope mountains, chicken and mushrooms are more common, often finished with a cracked egg in the clay pot. Culturally, kavarma is a symbol of homey, slow-food comfort, typically served in its individual ceramic vessel at family gatherings and taverns, embodying the warmth of Bulgarian hospitality.