Shopska salad

Shopska salad (Bulgarian, Macedonian and Serbian: Шопска салата; Croatian: Šopska salata; Romanian: Salata bulgărească; Czech: Šopský salát; Albanian: Sallatë Fshati; Hungarian: Sopszka saláta; Greek: Σαλάτα σόπσκα) is a cold salad popular throughout Southeastern Europe.

[7] The dish is made from tomatoes, cucumbers, onion/scallions, raw or roasted peppers, and sirene, a white brined cheese similar to feta.

According to food anthropologist Rayna Gavrilova, the dish is commonly accompanied by a shot of apricot or other fruit brandy.

[11][12] The salad's colors, which mimic those of the Bulgarian flag, were a happy coincidence that was seen as a positive for evoking a national sentiment.

[22] According to the Bulgarian edition of Deutsche Welle, the Balkantourist recipe spread from Bulgaria to the cuisine of neighboring countries.

[citation needed] Bulgaria requested protected geographical indication from the European Union; Serbia objected.

Ingredients for Shopska salad
One of the first Balkantourist hotels in the Black Sea resort where the salad was invented. (early 1950s.)