Shopska salad

Shopska salata is a salad that originated in the Shopluk region of Bulgaria. It is said to have been invented in the 1950s as part of a tourism promotion by the socialist party to highlight local ingredients. Different salads, from other Bulgarian regions, were also created, but only the shopska survived, and it's now considered a national dish.

In a practice common among Balkan countries like Serbia and Macedonia, this salad highlights the colors of the Bulgarian flag with bright red tomatoes, green cucumbers, red or green bell peppers, and onions. A light dressing of red wine vinaigrette is usually served on the side, but a generous amount of sirene cheese, similar to feta, is crumbled on top.

There are slight variations on the standard recipe, as every household has its take on the salad, but in general the basic ingredients remain unaltered. Since olive trees are not as plentiful in Bulgaria as they are elsewhere, sunflower oil is used in most cooking and salad dressings.